Getting the right shoe fit for your feet

When buying hiking boots or walking shoes, getting the right fit is vital. You should follow the same general rules for buying hiking shoes that you would for any other type of shoe. But you should also be aware that the stresses on your feet and body will be much greater when walking in this kind of shoe than they would be during everyday activities in a normal shoe.

Here are some guidelines.

• Firstly, use your usual shoe size as a start-off guide only. Different manufacturers and different shoe types and styles vary significantly in size, so do not worry about a number, rather think about the feel of the fit.
• Always try on hiking shoes when your feet are warm and after you have done some walking. Try to duplicate the conditions that you are likely to place your feet in so that you can make a fair assessment of how the shoes or boots feel.


• Also ensure that you are wearing the kind of socks that you will be wearing when walking. This usually means thick padded breathable walking socks and not regular socks.
• If you try some shoes or boots on, you want to find a fit that feels snug, particularly around the heel. This part of the shoe (called the shank) should be very rigid and the shoe should not bend or flex in this area.
• The toe box should allow the toes to wiggle, but it should feel stiff or reinforced if you try to flex it. This part of a boot takes a lot of "hammer" and it needs to be strong and to provide a protected area for the toes.
• If you try-on some walking shoes, make sure that you do walk in them. See if there is any kind of slope that you can stand on and try twisting, banging your foot down firmly, and generally trying to put them through their paces.
• If you can stand on an incline or slope, do so and see if your feet slide within the shoe. If they do then the size is too big and the shoes are loose.
• Some will also suggest that if you put an unlaced shoe on your foot and then slide your toes to the end of the shoe, there should be just about enough room to slide a finger behind the behind the heel.
• Be conscious of how the footwear feels. Do they bite or feel constricted at any point, or do they feel loose or floppy. Shoes that are too tight or too loose invariably cause blisters and discomfort, so you need to audition ant pairs that you try out.

Buying online

Many outdoor shoe retailers, including online sellers, will allow you to try the shoes out in your home (i.e. wear them for a few hours indoors) in order to ascertain the comfort level. If you then decide that the fit is wrong, provided that they are undamaged, they will exchange them for another pair. Check this out with the retailer before you buy.

Once you have purchased a new pair of hiking boots do not shoot off into the wilderness and undertake a long walk. Good walking shoes need to be worn-in and your feet need to adjust to their (different to regular shoes) fit.

The best idea is to wear them in the house for a few hours so that your feet become accustomed to the shoes and the shoes mould to the feet. When you do go on your first walk make it a short one. These shoes should last a long time and be comfortable and easy to wear, but in order for this to be the case you need to wear them in gradually.