And ibuprofen. LOTS of ibuprofen. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Seriously, I have substantial foot pain on my AT thru-hike, and this was after several years of forced marches on gravel and paved roads in the Marine Corps. I took a great deal of ibuprofen during that 5 months, just as I had during my Marine career (though in the USMC the pain was musculoskeletal injuries all over the body).

Since then I have become much more savvy about bootfitting (including shoes of course) and have made good use of orthotic support such as superfeet and have had considerably less foot pain during wilderness treks under a heavy pack such as NOLS and and long-distances under a light pack such as the Colorado Trail last summer. In both cases, with good foot support from the ground up, I have enjoyed much less foot pain.