Boot Fitting Guide

Which size boots to choose....

As useful as it would be for consumers and retailers alike, there is no continuity in sizing between different boot manufacturers. If your old boots were a size 10, there is no guarantee that your new ones will need to be. As a starting point for sizing walking boots, we would recommend that you go up either half or a whole size from your regular shoe size. This takes into account the additional space needed for hot feet and extra socks.

What to do when they arrive....

Once you received your boots from us, it is time to try them on. It is important you do this as soon as you can and in plenty of time for when you will need to use them. There are three things to think about before you do this.

Time of day. As the day goes by your feet will tend to heat up and swell up. You should bear this in mind when trying the boots on, as there will be a big difference in the size of your feet on a cold morning compared to a hot evening after you have been on your feet all day.

Socks. Some people prefer having a thin liner sock and then a thicker outer sock, where others feel more comfortable wearing just one pair of socks. It is important you try the boots on with whichever socks you think you are likely to be wearing when walking.

Insole. All the boots we sell come with the manufacturers own insoles, however you may have an orthotic insole or insert you wish to wear. If this is the case, try the boots on with this in as well.

Time to try them on....

Length: Before lacing the boots up, slip you toes right up to the end of the boots. When your feet are as far forward in the boots as they will go, you should be able to fit your forefinger down the back of your heel bone. If you cannot fit your finger down there at all, the boots are likely to be too small for you. Conversely, if you have a great deal of wiggle room, the boots are likely to be too big.

Toes: Lace the boots up and have a wonder around the room. By doing this, your foot will be pushed back into the heel of the boot, so the space at the heel of foot will be transferred to the toe end of your boot. You should now have some wiggle room for your toes. This means that you have some space in the boot for your feet to expand a little as they heat up whilst walking.

Heel: The heel of your foot should fit snugly into the heel of the boot. If you have a lot of movement as you walk, this can cause blistering after a mile or two. You can try re-lacing your boots to see if you can change the amount of pressure being put on the different parts of your foot. This may solve the problem.

Width: If you feel pressure on the sides of your feet when you have only just put your feet into them, this is only going to be compounded as you walk in them and your feet heat up and expand, causing considerable pain. If this is the case, the boots are too narrow for you. If you find your feet swimming around inside the boot, it is likely the boots are too wide. With no support from the sides of the boot, after a long walk you will find blisters developing, once again causing pain.

Things to bear in mind....

It is pretty unusual for anybody’s feet to be perfectly symmetrical. Most people will have some slight differences in either the length or the width of their feet. For some people these differences are very noticeable. If this is the case for you, our advice is to cater for the larger of your two feet.

Ready to go....

Once you have got to the stage where you think you have a pair of boots which fit, leave the boots on for a couple of hours. This gives your feet a good chance to get used to the boots. If after this time all is good, you are set to go and enjoy the great outdoors.

If you don’t think that the boots you have received are going to fit, it is not a problem at all returning the boots to us to exchange them for another size of boot or for a refund. All we ask is that the unwanted boots arrive back to us in and ‘as new’ condition, in its original box, with all the labels still intact.

Do not wear the boots outside until you are sure they are going to fit. We will not be able to accept returned boots for exchange or refund if you have worn them outside, even for just a short while.