I by no means spend my life in the mountains or hills for what it's worth,but it seems like ever time I make it out west for a hunt I end up with blisters on my heels ,balls of my feet and sometimes the tops of my feet. Most of my hunting is in early season with a muzzleloader so it has always been warmer. I've tried different boots, different socks, but nothing so far has seemed to work.
So.....what's everyone wear and how does it work for you?
For socks, Thorlos - I swear by them. I've worn them on 10-milers, I wear them when I do my 3-milers for physical training at my place. No blisters. The socks do make a difference, I've run and walked in the Air Force issued cotton socks and quickly ended up with blisters. The wrong socks will act just like sandpaper.
Another thing is that I change my socks regularly and air them out when I get a chance - another nice thing about the Thorlos, they dry quickly.
Cold weather, I wear the Thorlos and put a pair of wool socks over top of them.
For boots, make sure that they are not too big - if your feet are sliding around in your boots, you're going to get blisters no matter what you wear.
Personally, I wear Merrells at home and I'm still working on finding a good pair of hunting boots. The soles on the Merrells are too soft for going off-trail too long, otherwise, I'd wear those hunting, too.
Another thing, get out and walk more at home, it will thicken the skin and build some callouses on your feet.
And like Kevin Root said, take good care of your feets, keep them clean and dry.
