Pondering shock absorption
Published on 18th May 2010 
Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutesThere are many things that I like about my Meindl Burmas, but one niggle always been how harshly they treat my feet over hard surfaces like tarmac, gravel or dried out grassland. Softer surfaces are fine, so traipsing fields is fine most of the time. My recent foray into the Scottish Borders was another reminder of this, especially on the last stretch from Galashiels to Melrose, and I now am minded to look for a solution.
What I am not planning on doing is buying another pair of boots and the Burmas fit well anyway, so alternatives to the provided footbeds are what I have been seeking. Have had a bit of a poke around the web (there's an interesting article on the subject at OutdoorsMagic), it looks as if I'll be giving something from Superfeet a go.
Nevertheless, the option of using cheaper shock absorbing equivalents as volume adjusters in my Scarpa ZG10's sounds an intriguing idea, though those boots are largely in semi-retirement now. Another curiosity that I encountered was the idea of using tongue depressors from Superfeet to make lacing more effective. While it all may prove too unwieldy for real world use, it is interesting to learn that these things are available.
Curiosities aside, I do believe in getting boots that fit me in the first place, though there was that one experience when it didn't work out as planned. For now, I'll stick with improving my Burmas feel, and I feel a bit of experimentation coming on.
It may be that I find a way of getting rid of the Scarpas yet; after all, no one buys an expensive pair of boots for their semi-retirement. That handover probably would be a better way to go, and the lessons can be kept on file for future reference. On this occasion, the in-store boot fitting did not work out; it is better to have the fitting before choosing the boots.
