Best Hiking Boots (2026): Walking Shoes, Trails, Backpacking
Try toe box lacing. If your toes are in a world of pain after 20 miles on the trail, there’s an argument to be made
Try toe box lacing. If your toes are in a world of pain after 20 miles on the trail, there’s an argument to be made that you need new boots. But for instant relief for tired and swollen feet, try toe-box relief lacing. Unlace the boot and simply relace, but skip the bottom one or two sets of eyelets. This helps the toe box expand, relieving pressure on your feet without causing the midfoot or ankle to slip.
Relieve pressure with window lacing. Feet eventually get tired regardless of how comfortable your boots are, and pain on the top of the foot is extremely common. Window lacing can alleviate the torture and requires unlacing across the top of the foot and relacing with some gaps to create a “window.” To do this, simply skip an eyelet or two and lace straight up on both sides, before finishing as usual.
The no-lace hole created on the top of the foot should relieve the pressure. Reduce heel slipping with heel lock lacing. Hikers with narrow feet and ankles often suffer with heel slip, which can cause painful blisters. One method to hold the foot in position is to use a surgeon’s knot, which anchors the heel without overtightening on the rest of the foot. First, unlace the boot down to the lace hooks closest to the top of your foot.
Now tie a granny knot, but add in one or two extra wraps, before finishing the lacing as usual. This prevents the lace from slipping—it will cinch down on your loose ankles. It’s also a neat trick for keeping any kid’s shoes tied for longer.
The BriefWire