Tripping over our own feet, a classic of slapstick, was probably the first human joke, shortly after Sahelanthropus tchadensis, one of our oldest ancestors, appeared on the plains of Africa seven million years ago.
But nonsense is no joke when it happens to us, especially as we get older.
There are all the normal trip hazards, such as uneven surfaces, unexpected steps, ice and other slippery surfaces.
But there is a lethal but avoidable danger that can lurk unsuspected in your hiking boots.
Quick lace hooks, also known as easy lace and quick lace, are placed on the vast majority of hiking boots sold each year. With Mintel reporting that almost a quarter of Brits are hikers or walkers, that’s a lot of boots.
Rachel White, 46, fell while wearing her hiking boots and the laces caught on the hook of her other shoe.
Convenient hooks at the top allow you to attach the laces, tighten them, tie the bow and you’re done in double the time.
But there is growing evidence that these innocent-looking hooks cause serious accidents.
The unifying factor is the speed with which the victim falls. Unlike a normal ride where you have one foot free to catch yourself as you pass, with hooks, your feet are literally locked.
There are two separate scenarios. The coiled lace of one boot can catch on the hook of the other, or the hooks themselves can intertwine when feet rub together.
On Reddit forums, there are threads dedicated to boot hook tips, and one reports that a woman fell forward in New York, causing life-changing facial injuries.
Another cringe-inducing accident involved a naked man at the famous Burning Man festival held in Black Rock Desert, Nevada. Wearing nothing but his boots, he stood up and hooked Prince Albert’s piercing onto the hooks of his boots.
Buckler Boots makes specialized safety work boots and launched their Sling Those Hooks. 2005 campaign. He reports that, although fewer and fewer work boots are being made with hooks these days, he would like a complete ban.
Buckler points out the irony that a product defined as “safe” after undergoing rigorous safety testing, is equipped with a “simple gadget” that could break bones or worse.
The slingshot of those hooks! The campaign has now also reached the hiking and trekking sector.
Retired Ofsted inspector Steven Morris wrote to Buckler Boots to describe an accident on a railway platform, where his lace caught on the hook of his other boot and he fell flat on his face, bruising his face and breaking several teeth.
Sue Green also wrote to the campaign, reporting that she broke her shoulder in a hook-related accident and was left with a malfunctioning arm.
It’s not just walking: anecdotal evidence has highlighted the danger of driving with boots that catch together, leaving the driver unable to brake.
And gliders have reported that the hooks on their boots became tangled in the harness. This may not be noticeable at takeoff, but when the glider tries to land on its feet, it cannot free its legs.
Unlike a normal ride where you have one foot free to catch yourself as you pass, with hooks, your feet are literally locked.
Solo walker Sarah Barnes, 66, from Leighton Buzzard, has been walking alone for the past four years.
“I started walking alone by accident,” she says. “Four years ago, I found myself walking up Mount Fuji in Japan, after going for an afternoon walk.”
After that, she was hooked (pun intended).
“As soon as I got home, I bought what I thought was the right equipment and started preparing for any fall that would be more of a struggle than a climb.”
He now owns five pairs of boots and shoes, which he chooses depending on the weather and conditions.
Among her favorites is a pair of Millets walking boots she bought for £60 in 2021, with easy lace hooks on top.
“The problem is that they are so comfortable that when the laces get wet, they stretch and fall to expose the hook, I don’t notice,” says Sarah.
‘One day, on the moors, a wet, trailing shoelace wound around the hook of the other boot.
“Thankfully, it was more of a Dick Emery comedy moment: I stumbled, but I’m lively enough to stay upright.”
This experience prompted Sarah to walk with canes for safety so she would be less likely to fall, as well as “working less uphill and protecting her knees downhill.” Alone in the hills, she cannot risk an accident.
Rachel White, 46, from west London, is fit and active as an area activator for community volunteering organization GoodGym. But both she and her 12-year-old son Harry have suffered hook-related accidents.
“I was out for a late night walk during lockdown with my friend Gemma, wearing my walking boots, when I suddenly felt my legs lock and fell hard onto the pavement,” she says.
‘Gemma checked he wasn’t hurt before we collapsed laughing.
“The lace on my left boot had gotten caught on the top hook of my right boot because I hadn’t tied them all the way up.”
As for Harry, he was walking down the street in his boots when “he screamed and fell to the pavement,” Rachel says.
“He was lucky he had quick reflexes and managed to get his hands out of his pockets in time and, although he was shocked, he got away with scraped palms.”
Harry didn’t hit his head or break a bone, but this is a real danger, according to Jordi Sánchez-Ballester, consultant orthopedic surgeon at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
“Trips can lead to bruises and simple soft tissue injuries, sprains and strains, ligament and muscle damage, leading to pain and swelling.
‘If the trip is more severe, it can cause fractures. “Bones can break on impact, from small cracks to complete breaks,” he says.
“Although a fall can injure any part of the body, the most commonly affected areas are the wrists, feet and ankles.”
As we age, the risks get worse. Both men and women can suffer from osteoporosis, the bone-weakening disease, without knowing it until they suffer a comparatively minor fall and break a bone.
As Mr. Sánchez-Ballester says: “People with osteoporosis are at increased risk of falls due to muscle weakness, spinal deformity, or decreased postural control.” In this group of patients with low bone density due to osteoporosis, falls easily cause fractures.’
Of course, prevention is better than cure.
If you already have boots with hooks, make sure they are securely tied with a short double knot. You can also wear gaiters (waterproof leggings that cover the top of the boot to the knee) or long tight pants.
Duct tape is another option (although quite complicated). Some people take a pair of pliers and press the hooks against their boots.
If you buy new boots, avoid hooks altogether.
Sacrificing a few moments of tethering for safety reasons seems like a small price to pay to prevent serious injuries and stay upright on remote trails.