How to Choose Footwear for Hiking in the Mountains

Video Transcript

"Hi, this is David Jackel on behalf of Expert Village, and I'm here to talk to you about footwear in the Appalachian Mountains. Now when you're in the Appalachian Mountains you want quality, sturdy footwear so that your feet are protected and that you can go for long hikes and your feet aren't going to get wet. Get a good pair of hiking boots. They are more expensive if they are high quality, but it's worth it. Make sure that your boots are waterproof, that they're very sturdy, they have treads on the bottom, and that they're tall enough to properly brace your ankles. You want your boots to have a good comfortable fit. They need to be tight enough that they're not going to chafe against your foot when you're walking. Remember that if your boots don't fit properly, you can hurt your feet, and that can put you in a lot of danger when you're up in the mountains. You want to wear two layers of socks. The first layer, which touches your foot, is there to absorb the moisture. The second layer is an outer wool sock which is there to keep you warm, and also to make sure that there is no friction between your foot and the boot. You change the inner sock on a daily basis or whenever there is too much moisture in there, and the outer sock can stay there as long as you air it out at night. Having two layers of socks also protects your feet from blisters, which are very painful and can prevent you from being able to walk. And when you're up there in the mountains, the last thing you want is to not be able to walk. Ultimately, you need your feet to be in primary condition all the time because they're your only method of transportation."