Trouble with boot eyelets

[Fi]

Just joining this topic as it seems an important one to me. Like other writers I have also had a bad accident with my new Meindl walking boots. The loop of one tucking into the hook of the other. I have a laceration above my eye, broken glasses, broken nose, and 6 mths down the line - and with much physio - my right hip and knee are still giving way due to the inflammation the impact has caused. 
 

‘Michael aka Mac’ suggests learning to fall better - and I’d like to say that you don’t get a moment to steady yourself as the pull of the laces mud stride leads to a fall so sudden I didn’t even have time to put my hands out to protect my face from the impact. It’s not like a normal stumble where you have that mysterious split second to wobble in one direction or other, or to try to correct the fall in any way. As a gear reviewer I’d like to suggest some internet searches on how often the hook system is causing accidents. Like other writers I consider myself lucky - I could have been on the loneliest part of my hike and had to stumble home covered in blood, in pain and shock; or at the sight were I fell I was on a pavement next to a busy road and am lucky not to have fallen into the traffic. After 40 years of wearing boots these new hooks are wider than others I’ve owned, and I honestly don’t think should be allowed to be sold on actual ‘walking boots’. I would have been safer in a pair of converse!  Perhaps as a gear reviewer looking into something that’s causing serious issues would be an invaluable contribution. Since my accident I’ve read countless reviews from casual walkers to serious climbers and military people who’ve all had accidents wearing them. By and large they have been laughed at or disbelieved. This may be happening to a tiny percentage of people, but it’s my absolute belief that the boots with quick release hooks should come with warnings to keep the hooks covered. I had short laces, and tucked them in. But they’d popped out and as I was taking a slight turn, which must have involved bringing my feet close together they connected and down I went. Since then I’ve googled and discovered that this isn’t as rare as it could or should be and feel it’s a proper health and safety issue that needs to be addressed. I will be buying walking shoes, and take the hit on less ankle support, once I am able to properly walk again.  
 

I’m guessing that for anyone reading this thread that you’ve come to it after a similar experience - but if you are reading this, having not had the experience, might I suggest you keep your laces covered with mini gaters at all times. Or buy different boots. 40 years of hiking, and this has only happened to me once - but it’s having such a significant impact on my day to day life, not to mention getting used to a new nose shape and facing surgery to remedy it, and steroid injections are next on my list for my hip. 

[Michael aka Mac]

@Fi  Lety me clarify on what I mean by learning to fall.  In my father's dojo, one of the focuses was on how to minimize damage to oneself when falling.  Think of it like a feline that is able to end up back on its feet from a fall.  This isn't something natural for humans to do, and only through practice (on thick pads in a controlled environment)  that one gets muscle memory, and by this point, even falls that happen so quickly, one can instinctively position themselves to mitigate the damage.

Don't get me wrong, you are still going to get hurt, it is just how badly you get hurt is the question. I do appreciate how fast things can occur, so fast even that our mind cannot formulate a response, but then again muscle memory on the other hand is faster.  Truthfully, depending on a person's age and physical characteristics,  learning to fall may end up being more dangerous to practice than an actual accidental one.

in 2018, I was walking briskly in the dark, and had forgotten that my significant other had moved the lounge chair, and I flipped over it.  Without even thinking I naturally rolled into the fall, so instead of a single smack to the head at full impact, it was a few far lesser smacks to the head.  I have had a lot of concussions ( some unavoidable for example when a woman behind me and across the street threw a beer bottle and hit me in the back of my head), but this most recent flipping over the lounge chair was the worst concussions of my life.  In all honesty, if not for rolling in to it, I may not be here today to write about it.

Things to practice though are never walking with your hands in your pockets, making sure your laces are not too long (if so even wrapping it once or twice around your leg and tie it), taping your eyelets, walking with a trekking stick, making sure your boot treads are not worn down, in winter, walking with over the boot cleats, and even wearing pants with cushioned knee and butt areas. My gloves for example have cushioned palms  just for when I fall.

BTW, I am very sorry to hear about your accident, and hope that your road to total recovery is quick...

[Fi]

I’m in my 50s now and have successfully fallen off my road bike and off horses and while running - and able to minimise damage. Perhaps because of age, but i honestly believe, because of the speed and surprise I hit the ground fast and hard. Ultimately I think these boots and hooks are unfortunate accidents waiting to happen.  
 

