You’ve probably already had your first shorts and short sleeves day, so you already know – spring has sprung in RVA, and hiking season has arrived! 

Central VA has some of the nicest hiking trails and parks in the whole state. You’re no doubt ready to tackle any and all of them, but before you rush out and onto the trails, make sure you’ve inspected all of your equipment.  A nice afternoon hike can turn into a miserable day if you turn an ankle, bust your boot, have ill-fitted boots that rub your feet raw, or have the wrong type of material for the environment. Learn more below!

Hiking Season’s Most Common Footwear Issues

Your Footwear is Worn Out

Hardcore hikers beware – hiking boots are meant to be consumable, meaning they are not supposed to last forever. Even Red Wing’s Hiking Boots, which always last longer than everyone else’s, aren’t immortal. Long days on the trail, heavy use, and exposure to the elements will eventually wear down any boot, and they’ll need to be replaced.

Be honest with yourself about the condition of your hiking boots before you hit the trails. You may not want to buy a new pair of boots just yet, but if they’re busted… investing in a replacement pair ends up being cheaper than the alternative (which is potential injury or the inability to hike at all). 

Your Footwear isn’t Right for the Job

Selecting the right pair of boots for the hike at hand is key. A pair of boots worn to hit some light trails at the county park obviously won’t be the best choice to hike the entirety of Appalachian Trail – and vice versa. 

Consult your plans and let our shoe fitting professionals know what you plan on using your hiking boots for and we’ll pick out a perfect pair for the job. 

Your Footwear isn’t Right for Your Feet

Remember guys – GET FIT BEFORE BUYING BOOT. All footwear fits slightly different – even hiking boots from the same company. Footwear is built to varying specifications to accommodate different foot shapes and sizes, so a size 11 in one pair of shoes might not be feel the same as a size 11 in another. 

Our best advice is this: get fit by a professional here before buying a pair of Red Wings – and buy them in the store. It might cost a little bit more, but you’ll be able try them on first, and get more support for them afterwards.

Tackle Hiking Season with Help from Red Wing Richmond

If any of the above issues apply to you, we can help. Just get in touch with the team at any of our 3 stores and we’ll get you all sorted out and ready for this year’s hiking season