Preparing for BlizzCon: You need good shoes
BlizzCon approaches! Preparing for BlizzCon is your regular source for tips on how best to prepare for Blizzard's gaming extravaganza.
Even if you are taking my advice and training your feet and legs for BlizzCon, you are still going to need good shoes for all of those lines. The Anaheim Convention Center floor is hard and unforgiving, so your shoes will need to provide the appropriate cushion and support to make up for it. In many conventions, companies will put carpet with extra padding in their booths so that people will stand there longer for demos of their products and services. Unless something has changed this year, there is no padding -- no respite for the feet unless you go outside and find a patch of grass.
In general, most athletic shoes will do the trick. They provide the support necessary for standing in lines and have cushion in the right places. But they need to fit correctly and they need to be undamaged so that they don't rub you in the wrong places. Following are some tips for bringing the right shoes.
Get a professional fit: Feet change sizes throughout your life for various reasons, so you should verify your size regularly. You can do it yourself, but you need a foot sizer for accuracy. Wear socks and stand when you take the size and make sure you measure both feet. If the shoes you bring are too tight or too loose, you will damage your feet and the pain will suck your BlizzCon fun.
Your toes need room: Make sure your toes have 1/2" between the end of your biggest toe and the inside of the tip of the shoe.
Wear laced shoes: Laces help you adjust the fit throughout the day as your feet swell. And they will swell after all that standing.
Examine your shoes for damage: The part of your shoe that is next to your achilles tendon should be completely intact. Anything that can rub against your foot anywhere should be undamaged, or else you will get blisters and sores.
If you fail (like I did) and end up with a gaping wound on your heel or some other foot injury, the first aid station in the Anaheim Convention Center is well equipped and staffed with at least one friendly face. I was able to get a cool gel-thingie there, to soothe and protect my owie, that I have been unable to find the equivalent of in drugstores. But an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of gel-thingies, so I'll be wearing better shoes this year. Captain Obvious and I recommend you do the same.
BlizzCon 2009 is coming up on August 21st and 22nd! We've got all the latest news and information. At BlizzCon, you can play the latest games, meet your guildmates, and ask the developers your questions. Plus, there are some great looking costumes.
