Author’s own boots after an afternoon hike through the woods.

These boots are made for walking

I’ve been walking since I learned to put one foot in front of the other. Over the years, I’ve gone through countless pairs of shoes, some fashionable, some utilitarian. I embraced the trends in my teens — I had Peter Pan Puddle Jumpers, desert boots, ones that pinched my toes, and others that were so comfortable that I wore them until the holes had holes, the insoles were torn, and people threatened to remove them from my feet by…