These are lightweight Salomons. No break in period whatsoever.
I gave a pair of these to my father-in-law last fall. He wore them for a half day walking around the Zoo, then wore them for Cactus to Clouds (23 miles, 10k elevation gain) the next day, no blisters! For a while Salomon advertised them as the 'lighest backpacking boot in the world.' I really wanted to keep the boots for myself, but the soles are narrower than my other Salomons. I have very weak ankles, so I like as much support/stability as I can get.
One of my friends that has a pair of the Conquest boots compares them to wearing high top basketball shoes because of how light they feel.
When people ask me for advice on what to wear, I usually to tell them to use the lightest shoe/boot they can get away with.
When I finally did see a podiatrist...
Good to hear you have a good doc. I went to a podiatrist once. When I told him what I was dealing with, he told me to find a new hobby. When I told him I also have to walk for my job, he told me that I may want to think about a career change...
