Which boots are best for me?

pilgrims on the Road to Santiago

What sort of boots or shoes should I walk in? What’s the best sort of rain gear for the Cotswold Way? Do I need walking poles for the Camino? We will help to answer your gear questions in this Walking Gear section.

The best place to start is with walking shoes or boots. There are three types of footwear for walking holidays – walking shoes, mid-cut walking boots and full cut walking boots. Everyone will find that one of these types is best suited to their walking style.

It is important to get your footwear sorted out first. That includes your socks. We recommend a thin pair of inner socks to “wick” away the foot’s perspiration into the thicker outer socks. Have you tried two pairs of socks?

The best way to get the right boots is to buy the socks first, inner socks and outer socks. Then with these you can start trying on boots at your walking gear outfitter. They should have staff who can measure both your feet and then select an appropriate boot for you. Your boots should feel comfortable before you leave the shop. Due to advances in footwear technology and materials, the old approach of walking or breaking in your boots is no longer conventional wisdom. At the end of the exercise you should be able to answer the question – which boots are best for me?

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