I'm a recreational hiker (carrying my purse at times lol), I do hikes on fairly even surfaces, not more than 5 miles at a slow to moderate pace. On my last hike I was pushed to go faster than I normally do and it had lots of downhill hiking which is hardest on knees. Well for the next 3 days the back of my knees were so sore! I've had this happen before but it never lasted so many days! So I finally broke down and bought some hiking shoes, my first pair!

I wanted something that was light and didn't look like hiking shoes but still in the hiking shoe category so I got the Teva Sky Lake. The description says it has a "waterproof seal, the heel has serious shock absorption, nylon shank to keep the foot stable and in control, and the rubber sole designed for grip in multiple environments". I'm pretty excited about my new shoe as for the longest time I would do my easy to moderate short hikes in whatever sneaker I had at the time. I couldn't wear something ugly and I liked the design of these dark grey shoes with purple accents.

For the future to prevent injury I was reading up on this and I learned I need to:

• Vary your steps and avoid moving in a straight line for the entire hike. Walk in a zigzag pattern up and down hills, walk sideways, or walk backwards since repetitive motions can lead to pain.
• When going downhill, step slowly, and don't be afraid to crouch down and use your hands. The more slowly you move, the less jarring motions you'll feel in your knees. 
• Add dried pineapple to your trail mix. Bromelain, an ingredient found in pineapple, is a natural anti-inflammatory that will help speed up recovery of knee and joint pain.

View from the bottom and top

I took another hike this weekend in my new shoes and my special hiking socks from Thorlo. The walking terrain was jagged, rocky, steep descents and slippery but the shoes supported my feet no matter the trail surface and best of all didn't need any breaking in period. I was happy to have a light weight hiking shoe that fitted the bill for both style and performance.