I don’t usually pay much attention to my feet, but in preparation for this walk, I researched foot care on Google and selected a ‘sock system’ that was supposed to prevent a range of possible foot issues. The system combines thin Merino liner toe-socks with two Merino hiking socks, preventing rubbing and hence blisters. I wore these socks throughout our training period. Not one problem. But this week, my little ‘pinky toes’ have asserted their need for more nuanced and dedicated care. On day one, they were both a little red and tender, so I got out the aromatic oil and rubbed them. By the end of day two, they were red and sore. No evidence of blisters, but still ‘squealing’ regardless. I found the silicon toe shields that a friend of Susan’s had recommended and cut them to size. Every morning I oil my feet, then apply balm, then encase the little toes with the cushy shields. I then wrangle these little piggies into the toe socks. This is not an easy process. The cushy shields are easily crumpled, the toe socks are close fitting and the toes unbending. Once the toes are finally housed, I put on the outer socks, and then the shoes, and hope for the best. I don’t have any other interventions to hand. I tried swapping my sturdy leather hiking shoes for my softer trail running shoes, but they slipped twice on more challenging descents. So back to the sturdy pair. In the morning, after all that preparation, I tell my toes to ‘behave’ and just start walking – 122.6 km on the trail from Bayonne so far.
Until Pamplona. Here, instead of rising early for more walking, we switched it up. We tried resting the piggies on crisp white linen in a 4-star hotel. And I have not heard one peep from them all day.
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