This week's kit tip is about lacing your boots for maximum comfort, which can make the difference between a day of blissful walking and hours of torture.
The idea behind differential lacing is that you lace different areas of the boot to different levels of comfort. The easiest way to do it is to start off with a boot which has a locking lace hook somewhere at the top of the forefoot – usually the third lace hook down on boots – because the lace locks into place, you can have different tension on the lace about and below the hook.
So, for example, you might want to lace the lower part of your foot snugly to stop it and your heel from moving about, then lace the ankle section of the boot more loosely for greater mobility and flex. This works particularly well with stiffened mountain boots, which have very little flex in the sole unit, putting more pressure on the ankle area.
If your boots don't have a locking lace hook in place, you can still lace your boots differentially, but you'll need to use a surgeon's, or similar locking knot, to isolate the two lacing areas of the boot. Think a normal lace knot, but without loops.
Finally, don't think you have to use all the lace loops on your boots. If there's a tight spot, experiment with simply leaving out a pair or eyelets or hooks completely. If the ankle area is rubbing, for example, try ignoring the top set of eyelets completely – worked for us testing the latest Berghaus Pro Rush Mid, which was trying to flatten out our ankle bones thanks to stiff sides and minimal padding.
