Strayed was in agony for days on the trail as her feet became blistered masses, with skin and toenails falling off. Multiple hikers told her the boots were too small, but she didn't have the cash to replace them. Finally, one hiker told her that REI, the company that sold her the boots, had a satisfaction guarantee and would replace them for free. "Within five minutes, the woman I spoke to had agreed to mail me a new pair of boots, one size larger, via overnight mail, no charge," Strayed wrote. "'Are you sure?' I kept asking her, yammering on about the trouble my too-small boots had caused me... I'd have jumped for joy after I hung up the phone if my feet had been well enough to do it."
