Gear

I just bought a pair of brasher hillmasters which appeared to fit bloody wonderfully in the shop.  Got them home and went out in them for my usuall walk with the dog (bout 5 to 7 mile) and got back with a blister on my left heel on the bottom ... the right foot stayed great.

when it started to burn I noticed that the left foot was tied looser than the right so tightened them up which I think was simply to late.

Im using a pair of karrimor coolsomethingorother walking socks.  Should I consider buying something thicker?  And perhaps red hehe?  Or is there anything else that can be done to stop me going back to my trusty wellies!

Try smartwool socks and persevere with the lacing but if you cant get them right you may be able to return them to the shop if they had a gaurenteed fitting service.

Some shops allow you to return your boots if they fitted them and they are not a good fit.

lacing

try a heel lock lacing configuration.

socks - buy socks that fit you the best. doesn't matter what brand. go for a brand whose upper sock sizes are closedt to your foot size.

thin liner socks may help.

Parky Again wrote (see)

 doesn't matter what brand. go for a brand whose upper sock sizes are closedt to your foot size.

It does make a difference Parky, or are you advising him to wear a perfectly fitting pair of cotton socks?

brand is brand, not what they're made of.

all major brand WALKING socks if you insist. the BRAND doesn't matter. an ill fiiitng sock is as useful as an ill fitting boot. if the socks are too big they rub.

I've had this problem before with most pairs of boots I've owned.  The solution has usually been either a sock or lacing adjustment.  Though with one pair of Scarpas, it was throw into the rubbish bin.

I would recommend looking at the lacing first, as it is the cheapest option.  You don't want it too tight, which often leads to people having it too loose so that the heel slops about and causes blisters.  If you're heel area was fine, then maybe then either the laces were way too loose or the sock solution is the route for you.  My tightening way is to put the boot on then bang the heel back a couple of times (bottom of the stairs, handy rock etc), so that my heel sinks as far as possible back in the boot (back, not down).  Then lace up with moderate tightness.  Keep an eye on it during the day, and always re-tie after half an hour walking (when your feet will have warmed up and expanded as much as they are going too).

If the foot felt loose rather than tight, I would suggest adding a thin liner sock, combined with the thicker sock.  If that doesn't work, you are into experimenting with options (which can be expensive).  I agree with Parky; the brand doesn't really matter.  The materials and fit are the things to look at.  Don't ignore the possibility of different options on each foot.  I use a liner and medium weight sock on my (bigger) right foot and a liner and thick sock on my left.  Looks daft, but feels good.

Something else that works for me, but others recommend against, is to get my boots off at lunch stops and any other significant break.  My feet get sweaty and they definitely appreciate every opportunity to dry out and rest.  If I'm on a walk of less than four hours, I often don't bother with this, but on a big day, especially if one of a sequence of big days, it can make all the difference.

ALoveSupreme wrote (see)

Smartwool socks are great, especially with unlined footwear, but I'm not sure that at this time of year woollen socks  are what you want with a goretex lined boot like Brashers -  they'll be too warm, and will hold sweat. Perhaps better to try one of Brashers' own socks - they make different ones to suit the seasons, and only the winter ones have wool in. See here.

I disagree, smartwool socks are perfect for hot weather
 as they wick so well and keep your skin very dry at a time when you sweat the most.They do thinner ones for summer.

but smartwool, like any other socks, are only great if they fit. woollen socks in particular stretch when wet and can start to bunch up hence proper fit is even more important.

i too, like paul, remove my boots if required at my lunch stop to give my feet an airing. a new, clean and dry liner sock can be heaven.

sock sizes

Jules aka Bat Girl wrote (see)

Dont have a problem with mine doing that and I go running through streams , puddles and bogs in mine. Get my feet completly soaked but no saggy socks and no blisters.

Parky Again wrote (see)

because they probably fit and running is different to walking.

Running may be different to walking but I'd agree with Jules as that's been my experience when walking in smartwools and trail shoes.

Then again, I'd agree with you too Parky as I'm pretty sure mine fit

Btw, I keep expecting James Bond in silhouette to run across your avatar, then stop in the middle, turn and shoot me!

Jules aka Bat Girl wrote (see)

I disgree, smartwool socks are perfect for hot weather
 

Jules - do you mean to say that you find woolen socks and goretex boots acceptably cool and unsweaty for walking in summer? If I choose to wear a goretex boot in summer, which isn't very often, I'd always pick a synthetic coolmax type sock as they are far cooler and drier.

I wouldn't disagree with you that smartwool socks are great for unlined shoes - though for running at least you can get just as good a result from these at a fraction of the cost!

i use x-socks because they have the best fit for me. whilst the upper size limit is 7.5 (the same as smartwool), the lower limit of the x-sock size is greater which probably reflects the inherent stetch of the materials employed. i use smartwool with liners as without they rub whereas x-socks don't because of the snugger fit.

i find the smartwool running socks fit differently to the hiking socks too.

i've tried virtually every sock out there until it dawned upon me that it was the sock size that was the problem and not the sock or the footwear. this is why i can only ever recommend a brand that fits your foot i.e. the sock size upper limit that is closest to your foot size, or even going down a size if you are at the other end e.g. for smartwool socks because of the greater stretch they have over x-socks; if you are a size 8 try the medium smartwool (up to 7.5 size) for a snug fit whereas i would think that x-socks wouldn't be comfortable because of their lack of extra stretch.

the better the sock fit (snug) the less likely your foot will move inside the sock and rub. coupled with some appropriate lacing options your feet should be in heaven.

I own X socks, Bridgedales and Smartwool , I have tried them all, and I always use Smartwool next to my skin weather its in my Running shoes, or my Gortex summer boots or my scrambling boots or my winter climbing boots because they keep my skin dryer than anything else in any conditions I can throw at them.

I dont agree that cool max wicks better than smartwool and I dont think the lab tests come to that conclusion either.

X socks are very suportive and I sometimes  use them in winter over smartwool to get the combination of the two.

Interesting point is that put your socks on the washing line to dry and the smartwool drys first, then the bridgdale coolmax followed by cotton work socks.

but what foot sizes and what sock sizes are you? without some correalation to fit the information that a sock is great is of limited use.

is that on the line after a spin or on the line soaking wet? oh, you probably don't have the time to wait for the cotton ones...