Tripping over our own feet, a slapstick classic, was probably the first human prank – shortly after Sahelanthropus tchadensis, one of our oldest ancestors, emerged on the plains of Africa seven million years ago.
But pratfalls are no joke when they happen to us, especially as we get older.
There are all the normal tripping hazards, such as uneven surfaces, unexpected steps, ice and other slippery surfaces.
But there is one deadly, yet avoidable danger that lurks unsuspected on your hiking boots.
Speed lace hooks – also known as easy-lace and speed-lace – are fitted to the vast majority of hiking boots sold each year. With Mintel reporting that almost a quarter of Brits are walkers or hikers, that’s a lot of boots.
Rachel White, 46, fell while wearing her walking boots when the laces became entangled in the hook of the other shoe
With the handy hooks at the top you can turn the laces, tighten them, tie the bow and you can get started in no time.
But there is increasing evidence that these innocent-looking hooks cause serious accidents.
The connecting factor is the speed at which the victim dies. Unlike a normal hike where you have a spare foot to catch you if you go over, your feet are literally stuck together with hooks.
There are two separate scenarios. The looped lace of one boot can get caught on the hook of the other – or the hooks themselves can become entangled as your feet rub together.
On Reddit forums, there are threads devoted to advice about shoe hooks, with one reporting a woman falling over in New York, causing life-changing facial injuries.
Another hair-raising accident involved a naked man at the infamous Burning Man festival in Black Rock Desert, Nevada. Wearing nothing but his boots, he stood up and caught his Prince Albert piercing on the hooks of his boots.
Buckler Boots makes specialized safety work boots and launched its Sling Those Hooks! campaign from 2005. It reports that although fewer safety boots with hooks are being made these days, it would like a total ban.
Buckler points out the irony of a product that is defined as “safe” after undergoing rigorous hazard testing, but comes equipped with a “simple widget” that can break bones or worse.
The garland that hooks! campaign has now also reached the walking and hiking sector.
Retired Ofsted inspector Steven Morris wrote to Buckler Boots to describe an accident on a platform in which his lace caught the hook of the other boot and he fell face down, bruising his face and breaking several teeth .
Sue Green also wrote to the campaign reporting that she had broken her shoulder in a hooking accident and that she had a malfunctioning arm.
It’s not just true when walking: anecdotal evidence has highlighted the danger of driving with boots that catch together, preventing the driver from braking.
And hand gliders have reported their shoe hooks becoming tangled in their harness. This may not be noticed during takeoff, but when the hand glider tries to land on their feet, they cannot free their legs.
Unlike a normal hike where you have a spare foot to catch you if you go over, your feet are literally stuck together with hooks
Solo walker Sarah Barnes, 66, from Leighton Buzzard, has been walking alone for the past four years.
“I started running solo by accident,” she says. ‘Four years ago I walked all the way up Mount Fuji in Japan after an afternoon hike.’
After that, she was hooked (pun intended).
“As soon as I got home, I bought what I thought was the right equipment and started every fall that was more of a scramble than a climb.”
She now has five pairs of boots and shoes, which she chooses based on the weather and conditions.
Her favorites include a pair of great value walking boots from Millets, which she bought for £60 in 2021, with easy-to-tie hooks at the top.
‘The problem is that they are so comfortable that I don’t notice when the laces get wet, stretch and slip to reveal the hook,’ says Sarah.
“One day, up on the hills, a wet, hanging lace wrapped itself around the hook of the other boot.
‘Luckily it was more of a comedy moment from Dick Emery. I stumbled, but I’m alive enough to stay up.”
This experience led Sarah to start walking with poles for safety, so she is less likely to fall, and “less work uphill and spare your knees downhill.” Only in the hills can she not risk an accident.
Rachel White, 46, from West London, is fit and active as an Area Activator for community volunteer organization GoodGym. But both she and her son Harry, 12, have had crochet-related accidents.
‘I was taking an evening walk with my friend Gemma during lockdown, wearing my walking boots, when I suddenly felt my legs lock together and I went hard on the pavement,’ she says.
‘Gemma checked I wasn’t hurt before we collapsed laughing.
“The lace on my left boot got stuck on the top hook of my right hiking boot because I didn’t tie the laces all the way to the top.”
As for Harry, he was just walking along the road in his boots when he “screamed and hit the pavement,” says Rachel.
‘He was fortunate that he had quick reflexes and managed to pull his hands out of his pockets in time and, although shaken, he escaped lightly with scraped palms.’
Harry did not hit his head or break a bone, but this is a real danger, according to Jordi Sanchez-Ballester, an orthopedic surgeon at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
‘Strips can lead to bruises and simple soft tissue injuries, sprains and strains, damaged ligaments and muscles, leading to pain and swelling.
‘If the trip is more severe, it can lead to bone fractures. Bones can break on impact, ranging from small cracks to complete fractures,” he says.
‘Although a fall can injure any part of the body, the most commonly affected areas are the wrists, foot and ankle.’
As we get older, the risks increase. Both men and women can suffer from osteoporosis, the bone-weakening disease, without knowing it – until they fall relatively lightly and break a bone.
As Mr Sanchez-Ballester says: ‘People with osteoporosis are at higher risk of falls due to muscle weakness, spinal deformity or reduced postural control. In this group of patients with low bone density due to osteoporosis, falls easily lead to bone fractures.’
Of course, prevention is better than cure.
If you already have boots with hooks, make sure they are tied securely with a short double knot. You can also wear leggings – waterproof leggings that cover the top of your boot up to the knee – or tight long trousers.
Gaffer tape is another (albeit rather tricky) option. Some people take pliers and squeeze the hooks tight against the boots.
If you buy new boots, avoid snagging altogether.
Sacrificing a few lacing moments for safety seems like a small price to pay to avoid serious injury and stay upright on remote trails.