Enjoy A Foot Pain-Free Hike With The Help Of An Oft-Overlooked Piece Of Gear

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While it's always satisfying to climb rocky trails and look out at the world from mountaintops, jaunting across rough terrain can be tough on the feet. Sometimes it even takes days or weeks to recover from long hikes that leave your tendons strained and ankles stiff. This type of pain might seem negligible compared to common hiking injuries like shin splints, but it can still discourage outdoorsy folks from pursuing the hobby they love. If you've unsuccessfully tried to address this problem by selecting the right hiking boots and orthotic inserts, just know you aren't out of options. Many avid hikers and backpackers fix their foot pain with toe spacers.

These gel or silicone products may look silly, but they are known to provide much-needed relief. They help with bunions or overlapping toes by taking pressure off those parts of the foot. Most toe spacers sell for between $10 and $30, though more specialized spacers like Correct Toes, run around $65. If you just have two overlapping toes, meaning that one toe sits atop the other, causing pain, try the Welnove Store 12-pack of individual toe separators for $9. Unlike separators that support all five toes, individual toe separators just separate two at a time. Your shoes may feel a little tighter when you're wearing the toe spacer (avoid the very wide spacers, like YogaToes). If that's the case, consider using wide-toe box shoes, like Orthofeet orthopedic boots. This is an important step to get right because selecting the wrong hiking boots can be dangerous.

You don't necessarily want to start using toe spacers by sliding them onto your foot and embarking on a 10-mile hike. Get used to them first by wearing them for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, walking around the house. Then you can upgrade to wearing them with your wide-toe boots and going for a quick walk down the street. Once you're comfortable, try hiking with them. You may also decide they work best for you before or after a hike as therapy, or only in certain situations. Toe spacers are reusable, but it is important to wash them. The best way is to scrub them with soap and hot water. Depending on the type, you can even cleanse them with boiling water or isopropyl alcohol.

You can also relieve pain by icing your feet and using elastic compression bandages after outings. If you find that inflammation is a common issue, try using Tylenol to bring down the swelling. The physical preparation for long-distance hikes can be as important as the recovery, which is why it's important to stretch beforehand and use the right equipment. If the toe spreaders aren't helping and you continue to experience pain, it's a good idea to consult a doctor.