Status Update on My Feet

What a lovely subject to talk about right? The first thing is the constant slight numbness/tingling in my feet. That is something a lot of AT thru hikers get from what I have read on the subject. There are nerves that run along the bottom of the feet that when pounded on constantly like during a thru hike they lose sensitivity so your feet feel numb all the time and they tingle. From what I understand it will take a few weeks to 6 months for the numbness/tingling to go away after I am done with this journey. I do use very cushioned aftermarket insoles that also have plenty of support so I am not sure if there is anything I can do in regards to this matter. This sensation doesn't really bother me or affect my hiking at all so I am not concerned. The second issue is that every thru hiker on the AT gets swollen feet that is guaranteed. Basically they look like somebody that is developing diabetes... that kind of swelling. Accompany that with the very wet trail conditions I have had so far and constant pounding on the rocks/roots/mud my feet have started to deteriorate. I have always been blessed with very tough feet; I rarely get a blister and have incredibly tough pads on the bottom of my feet. The biggest issue right now is my pads have started to disappear leaving me with very soft skin rather than tough skin in some spots on my feet bottoms. The next issue is the soft skin on the sides/top/ankle areas of my feet are being rubbed raw. There is slight red blotchy discoloration in some areas as well as splitting of the skin in a couple areas on my ankles. The splits are all scabbed over and healing which I am grateful for. My main concern at this point is if the skin were to split on my pads or heels of my feet. It hasn't happened yet but I am trying to be very careful to make sure it doesn't happen. My feet have been my top priority to take care of from day 1. I do my very best to keep them dry which is easy at night all I have to do is apply gold bond powder and they are dry. But during the day on all but a handful of days so far the trail has been sopping wet. Changing socks while hiking hasn't been of any point thus far because they would be soaking wet within a few minutes. Even all the days I have had nice weather the trail is usually wet due to how much rain has been falling each time it rains. Things so far just do not dry out when hiking. I do wear toe sock liners which are very helpful at preventing foot chafing and I wear Merino Wool padded hiking socks. I also wear trail runners which dry quicker than boots but they still are never dry unless I can leave them in the baking sun for half a day. Yes, I do cinch my laces down snugly but not too tight. One thing I have noticed is that on days where my feet are dry when hiking I don't develop issues its only on days where they are soaking wet which is most days. The zero day I took today in Manchester Center, Vermont has really helped so far and they feel so much better. Fortunately the weather is supposed to get dryer and dryer as I head southward more. Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont have a reputation from what I hear to be wetter than a lot of other AT states so I hope that stays true. I know this is off subject but a good resource if you want to read about each state I am traveling through and see how it ranks in difficulty level in comparison to other states go to http://www.appalachiantrail.org/about-the-trail/terrain-by-state then click on the tab on the left for the state you want to look at.