Tips To Help Sore Feet After Hiking

​Today, we are talking all about how to reduce sore feet after hiking.

I am going to walk you through some actions and strategies you can use to help your feet feel more comfortable after a big day on the trail.

Whether you have just done a day hike, and want some strategies to do at home before bed...

Or if you are on an overnighter, multi-dayer or thru-hike and need some practical ideas to help your feet survive the rest of the trip. 

These strategies are easy to apply and can be very effective.

These strategies can be applied at home, on the trail, or wherever you may be, and they can be very effective.

Common Causes Of Sore Feet After Hiking ​

​Sore feet on the trail usually happen when:
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• You are hiking a distance you are not fully ready for
• You are on rough or uneven terrain 
• You are wearing new footwear that you are not used to yet
• You are hiking at a quicker speed than your 'natural' pace (and have to sustain it for hours)

Any one of these can cause sore feet. Put two (or more) of them together and it can lead to a lot of discomfort.

Every single hiker deals with this at some stage.

Some people get lucky, and it only lasts a day or two.

Some people are not so lucky and have these aches and discomforts turn into bigger long-term issues (such as plantar fasciitis or something similar).

The strategies I am about to talk about are worthwhile applying whether your discomfort is mild, painful, or long-term.

*If you are dealing with a long-term injury, take this with a grain of salt and follow advice from your podiatrist or physio. If anything feels wrong, do not push it.

Here are five simple actions you can take at the end of day of hiking to help your feet:

Immediate Relief Tips for Sore Feet After a Hike

1) Self-Massage

Doing some gentle self-massage on your feet is a simple idea many hikers have done before, which can often make a genuine difference.

If you are at home, you can use a tennis ball, a golf ball or a massage ball.

If you are on the trail, one great piece of gear is to get a cork massage ball (which are super light and easy to keep in your pack). Or, if you don't have one, you can use a water bottle or even the end of a trekking pole.

Whatever tool you have, do some light self-massage on your feet.

You do not have to go super deep, or push the point of agony...

This should feel moderately uncomfortable when you are doing it, but really good afterwards (not excruciatingly painful).

A big mistake people make is being too intense. And if you are pushing so hard your feet bruise up afterwards, you are probably going to be causing more soreness rather than less.

Spend 2-3 minutes rolling on the bottoms of the feet (including the arch and the heel).

Then spend a few minutes working the calves and the shins as well (for the shins, it is usually easiest to use a trekking pole).

Massaging the feet, calves, and shins alone can make your feet feel much happier.

It will not fix everything, but it makes a big difference.

Video Examples:

​1) Foot Release With Ball 

2) Calf Release With Water Bottle

3) Shin Massage With Trekking Pole 
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2) Stretching

When stretching for the feet, there are two main areas to focus on:

First, stretch the calves.

A simple way to do this is drop your heel off a rock (if in camp) or a step (if at home) and hold the stretch for 2-3 minutes.

Second, stretch the feet themselves.

Put your foot across your knee. Grab the arch and gently bend the foot back.

You can also put your fingers between your toes and gently move them around to see what feels good.

(Yes, it can feel a bit gross after a long day of hiking, but if you are brave enough, it works well.)​

Video Examples:

1) Calf Stretch 

2) Plantar Stretch

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3) Compression Garments 

If you regularly get sore feet, compression at the end of the day can be amazing.

A good set of sports compression recovery socks is worth its weight in gold.

Wear them:

• In camp for a couple of hours before bed
• At home while making dinner
• Overnight (if it is comfortable)​

Some multi-day hikers are not sure about adding more weight to their pack, but if you get sore feet, these can go a long way and are well worth it.


*If looking into this, we want to get 'sports compression socks'. Not aeroplane or hospital socks. 

If you want to learn more about compression garments for recovery after hiking, check out this page: Compression Garments For Hikers 

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4) Temperature

If you are in camp and have access to a river or lake, cold immersion is fantastic.

Stick your feet in cold water for ten to fifteen minutes. Wriggle your toes around.

It feels amazing and helps a lot.

If you are at home, you can do the same thing with a cold bath or bucket.

On the flip side, if you are at home, warmth can work just as well.

Warm water in a bath or bucket. Put your feet in for ten to fifteen minutes in front of the TV (you can even take it a step further and add some Epsom salts or something similar).

Another way to 'upgrade' this (if you are at home) is to try 'contrast therapy'.

This involves alternating between hot and cold.

So you might do something like:
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• Cold water for one to two minutes
• Hot water for one to two minutes
• Alternate back and forth for about ten minutes
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It takes a bit of logistics (and is not quite as relaxing as just resting your feet and zoning out), but you will walk away feeling great.

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5) Post Hike Footwear

If sore feet are something you deal with regularly, what you put on at the end of the day matters.

Most of us just want to get out of our boots or shoes as quickly as possible.

Even if it adds a little weight to your pack, it is often worth bringing comfortable camp shoes.

This could be:

• Thongs/flip flops
• Crocs
• Joggers

Really, anything that feels good.

Simply having an option to get your feet out of your hiking footwear and give your feet a bit of space and variation can go a long way.

If you struggle with plantar fasciitis or similar issues, you may want to look into specific sandals or thongs with a slight heel lift. You can find these online, and they can make a big difference for some people. 

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None of these strategies is very complicated. But if you put them into action, they can make a big difference to the comfort of your feet. And help you wake up the next morning feeling ready to go again!

If you did struggle with foot pain while hiking, and wanted some long-term tips to keep your feet pain-free on future hikes, you can check out this article:

How To Prevent Foot Pain While Hiking

Yours in trekking,

Rowan