Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 12, 1995 TAG: 9504130022
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SANDRA BROWN KELLY
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Specifically, the mind was turned to outdoor footwear because of a travel feature on a group of journalists hiking the Appalachian Trail and posting regular electronic insights on their experience.
The journalists began walking in March in Georgia and will be on the trail until October, sending electronic reports all the way. And also burning up some shoes, I bet.
It's spring and time for a look at what's out there in outdoor footwear, especially for the casual hiker. I have actually seen women heading up the trail to Dragon's Tooth, a substantial hike, wearing little flats more appropriate for the grocery store.
Expert hikers generally know their boots; it's the Sunday hiker and the beginning adventurer who need footwear help.
Probably no one has more intimacy with hiking boots than Bill Wilson, who most days can be found at Blue Ridge Outdoors at Tanglewood Mall. Wilson is general manager of the three-store company, but he started working at it part time in 1983 while a student at Virginia Tech.
He was hiking long before that.
Wilson is a buyer of hiking boots and gets all the bennies of his position. "I get a lot of freebies," he admitted. Otherwise, there would not be several pairs of boots in his closet.
But depending upon how broad your activities range, you might need more than one pair of boots.
The first rule of boot buying is to decide where you're going to wear it. That done, you know what category of boots to shop for.
After that, though, the fit of a boot will depend upon the manufacturer - Italian-made boots have shorter toe space than American-made ones, for example, Wilson said.
If you've never worn a boot, the first one you put on will feel different from anything you've put on your foot before, but it shouldn't feel tight or put excessive pressure anywhere on the foot, Wilson said.
"You should not expect to get a blister," he said. Of course, you still may get one as you break your feet in along with the boot, but, generally, blisters mean wet feet or the wrong socks.
Another point to consider in boot shopping is whether you require extra ankle support. If you do, tell the sales person. But keep in mind that support is needed right at the ankle, not well above it, so you don't have to get high-top boots to be protected.
And if you do get high-top boots, be prepared for some leg irritation until your legs and the boots have spent some time together.
What should you expect to spend? Anywhere from $50 to $300. How long will they last? It depends on whether you wear them every day or just occasionally and how much you pay for them. If they cost as much as a tennis shoe, they'll probably last like a tennis shoe, Wilson said.
If you'd also like to look in on the Appalachian Trail news, there are several ways to do it. If you subscribe to a computer service, such as America On Line, Compuserve, Prodigy, Delphi or Infinet, a family company to this newspaper, go into the Internet and call up the "home page" for the trail. The address - http://-www.nando.net/AT/ATmain.html - will get you to the hikers and more.
Kelly can be reached online at sandrakinfi.net or off-line at FAX (703)981-3346, or telephone, (703)981-3393.
by CNB