The Best Hiking Boots- Proper Fit
Wearing the wrong hiking boots can cause all sorts of problems with your feet. When choosing the best hiking boots you need to pick a hiking boot that is the right size and shape for you. Keep reading to find out how.
Boot Fitting Tips
- Wear the right socks. When trying on hiking boots you need to wear the same socks you are going to wear out on the trail. Hiking socks are usually thicker then regular sport socks. If you try on a pair of boots with regular socks then wear a thicker sock for hiking the added thickness may cause your boots to no longer fit correctly.
- Try on boots later in the day. Towards the end of a regular day your feet swell lightly. While hiking your feet swell to the same size in a very short time so you want to account for the added size.
- Use your shoe size as a guide only. There are many manufacturers out there and each one measures their hiking boots slightly different. Just because you wear a size with one manufacturer doesn’t mean you will wear the same size from all of them.
Getting the Correct Fit
The fit of a hiking boot depends on three factors, foot length, foot width and volume.
- Foot length is simply the length of you foot.
- Foot width is how wide the ball of your foot is.
- Finally volume refers to the amount of space your foot takes up from top to bottom inside of the hiking boot.
A hiking boot should fit snug around the foot while allowing you to wiggle you toes freely. You should not be able to feel your foot slip around inside of the boot. You also should not feel any pressure points anywhere on your foot. If you experience any of these factors try a different boot or manufacturer.
Comfort
- Comfort mostly depends on the fit of the boot. However, cushioning plays a supporting role when it comes to comfort. The ankle padding inside of the boot should fit snugly and cradle your ankle. This will prevent any excess movement that may cause chaffing and blisters on the ankle.
- The heal cup should also fit around your ankle and prevent it from sliding too much.
- The tongue of the hiking boot should be thickly padded to stop the lacing from cutting into the top of your foot.
I hope you found this article helpful in choosing the best hiking boots for your feet. Remember, if you choose a bad pair of boots you may have a painful hiking trip.
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