When it comes to exploring new cities, I would be someone you may not want to travel with. I want to see everything, so stopping to sit makes me antsy. Though I don’t mind sitting down after a hike or to take in the scenery, stopping every hour and sitting for 20+ minutes will not make me a happy camper.
Luckily, most of the people I have traveled with are also up for racing around and seeing as much as there is to see. I guess that’s what happens when you only give yourself four days to cover Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Paris.
When I do walk with others who are in constant need of a break, the most common complaints that I hear is “my feet are numb” or “my feet hurt.” The first thing I always do is look at their shoes. Nine times out ten I can say, “Well go figure! You need different shoes!” The problem is there typically isn’t a shoe store around the corner, and they typically don’t want to spend the money on a new pair of walking shoes.
My next step in trying to put them, and myself, out of misery, is to take a look at their shoe laces. Do they even have shoelaces? Surprisingly, the answer to this is typically no. Are they too tight? How are they laced? This website offers some great tips on how to tie your shoe laces so that your shoes fit better.
If your shoes don’t fit your feet properly, you probably won’t have good circulation. Poor circulation is the number one cause of numb feet; it’s pretty simple – if your feet don’t get blood, you’ll lose feeling. Your feet swell while on long walks, sometimes even up to a whole size larger. Keep that in mind when you buy your walking shoes. Speaking of long walks, perhaps your feet are just not used to doing so much walking, and that’s why they hurt. Practice! AÂ simple solution is to strengthen your feet, and get them used to doing so much walking.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s good to take breaks once in a while and truly take-in your surroundings, but if the breaks are spent complaining about how much pain you are in, they start to be less inviting.
