Anyone on here solved getting sore soles of the feet on long (6-8hr) mountain walks and scrambles , I use brasher boots with supafeet insoles which are fine but after a few hours i get pretty painfull balls(!) and base of toes.

Tried various socks but always the same problem. its obviously worse on the descents but after a great weekend on the hills my feet are are really quite sore

I guess my feet are sweating and rubbing on the sock but was wondering if anyone had a top tip other than MTFU!

If you haven't already, try merino wool socks or merino wool liners. I'm prone to sore feet if I wear mostly synthetic socks like Thorlos, wool definitely handles the moisture better.

Maybe patronising advice but make sure you keep re-tightening your laces throughout the day, especially before going down.

Chief no i hadn't tried those I have been using synthetic socks good point

Grum not patronising no, its a good point too and something i will try

any more toptastic tips?

Retying laces is something I've done for years. Helps alleviate toes bashing into front of boot on steep descents for instance.

How old/new are the boots? Are they broken in? Are they the correct size?
I used to get terrible blisters from new walking boots until they were broken in, then they were extremely comfortable.
Do you get different shaped boots for different shaped feet?

Do you get different shaped boots for different shaped feet?

AFAIK, you can get them specially shaped for left and right feet these days. 🙂

Re-tying my laces worked for me, i now un do my boots at the top of the munroe to let my feet breath then tighten them good and propper for going back down.

Are the boots too big so you're slipping in them? Can you get more than one finger down the back of the heel when you're wearing them?

And for the descents, I really recommend walking poles. They help both feet & knees.

Some people don't get on with Superfeet insoles, they just don't work for them.

The pain you describe, is it a burning sensation under the ball of the foot? If so it could be something like a Mortons Neuroma, in which case solutions can be difficult to find.

I restarted hill walking last year, tried to use some (old) Scarpa mantas that I'd used several years ago 7 that I would have classed as being broken in, but with no luck, the pain in the ball of my foot & over the arch was too great. Eventually had to conced that new synthetic boots were the way forward.

If it is chaffage/skin hotspots then using vaseline or a foot balm (Decathlon do one) will help, as will the use of decent socks, I agree with Merino wool socks and Go Outdoors often have their own brand on offer which I've found pretty good when worn with a coolmax liner.

Brasher boots are rubbish, IMHO. It's worth spending more sQuids on a proper pair of boots like, say, Meindl for instance (I use Meindl Burma's). They'll need breaking in if they're leather – during which your feet are going to hurt, but it's worth it in the end. Or get the softer, "non-leather" type that are good to go from the first walk, more or less.

You might try rubbing your feet with cotton wool soaked in surgical spirit befoe walking. It hardens the skin.

And for the descents, I really recommend walking poles. They help both feet & knees.

+1 for this – they do make a big difference

Are the boots too big so you're slipping in them? Can you get more than one finger down the back of the heel when you're wearing them?

And for the descents, I really recommend walking poles. They help both feet & knees.
I am pretty sure the boots fit well appreciate the point about poles but i do a lot of scrambling as well and they are just in the way too much

Apologies if it has already been mentioned, but do you regularly walk 6-8hrs normally? If not, this itself is going to be the root of a lot of discomfort imho.

If you get the telescopic ones they can be stashed out of the way pretty easily.

I found sorbothane insoles (about £12 from decathlon) made a HUGE difference to the burning sensation I used to get in the ball of my foot. I can walk a lot further and for much longer now I have those in my shoes.

Also, and this doesn't make sense to me, I suffered far more wearing boots than I do shoes. I have wasted lots of money trying to find the right boots. 🙁

I think the need for walking boots is over stated. After a lost luggage incident I spent 10 days walking in the Himalayas just in a good pair of running shoes (plus no sleeping bag, but that's a different story) and it was great, even in the snow. I'm sure this wouldn't be the case for everyone and all situations but maybe you should give it a go?

Cheers guys I'll keep on trying all these options!

Apologies if it has already been mentioned, but do you regularly walk 6-8hrs normally? If not, this itself is going to be the root of a lot of discomfort imho.