Since my hideous accident I’ve discovered all sorts of things I could have or should have done to minimise the laces and hooks connecting. But I don’t think a boot manufactured as a walking boot should have such a flawed design in the first place. At least not without a caution - like the ones you’ve described. In the UK we have banned things, like strings on roller blinds for lesser numbers of accidents. It shouldn’t be for me, as a consumer, to find out after the event that hooks are flawed. 
 

I read of militaries banning them as they are a huge risk operationally, and of climbers whose boots became entangled while in precarious positions. I’ve never been a trail or hiker ‘magazine’ reader - just a happy 10-20k hiker with a few munroes here and there. Until my own injury I had so much faith the boots were better. And now, I’m wearing hoka trainers and am far too scared to wear my very expensive Meindl boots again. 
 

[Michael aka Mac]

I can appreciate that. The old saying "once burnt, twice shy". You mentioned falling off a horse.  Although I have only fallen off a horse trying to get on one, I have never fallen off a horse riding one. Although, once incident I had, I think falling would have been less painful. I was in Texas at the time riding a horse that was taught a different riding style than I had at that time. I was use to horses that were used on trails, the ones one usually finds that you can go on a tour for an hour or two. 

The one I was given was a cowboy galloping horse, and when we got into an open area, I gave him the ol' giddy up, and man did he take off like grease lightning. The tall grassy field hid what we New Yorkers call a pot hole, and I went from up in the air (the way you are supposed to position yourself when riding) to slamming down on his back. 

I have been kicked in no where's land a few times in my life, but this was like being run over by a Mack Truck. In the end, I had to walk the horse back to the farm, walk very slowly i might add. Thank goodness the horse was ok, which was my main concern, and luckily I was able to walk normally again about a week later...

[Fi]

Horses are unpredictable. Seriously though, if you are still reviewing gear, it would be interesting to see a researched piece on how many stories there are of people injuring themselves with this type of boot. The new ones I bought this year have 5% of reviewers on the retailers website saying they’d injured themselves when the laces became entangled, with one person saying she’d broken her ribs. It seems a bigger deal than people realise. 

[Michael aka Mac]

@Fi   I do still review gear on numerous websites including this one, but I have never written a review on clothing or shoes/boots. Despite being a wizard with a sewing machine,  I am way too critical of clothing and whatnot, and never have been happy with any clothing maker.

There may only be 5% saying that they have been injured, but I am pretty sure that percentage is a lot higher, just less serious injuries, or those that simply are not into writing reviews.

The best person to ask on Trailgroove about questions regarding clothing and footwear is @Aaron Zagrodnick, as that is one of his niches. I am one of those Jack of all Trades guys, handy with my hands, so any gear like stoves, lanterns, flashlights, or anything that can be taken apart into different components, I am the guy to reach out to.

[Barb]

Re the 5% injury estimate, I too would guess the actual percentage is higher. As I posted earlier, my laces caught on boot hooks, and I fell.  I broke my shoulder, which meant 8 months of PT. While at PT, when fellow PT clients got to talking about our injuries, several folks told me this had happened to them though fortunately resulting in bumps and scrapes, not broken bones. I live near the mountains so my town is full of hikers. Perhaps that skews the numbers and my own experience biases me but the boot hooks, while useful, can be dangerous if you don't make sure to cover hooks and fix laces. Folks should be informed. Maybe I'll reach out to Aaron. Thanks!

[Fi]

Thank you both. Even just an info card attached to new boots saying to keep the hooks covered would be a great thing. It just feels very, very wrong that we’re supposed either innately know this with what should be a piece of kit that makes hiking more comfortable and safer.  Reaching out to Aaron seems a great idea. 

[Fi]

Just now, Fi said:

Thank you both. Even just an info card attached to new boots saying to keep the hooks covered would be a great thing. It just feels very, very wrong that we’re supposed either innately know this with what should be a piece of kit that makes hiking more comfortable and safer.  Reaching out to Aaron seems a great idea. 

Oops my English let me down there. I meant either innately know or somehow research ‘how to wear boots’ when actually it’s not unreasonable to assume a pair of walking/hiking boots would be a safe thing to wear. 

[Barb]

Hello again. Just messaged Aaron. Thanks for suggestion!