Hiking the Sierra Nevada in KSO Treks

Eleven years ago I became addicted to hiking the high mountains of Southern California and the Sierra Nevada. After a few weeks of long and steep weekend hikes, I began to feel an intense burning sensation in both of my forefeet. I had developed Morton’s Neuroma, an inflammation of the nerves that run between the metatarsal heads in the toes.

Wearing really wide shoes somewhat helped but did not eliminate the problem. A week of rest usually made the inflammation disappear, but after an hour or two of uphill hiking it would always reappear.

Once sufficiently inflamed, even standing in enclosed shoes was extremely painful. Only thong sandals or going barefoot would sometimes alleviate the pain. At other times the pain would persist after I’d finished hiking and was trying to get to sleep.

For ten years my ability to hike was constrained by this problem. Then last October I donned my first pair of FiveFingers, the KSO Trek. Since then I have completed dozens of hikes in the mountains and the desert, many on trails with a mile of elevation gain and loss. I have never in this period experienced a return of this symptom, nor had any other significant foot problem. I have also almost completely avoided wearing regular shoes.

Ted