Yes you could be right here too, but not too much i can do about that other than just try to minimize the discomfort

Try a stiffer boot.

I'm a complete convert to walking shoes (those chunky trainer / approach shoe things). Since switching over a decade ago I've had hardly any blisters at all. Boots still have their place, particularly when carrying heavy loads on rocky ground or in the depths of winter where they provide extra insulation. Saying that Brasher boots aren't much heavier than most walking shoes!

As some others have said, might be worth trying different boots. My wife lovers her Brashers, but the soles seem to be very soft and wear quickly. I prefer the Meindl Burma Pros mentioned earlier, but they seem to suit my feet. I walk without an extra insole, and with 1 pair of socks – Bridgedales. It's the best combination for me, tested on lots of the Wainwrights, the coast to coast a few years ago and the Yorkshire 3 peaks (!) next month.

Try a stiffer boot.

+1

The brashers we had in the shop I used to work in had terrible sole stiffness. So they felt great tripping about for half an hour, but offered your foot next to no support on longer walks.

try merino wool socks or merino wool liners.

yup +2 on that, and +1 on the poles, but they've never really helped my feet, it's my knees that feel the benefit.

"I think the need for walking boots is over stated"

It depends. I find only gore-tex lined leather boots + gaiters are enough for wet UK mountains and moors, snow and ice etc. Whereas for easy summer walking/ scrambling/ ferrata in the Alps or more rocky ground in the UK, unlined fabric shoes with a firm, cleated sole are really ideal.

I'm not clear if your pain is friction or fatigue. Superfeet are a bit unforgiving in both departments, found Sorbothane insoles to be more pliant. Brashers tend to be light and bendy which is nice initially but might lead to foot fatigue on long, rough hikes, at least until you MTFU a bit 😉

Buzz as it happens on walks over 4 hrs i guess it is fatigue and the sole not being stiff and possibly not thick enough, they are the superlight brashers so i am wondering whether that is the real cause not my lack of manlyness!

+1 Sorbothane.

Dont agree about Brasher boots I think they are great for UK walking.

I think the need for walking boots is over stated. After a lost luggage incident I spent 10 days walking in the Himalayas just in a good pair of running shoes (plus no sleeping bag, but that's a different story) and it was great, even in the snow

I'm a complete convert to walking shoes (those chunky trainer / approach shoe things).

Me too – I use trail running trainers for everything except winter walking (when you might need crampons or whatever). I have some very comfy summer boots (Berghaus something), and some not so comfy big clompy winter boots (Scarpa Manta), but I haven't used the summer boots for ages now.

I only do what I understand is pretty mild scrambling, Crib Goch etc. but I can't see the boots being any better on more technical stuff.

Unless you are fell running (they are too hard to use at speed), poles might well be the answer too. Use them for the get in / out, and for long boring descents, pop em on your bag for anything where you need your hands free. There is a poles are for wusses thing amongst a lot of people, but I know when we went mountaineering in New Zealand, the guides all use poles nowadays, and they were hardly unfit types. They are great for when you're pushing yourself beyond your regular level of walk.

Joe

Ideally stiffer boots, but otherwise +1 for thin liner sock and poles. Leki and others do poles that telescope down enough to go inside your pack

I don't think stiffer boots are necessarily the solution – I get foot ache much more in scarpa mantas (insanely stiff), then in lightweight berghaus boots (only quite stiff), and not at all in trail running trainers.

Joe

After a lost luggage incident I spent 10 days walking in the Himalayas just in a good pair of running shoes

Walking in running shoes can be ok but the very flexible soles can be an issue when walking over rough ground, as well as the lack of ankle support at times.

Light shoes might force you to place your feet more carefully tho.

As for the OP problem, my guess is that you'd just need to find the right boots. Which is an expensive project.

May be worth packing a spare pair of socks. Just a thought, athlete's foot powder – would that help?

Another suggestion – you may need a bio-mechanical assessment.

Cinnamon yes on the longer walks I do change socks helps a lot, but i still get the burning pain maybe i ned to see a pruffesonal footy bod

you may need a bio-mechanical assessment.

I have no Idea what this is! sounds like something the terminator would have!