As we've talked with people in our classes and walkers met elsewhere, there seem to be many opinions about the best kind of hiking socks. In the past we have stuck with Smartwools or other merino wool socks, or Thorlos, and have been generally satisfied. However, in the meantime have gotten other recommendations. Based on one of these, we've purchased a pair of Wrightsocks, and will be testing them. Check here under "footwear" for a description, and check back later for our evaluation.

On our training walk today we got talking about all the people we know who get blisters when they begin training and/or get new boots. Unlike the old leather boots, which need to develop bulges and creases to accommodate wearers' feet, modern boots made of synthetic materials are said to require little or no breaking-in. So what gives? If not the boots, it must be our feet that require breaking-in. They must adapt to the pressures they will experience over hundreds of thousands of collisions with the ground. Our feet are adaptable, of course, but we shouldn't expect too much of them. Walking frequently in your new boots before embarking on the Camino is recommended, while keeping in mind that most boots are good for little more than 500 miles, especially if they wear unevenly or when your walking is mainly on pavement.