I bought my first mountaineering boots this week, and have walked all over my house and including stairs for about an hour. The fit seems very good, and is extremely close to how my well-used backpacking boots feel. I have never had blisters or sores from hiking in my normal boots, so I am hoping this is a good sign for my new boots. Under advice from this forum, suggested equipment lists for various expeditions, and talking to a few experts, I purchased the Kayland Hyper-Traction boots. My first trip using them will be in northern cascades in late summer this year, and then in Bolivia next year.

These boots are very rigid, and I can not imagine them ever being less stiff based on the construction. Since I have no experiance with boots like this, I do not know what kind of break in (if any) I need to do. Nor do I know how a broken-in mountaineering boot is supposed to feel.

• Do these boots need break in?
• How do you break in boots like these?
• I hike in the North Carolina mountains, so it will be 50+ degrees F everywhere. How do I prevent my feet from getting too hot during break in?
• What should this boot feel like once it is broken-in enough?

Another set of questions I have reguarding these boots are the care instructions. I think these fall in the category of mixed-construction, which would utilize silicone spray. But is this needed during periods I am not using the boots? During a multi-week trip, do I need to carry treatment material with me? (I hope not) Any other tips for caring for the boots?

Thanks!

Put a trip of duct tape from under your heel all the way up the back of your ankle to above your boot collar.
Use polypro/liner socks if you want, synthetic hiking socks.

Bring a few pairs of socks, some spare tape, moleskin and go on long day hikes.
Change your socks when they get damp or when stopping for rest/snack (tie the damp ones on the outside of your pack to dry. at the same time, check your feet.
Experiment with lace tension (toe/ankle)

Don't use spray, use stuff like Nickwax with a brush to apply the protection where needed (some spray will damage rubber).
Always remove the insole when you take off the boots to let them dry too.

This is all basic for me, you'll probably get some more info on this.

.......an old wise 8.000 sumitter once told me that, when the shops tell you that your rigid boots can't be broken in, are they half right and half wrong. Even the hardest boost will eventually adapt to your walking style.

He recommended me to use new boots at least 300 km's before bringing them to the mountains, and following his advise have I never had a problem with mine - even my rock solid plastic boots feel like soft sneakers.

Don't forget to wear 2 layer,

A thin liner that can transport your sweat away from your skin
and the sock that should get wet and soaky.

Ideally will the friction happenbetween the 2 layers and leave you without any blisters.

Remember to bring a few pairs and change like Luc says - it can save your day.

If you feet hurts or if they are freezing, the rest doesn't really matter,
.....once your feet is "gone" your are going into pain, misery, etc

(only problem is when I prepare for a trip and is walking around in Flat Denmark wearing my monster plastic boots and loaded backpack - people look at me like I'm an idiot)

do a couple of laps on crowders or kings mtn every weekend (it appears you live in charlotte) - get there very early (you can get in before the park opens) so that it isn't too hot. you can experiment with varioius sock combinatons if you want. don't forget to wear your pack too after a couple of weekends of just the boots. and don't worry, you won't be the only person doing this (insert wink here).

Thanks for the suggestions. I had not thought about taking multiple sets of socks with me during day hikes, and changing them out. Good idea. I also like rsfa961's suggestion of breaking them in at Crowder's Mnt state park. There are multiple loops to do and remain close to my car if I need to stop. I think I'll also carry normal hiking boots in case I need to switch out.

What I am still not sure about is taking care of the boots, especially with all the sweat that will get into them from hiking in warm weather while breaking them in.

riblet wrote:What I am still not sure about is taking care of the boots, especially with all the sweat that will get into them from hiking in warm weather while breaking them in.

Once a season, or more, completely rinse out the inside of the boots under water with maybe the help of a soft brush.
This will remove some of the dirt, salt and other crap that can damage your boots from the inside.
Air dry in the shade and re-treat the material.

Not that I am any expert in boot-fitting, but I do have a lot of years of personal experience (blisters and all) of wearing new boots. I find that I have changed my mindset about "breaking-in" boots.

As you have noted, newer construction methods have rendered mountaineering boots to be less likely to "break-in" to your feet than the old traditional leather style boot. I propose that what you really need to do is exactly the opposite... condition your feet to the boots, not the other way around. Using this mindset has helped me through a lot of new boot, (er, foot) break-in periods.

Obviously, your feet aren't going to change shape, so a proper boot fit is essential from the outset. That should go without saying. Hopefully you spent a good deal of time trying different styles and different manufacturers to find a pair that fit your foot shape. After that, as mentioned above, it's really all about spending time in the boots PRIOR to taking a trip in the mountains. Just as we do workouts to condition our bodies to perform well in the mountains, so should we focus on conditioning our feet to perform well.

I start out as you mention, just walking around the house to be sure the boots are a good fit. Then I begin to take short walks and focus on any places that might need attention... looser or tighter laces upper or lower on the boot, feel and fit of the insole (which, by the way, I almost always replace with something better than the original). Then up the mileage as your feet start to become used to the boot. Finally, after I'm sure the boot fits and my feet have started to become adjusted to their new home, I load up a pack and carry it around on training hikes. This often will highlight concerns that weren't there before, and you can then address those concerns, or give your feet more time to become used to how they feel with the extra weight.

Time in the boots prior to any trip is key. And this goes for starting out the season if you've been out of the boots for a long period of time. Give your feet a chance to reacquaint themselves to the boots if you haven't worn them for a few months.

I also recommend the book "Fixing Your Feet", by John Vonhof, Wilderness Press. Reading this book is probably what really got me thinking the way I do about conditioning your feet to your footwear, not the other way around. Contrary to the title, it's not all about fixing your feet after something goes wrong (which it does cover), but about how to care for your feet from the outset.

So good luck with your new boots. Take the time to condition your feet and get out there and have some fun in the mountains.