Having broken my foot at Christmas, most of my immediate preparation is simply trying to get my strength back, without actually harming the foot recovery. I’ve progressed from a wheelchair, to crutches, to a cast, to my current situation : no cast, just a ’support’ thing I can take on and off. The foot still hurts but I can walk. Recently took up cycling to work again, which is about 10km each way. Hoping this will build up the leg muscles without being too impactful on the foot bones.
Last week I spent about an hour in ‘L Breath’ in Shinjuku (map) getting some advice on shoes. My initial thoughts were to use my Timberland boots. Tough, waterproof, broken in. However, after some discussions with the staff, I moved on to a lighter-weight shoe. I fancied the Merrell something-or-other ( on looks, plus ‘Goretex’, plus Vibram sole … I am easily impressed ) but the one that fit better was this one :
The Montrail “Continental Divide”. These are trail-specific shoes apparently : hard sole, well ventilated, quite wide and stable. I wont be dividing any continents, but hopefully it will keep my feet secure for 100Km…
[...] by a subtle combination of marketing and a blokey weakness for gadgets. I speak from some authority on the latter. An activity that is hitherto considered normal for anyone over the age of three can become [...]