Rob wrote:... I've been hiking for half a year and have developed a callus on the ball of one foot. Should I expect that callus to be a permanent fixture due to hiking?
I think calluses are often a function of one's boots. With one set of boots, I may develop a callus in spot "X" which disappears when I switch to another set of boots. If a particular boot is causing a callus, sometimes that's just the way it is and you live with it. Calluses aren't typically a big deal. One can however, try varying sock configurations, adding insoles and the like. One call also try taping one's feet, using moleskin, etc, but given that calluses are typically no big deal, taping and the like seems hardly worth the effort.