backpacking - ALTAI® Footwear

ALTAI™ Pro Tip: 3 Simple Tips On How To Prevent Hiking Injuries

altaidev on October 10, 2018

Prevention is the first step to enjoying long hiking excursions injury free. And while we build our boots to be incredibly lightweight and no break-in period to help, here are a few exercises and stretches to get you even more prepped and keep you trekking comfortably.

Ankle Strengthening

Heel raises are an easy way to strengthen your ankles. Using a chair, or similar sturdy object, for balance, slowly raise one heel up, standing on your tiptoes, then slowly lower the heel to the ground. Repeat for each leg 10 times and try to do a set at least a few times throughout the day.

Taping

With quality athletic tape, you can add extra support; especially for those with previous injuries that may hinder full stability while on the trail. Some basic taping techniques can be found here or speak to a physician about what would be a suitable application for you.

Calf Stretches

Facing a wall, place both hands on the wall and bring one foot backwards 6 inches, knee bent, then slowly bring the heel down to the ground. You should feel a pull all along the lower and upper calf. This is also a recommended stretch for post-hiking or related activities.

Happy Trails from ALTAI™: On-The-Go Lacing Techniques for Happy Feet

altaidev on September 27, 2018

Specific lacing techniques can help alleviate discomfort, especially when putting in those miles on the trail. And while we build our boots super lightweight with no break-in period, here are some techniques that may help with situations while you’re on-the-go.

Lacing For Top-of-Foot Relief

Window lacing can help relieve pressure on the top of your foot, should the need arise on the trail. Simply undo your standard lacing down to where you feel discomfort on the top of your foot. Then bring each lace directly above (not across) to the next available eyelets. Continue normal lacing (or other preferred method) the rest of the way up the boot.

Lacing To Prevent Heel-Slip

Heel-slipping can make life miserable on your feet and is usually a result of too much excess space in the front interior of the boot. While we would highly recommend considering a different size for a better fit, this lacing technique will help in a pinch when you’re already deep into your long-haul adventure. (If your ALTAI™ boots don’t fit quite right when they arrive, we have a fair return policy to get you the exact fit you need.)

Undo your standard lacing down to where the top of your foot meets your ankles. Determine which two sets of eyelets match up with this spot and cross the laces over, like usual, but wrap each lace around the other twice before securing the tension with the next set of eyelets.

The ALTAI™ Lacing System: the secure, “knot-complicated” solution

altaidev on January 1, 1970

Summer is here and an outdoor adventure of every kind is just around the corner; which usually means terrain of every kind. You may have heard of a variety of techniques for improving your exploring footwear by applying an array of different knots and tying techniques that can help, but we at ALTAI™ decided to build a boot that doesn’t require the ‘knot encyclopedia’ to feel secure, every step of the way.

The Heel Lock, the Granny knot, the Low Cut Heel Lock… the list goes on. But whether it’s a tactical boot, boot for hiking, or just general work footwear, we believe each boots’ lacing system should be as easy to tie as the day you learned how to tie your shoes. With our sausage link laces, each ALTAI™ boots’ laces are already optimally fashioned for maximum comfort and a secure fit for every kind of mission.

You don’t need fancy knots or sailor-like tying abilities with our boots: if you’re headed to boot camp, you’ve got bigger things to worry about. Every boot laces up exactly how you think it should and viola, you’re all ready to hit the trail and conquer the day. Watch as Leo demonstrates how quick and easy our lacing system is: