Footwear Your feet are your body's foundation. Unless your feet are properly protected, injury and sprains can quickly stop you in your tracks. Likewise, unless your feet are properly supported and aligned, painful stress and misalignment can spread up to your knees and back. Thus, selecting the correct footware for your specific needs is crucial. Also, your feet are one of the most sweaty parts of your body. Unless this sweat is wicked away from your feet, it can lead to soreness, to overheating when active and to coldness when at rest. When you select socks you are actually choosing underwear for your footwear.
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Shoes If your pack is light and your portages are easy and short, you may get adequate support and comfort from a pair of trail-runners.
However, if your pack is heavy or your portages are longer, you'll be better served by a pair of approach-shoes.
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Boots If you're hiking the inland trails, carrying medium packs or into rougher portages, you need at least a pair of day-hikers.
If you're hiking the inland trails, carrying heavy packs, into low maintenance portages or bushwacking, you'll need backpacker boots.
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Socks The first choice you have to make is between the single-sock and double-sock approach.
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