Walking Boots

One resolution made since breaking my pelvis in a cycling accident about 4 years ago after I had retired from full time work:

 Bicycle Accident

was to walk for some two to three hours daily. This arose through the NHS (free of cost) providing two very helpful physiotherapists to assist  with  walking again after discharge from St Georges NHS Hospital. They walked with me  many times including climbing a over stepped  railway foot bridge, which facilitated my recovery. 

The NHS physios probably caused my subsequent wish to keep walking well after recovery, although they signified that many who suffer pelvic and other  fractures tend not to keep up with the walking sufficiently to enjoy full recovery. 

Indeed, the much criticised NHS, also provided again free of cost, a gym and more physios at the nearby revamped Nelson Hospital,  which I attended. Interestingly, most of the handful of recovering patients in the gym when I attended there, were far younger than I. Quite why more older people did not make use of those facilities I do not know but they  really assisted my own recovery.

Recently, with Wimbledon Common being covered with snow and still iced over, walking in trainers, which I have been apt to do,  proved unsound,  cold, wet on the feet and occasionally even unsafe for example, walking home along icy alley-ways  where trainers proved useless at avoiding slips.

Thus walking  or trekking boots seemed to be the answer but buying trekkers or indeed any shoes on-line, is always risky given the impossibility of trying them out before purchasing. Returns though advertised as being straightforward tend to be a chore.

In the event, Merrell trekkers from Cotswold Outdoor were a good buy  and were delivered within a day. They cope so far with the cold, ice, water, mud and doubtless floods, on the Common though have to be worn in. 

Trekkers are not cheap on the other hand but I suppose they will be used for a few years yet - hopefully.