Re: Steel Shanked Boots?

Barb has forbidden me from riding motorcycles (despite, or maybe because of, my having raced back in my invulnerable youth). In my more "adult" moments (such as when looking at the current statistics on motorcycle accident, injury, and death rates, many of which are not the biker's fault), I do realize that she is really looking out for my interests. Remember the general rule - there are two types of motorcyclists: those who have laid it down and those who will. Mine was demonstrating how you can do a wheelie, even with a 150cc bike (ok, it was a Husqy).

A good custom orthotic can provide the lift you need. However, you can also get a resole done with a lift and still have the proper soles. Depending on where you hike, the proper sole pattern in a sticky rubber can make a lot of difference in your comfort and "surefootedness" on rough trails and in inclement weather. There was a woman in my university hiking club who had one leg shorter due to polio in her youth (hmmm, giving away some clues to my age - way too many kids had polio as I was growing up, pre-vaccine days). She had tried several approaches to getting boots that worked, and finally ended up getting Peter Limmer (New Hampshire) to make a custom pair. Limmer's company is still in the family (I forget whether it is the son or now the grandson who is the CEO these days) and still does custom boots. I had a pair for many years, and Barb has a pair now that is her favorite pair of boots. There are other custom boot makers (kutenay is acquainted with one or two and will chime in here) that will do the same quality of work. Custom boots are expensive, but well worth it, even for "normal" feet, and I would say requisite for special needs.