Corrrectly fitting boots

Fit

First things first: find the right size when shopping for new hiking boots. Too many people (myself included) have hiked in shoes that are too big or too small and paid the price in blisters, smashed toes, or uncomfortable pressure points. For me, it’s usually because I found a pair of shoes on clearance that were only a half-size too small so would probably be fine, right? Right?

Wrong. Never get a half-size too small. Never. In fact, when it comes to hiking shoes, you should order up a half-size. That said, they shouldn’t be too loose anywhere in the shoe except for your toes. If your foot is sliding around inside your shoe even when they’re tied tight, that’s not a good fit (also a recipe for blisters and skinned feet). You can go and get your feet measured at a specialty shoe store, but you’ll probably be just as successful if you simply go try on a bunch of different types and sizes of hiking shoes.

As for dialing in the perfect fit, try these tips for finding hiking boots that really fit:

• Wear hiking socks. When you try on hiking boots, thick hiking socks will help you know how boots will really fit in real-world hiking scenarios.

• Try boots on at the end of the day.Or after you’ve been walking for a while. That way, your feet will be a bit swollen–like they will be when you’re actually hiking.

• Walk around in them. Stroll up and down the aisles, ask if the store has one of those fake rock incline ramps, or at least some sort of incline so you can feel how the shoes feel on the incline and decline. Take your time.

• Have inserts? Bring them along.They take up space in the shoe and can alter the fit.

• Be aware of seams or pressure from different parts of the shoes.Some spots are easily “broken in” while others will just aggravate and make hiking uncomfortable.

• Don’t compromise on comfort. If the arch support is in slightly the wrong spot or your toes feel cramped in the toe box or your heel slips and no amount of lacing or re-lacing assuages the issue, move on. Don’t try to make ill-fitting shoes work.

• Your toes shouldn’t hit the end of the shoes when walking downhill.If they do, you’re going to be uncomfortable after a few hours of hiking. Leave about a thumb’s width between the end of your longest toe and the end of the boot.

• Take the shape of your foot into account. If you have narrow feet, look for a narrow shoe. Wide feet = wide shoe. Makes sense, right? Keep your toes in mind, too. My toes like to splay when I walk, so a shoe with a wider toe box is more comfortable than a narrow one. And don’t forget about flex points. Note where your foot bends and whether it matches up with where the shoe bends.

• Break in your boots before a big hike. How important this is depends on the style of shoe (low-rise, sneaker-style shoes don’t usually require as much breaking in as more sturdy high-rise versions), but it doesn’t hurt to get your feet used to a new shoe before starting a 3-day backpacking trip when once you realize the shoes are uncomfortable or rub in all the wrong places it’s too late. Leather boots, (which we don’t recommend, anyway), will take a lot more breaking in.