When the cars stop and the transit shuts down, your feet become your only transportation, and a blister you would shrug off today can become an infected wound that stops you cold. Armies have known this forever: soldiers are taught foot care because a unit that can’t walk can’t do anything. Here is how to choose shoes for the apocalypse, and how to keep the feet inside them working.
Choosing your shoes
- Fit beats everything. The best boot in the world will cripple you if it doesn’t fit. Shop in the afternoon, when feet are slightly swollen, and wear the socks you’ll actually use.
- Break them in now. Stiff new boots raise blisters. Wear them on walks for a few weeks before you ever need to rely on them.
- Boots or trail shoes? Hiking boots support ankles and protect against debris; trail running shoes are lighter and dry faster. For walking over rubble or broken glass, boots with a sturdy sole win. For long distances on roads, many people prefer lighter shoes.
- Waterproof has a trade-off. Waterproof membranes keep rain out but also trap sweat, and once water gets in over the top, they are slow to dry. In wet climates, some hikers choose quick-drying shoes and accept wet feet.
- Look at the soles. Deep, grippy lugs for mud and slopes; stiff soles for rocks and debris. A worn-out sole is a slip waiting to happen.
- Keep a pair everywhere. At home, in the car, and under your desk at work. The shoes you’re wearing when disaster strikes are the ones you’ll walk home in.
Socks matter as much as shoes
Wool socks, merino especially, stay warm when wet, wick sweat away from the skin and resist odor. Cotton socks hold moisture against your feet, which causes blisters and cold. Carry at least one spare pair and rotate them, drying the damp pair on the outside of your pack.
Foot care in the field
- Treat hot spots immediately. The moment you feel rubbing, stop and cover the spot with tape or moleskin. A minute now saves days later.
- Keep feet dry. Take boots off and air your feet at rest stops, and dry them thoroughly every night.
- Trim toenails straight across to prevent ingrown nails, which can become infected.
- Watch for infection: spreading redness, heat, swelling or pus around a blister needs attention.
A history lesson: trench foot
During World War I, soldiers standing for days in cold, waterlogged trenches developed trench foot: numb, swollen feet whose tissue began to die from prolonged wet and cold, even without freezing temperatures. It disabled huge numbers of troops until armies enforced dry socks, foot inspections and rubbing feet with whale oil. The lesson still holds. Wet feet for days will cripple you, so dry them at every chance.
And yes, style
Function comes first, but there’s no rule against boots you like looking at. You’ll be wearing them a lot. A pair of bright laces is a small, cheerful act of defiance against the end of the world.
What’s on your feet right now, and could you walk twenty miles in it? Be honest in the comments.
