Hiking is a very tough activity. It requires passion and patience to endure the sufferings of the path or a trail with love. The only loyal buddy you have while taking a hike on the rough terrain or at a nice grassy place is hiking boots. However, you should know when to replace the hiking boots.
Your hiking boots accompany you from the first time you’ve bought the boots from the store and worn them to all the rough and tough hiking terrains. But soon, they have to be discarded.
There isn’t an exact figure about when to replace hiking boots, but it is estimated that hiking boots live up to 1200 miles. Other factors that determine the damaged boots are the number of times they’ve been worn and their construction quality.
When dealing with damaged or well-worn hiking boots, we advise you to examine the boots and recognize the problems earlier. It will save you money and form the injuries that might be caused due to hiking boots in the future.
When to Replace Hiking Boots?
If you’re curious to know the correct timing for replacing the hiking boots and don’t want your next hiking journey to get spoiled or wrecked, check out our guidelines:
Signs Of Worn-Out Hiking Boots
We have enlisted some points about when to replace the hiking boots. Even if your hiking boots don’t seem to be that much damaged or you’re looking for the signs to check for the worn-out boots, these checkpoints are mandatory. When to replace the hiking boots:
If you’re having any discomfort that converts to pain in the feet or ankles, this is the first sign that you should replace the hiking boots immediately.
- After hiking for a few miles, you feel tired, and your boots seem to be very heavy.
- You feel rocks or the roughness of the road more than before on the trail.
- If the dirt is getting inside the shoe and your socks are getting muddier
- Hiking boots make your trip or slip, whereas they were very firm in their grip before.
Factors To Be Looked Upon When Replacing Hiking Boots
Even if oldies are not causing any serious pain or discomfort, they still need to be replaced. When the hiking boots are worn out even slightly, they tend to lose their grip and firm support.
Below we have listed some factors that need to be checked in hiking boots while looking out for the wear and tear.
Worn-Down Boot Laces
The earliest sign of damaged hiking boots is the frayed boot laces. Loosening and tightening the shoelaces while wearing them on and off might cause the laces to get damaged. If the eyelets or the lacing loops are getting torn or peeling off from the boot’s body, you should buy a new pair.
Cracked And Damaged Mid Soles
The comfort that hiking boots provide comes from the cushioned midsoles. But with time, after enduring too much strain, the midsoles get damaged. You can see the compressed fine lines affecting the boot. If the midsoles get damaged, you are more likely to get slipped or tripped during Hiking because the hiking boot loses its grip.
Another way of checking if the midsole is damaged is by doing a “Press Test.”
Performing The Test By Pressing Soles
- Step 1: Check the outsole by pressing it upward using a thumb. Put pressure on the boot as it would have experienced while hiking on the trail.
- Step 2: The midsole can be checked by examining cracks or lines. The sole will appear to be more compressed than the usual, plain rather than slightly upward.
Repaired Boot Laces Or Soles
If you are repairing the boot laces quite often because they get damaged, or the hooks keep popping out, then this is a sign that you should consider replacing the hiking boots. Laces seem to be the extra sensitive part of hiking boots like our hearts. They get soaked in the mud and puddles, get stuck in the bushes, and whatnot.
Little To No Ankle Support
Ankle support is vital for the ankles; it also protects the knees and even hips from serious injuries caused during running the tough terrains. Having firm ankle support won’t make your feet trip; you can position your ankles and feet in any direction while hiking. But if it isn’t intact or worn out, you will feel exerting more pressure or weight on the feet than usual.
Testing Ankle Support:
- Step 1: Wear the hiking boots, lace them up and place your feet apart in a squat position.
- Step 2: Squat down slowly and observe how much pressure you feel on your ankles.
If you feel more pressure or slight pain in the ankles, then it means that the ankle support is gone or is about to be finished.
No More Water-Resistant
You can presume that your boots are damaged if you have bought water-resistant boots that seem to be leaking now, not absorbing even the little raindrops.
Having cold or soggy feet while hiking on rough or snowy terrains will make your journey miserable. It’s very risky if the weather is dead cold, you can get frozen feet or even an infection. If the membrane that keeps the water away in the boot gets damaged, there is no chance of getting it repaired or replaced. However, new pair of hiking boots can be bought by you.
Bending Of Hiking Boots
When the hiking boots get older or worn out, they tend to get slick and bend more. Now, hiking boots are designed to be stiff, so they don’t get bend easily. You can not bend the boots completely. You can check it by following the steps as follow:
- Step 1: Take one of the hiking boots in your hands and bend it so that the heel reaches for the toe.
- Step 2: Apply the pressure and push the heel and toe of the boot towards each other.
If it becomes difficult to touch the heel of the toe with the toe, then Bravo! Your shoes are still ready to go for the next hike. However, if you’re successful in making the toe and heel touch each other, it’s time to say goodbye to the old pair.
General Wear And Tear
It is very obvious that while hiking the terrains and going through rough patches, hiking boots usually get small cuts or get dirtier. Their fabric also gets damaged by being wet for a long time or getting torn when you’re rolling over the sharp tree root.
The smaller issues like small stitches or frayed laces can be replaced or repaired, but if the boots are lacking or the ankle and feet supports are damaged, the boots must be thrown off by you.
Tips On Making Them Wear Out Slowly
- Only use them for Hiking. Please don’t use them while running around the city or going to a friend’s party. The more you wear them, the more damaged your favorite hiking boots will be.
- Try to clean them up after coming back home. Don’t let the mud stains be on the boots for longer periods as they will get difficult to wash off and eventually rupture the boots’ material or fabric. Also, dirt clothes the breathable holes present to keep the feet dry when sweaty.
- Take good care of them. Protect from UV and avoid placing them with the other shoes.
Conclusion
Hiking boots are considered to be durable and long-lasting. We all love our hiking boots, but it becomes compulsory to replace them when they get worn out. Moreover, you should know when to replace the hiking boots.
While replacing the hiking boots, certain conditions must be checked by you:
- The mid-soles and insoles
- Ankle support
- Water-resistant ability
- The overall look of the boots
Certain factors can maximize the life of your hiking boots that we have mentioned in our guideline earlier. However, the boots will eventually get older and damaged even with careful use.