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Backpacker Magazine – Online Exclusive

Gear: Choosing the Right Pair of Hiking Boots

Pick the boot that's right for you with this guide.

by: The Backpacker Editors

PAGE 1 2 3 4

THE RIGHT FIT
Blisters, blackened toenails, sprained arches, bone spurs, plantar fasciitis need any more convincing that the proper fit is vitally important? Read on.

Start with the right socks. Details like toe seams and overall thickness can cause or relieve pressure problems. Many new generation hiking socks come with areas of differing thickness that can significantly alter boot fit, as well. If possible, buy boots while wearing the same socks you'll use in the woods. Or buy socks and boots at the same time.

Ignore size numbers and choose a boot that feels right for your foot size. This may mean you buy a pair one size larger than your norm.

Don't buy any boot if a narrow toebox cramps your toes. Toeboxes are difficult to remold adequately, particularly in beefier boots.

The most important feature of any boot's construction is the one you'll never see. A boot's "last" is the carved wooden foot around which the boot is shaped and constructed. If a manufacturer's chosen last matches the shape and volume of your foot, chances are the boot will work for you. If it doesn't match, then even the finest quality construction will result in nothing more than expensive and durable torture devices. Experienced bootfitters can correct problems that cause isolated pressure points, but even the most creative bootfitter can't change a grossly mismatched last.

If the last and size are in the ballpark, yet your foot seems to slop around inside the boot, the problem might be the footbed. A footbed keeps your foot from contorting inside the boot by supporting the sole in a neutral position. Other symptoms indicative of poorly matched footbeds are tender points on the heel and ball of your foot during hiking, pain in the arch, and persistent heel slip. People with high arches often need footbeds with more arch support than boot manufacturers typically provide. Some outdoors shops can customize molded footbeds like Superfeet, which work extremely well, or you can buy over the counter footbeds for anywhere from $10 to $30.

For truly persistent problems you might need custom molded orthotics. These rigid and often expensive ($150 and up) footbeds must be fitted by podiatrists. To determine whether you might need orthotics, look at the wear patterns on the soles of your older shoes and boots. If they show extreme wear on the inner side of the soles (pronation) or the outer side (supination), then your ankles and arches probably need orthotic support.

PAGE 1 2 3 4

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DSF
Nov 10, 2011

Can you still buy Zip Fit/ZipFit insoles for hiking boots?

Elkins
Jun 17, 2011

bframs, outdoor shops are usually the best place to find experts in fitting these boots. Unfortunately, just because someone works at an REI (or wherever), that's no guarantee that they're going to be one of those experts.

I've found the best thing to do is to go around to the outdoor shops and ask the employees on duty who the "boot guy" (or "boot gal") is and when they'll be in the store. If there's an expert on staff, you can be sure that all the employees know very well who that person is. Once you get a name and a schedule, you can go back to the store when that person is working and be sure to deal with them when you try on boots.

The same trick works with other sorts of gear, too. In my experience, there's almost always at least one "boot guy" and one "pack guy" (they're not always the same person) at any reputable outdoor shop.

Doc Savage, Outpost Outfitters
Sep 17, 2010

When it comes to boots, research and test drives are the keys to success. Read reviews by consumers who have purchased the items of interest. Once you settle on your top 3, go and try them on and walk in them plenty. Take your time while in the store. Any reputable retailer will not mind you doing this considering the high price tags involved in quality boots. Also I HIGHLY recommend before taking your new kicks out for their inaugural hike that you do two things first. 1. Go to a reputable podiatrist and have your feet fitted for prescription insoles. According to all the doctors I have spoken with, ALL humans need some type of adjusted footwear. No 2 feet are alike and it is impossible to make a shoe or boot that will fit every foot as it should. Yes this will add considerable cost to your footwear but your orthotic inserts can be worn in most all of your shoes and with care should last a few years. Your feet and your lower lumbar will thank you for it. I get new custom inserts made about every 2-3 years and my back pain, or lack thereof shows how this important step should not be overlooked. 2. Take your new boots on several small day hikes before attempting a shot at the summit and take your old comfy sneakers along with you in case you need to change due to discomfort, blisters and the like. Breaking in new boots is not something that can be done properly by wearing them to work or a mall walk.
Be safe and have fun.

Tom D
May 14, 2010

I highly recommend REI. their shoe/boot people really know their stuff!

bfarns
May 13, 2010

In all articles about boots, I see mention of "boot fitters". Where can I find one? They're not in the Yellow Pages. Most outdoor shops that I visit have people that work in that section of the store but aren't what I would consider an expert.

Anonymous
May 12, 2010

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