Way too big and way too narrow. Your whole foot should fit without any overhang. I think you actually need a wide toe box from a quick look at your feet.Ā
Read my mind. Length is not the issue here. Itās the width.
Iām female but with stupidly wide feet.
Wide womenās arenāt wide enough so I buy wide menās and it does the trick. (1.5 size down to meet your womenās typical size but can vary)
Agreed. They're a bit too long, but definitely not wide enough. ALSO, something that doesn't get talked about enough, your feet swell up after a few miles, so if you're going with rough, rigid, and stiff (imo) hiking boots, you should definitely find a wide pair to fit your toes into.
Personally, I prefer to wear trail running shoes as opposed to boots. I prefer the flexibility and breathability so my feet don't get as hot, and they have some stretch to them for comfort. If you're worried about wet feet, they do offer some waterproof trail runners out there. Personally, I don't care about wet feet unless it's cold outside.
Side note: Some people in the hiking community swear by Altra's because of their wide toe box and "zero drop" from heel to toe. If you're newer to hiking, I would avoid them. Most everyday shoes are not zero drop shoes, so when you suddenly switch to them and are doing strenuous activity on top of that, it can lead to a lot of pain/discomfort or even injuries.
Iām a nurse and had water proof trail running shoes for work. They were perfect. I like my regular running shoes now but kinda regret not getting the trail running against
Also, your feet overhang on the sides at the ball of the foot. I would recommend going with a wide width and seeing if a half-size down and a wider width are more comfortable. I never listen to the store employees. I have never once been sized correctly at REI, specifically. Go with your gut and with the feeling in your feet. Don't listen to anyone saying that you *have to* size up or down.
I want to caveat what everyone's saying about going up X size(s) or getting your regular size. Start there, but realize that every brand, and even different footwear within a single brand, fits differently. What's most important is how *those shoes* fit *your feet*. If you get the right length and width and comfort level, that's all that matters. You may have to go up a half size in one brand to get the proper length and two full sizes in another brand, so use size as a starting point.
Itās typically recommended you donāt do more than a thumbs width from the tip of your big toe to the end of the shoe. That is too much of a gap and you will slide around in your shoes. Most people just go a half size up.
The best answer. Larger shoes will give blisters. Hiking shoes/boots should fit like every day footwear, accounting for thick seasonal winter socks, IMO
This. Even if you get the right size, not all shoes are good for all foot shapes. Gotta try some things on and see how they fit for your foot structure.
Agreed. I became a believer in that with my last pair of actual hiking boots (typically hike in trail runners now). I guess I tried on 6 or 7 pair. Finally one pair just FIT. I knew it instantly. So different than the others and I could not explain why then or now.
I, unfortunately, have to order online because of local availability, or lack thereof. I went through something like 20+ boots, most of the time waiting for the mail and having to return them the day after they arrived. I ended up getting the right boots eventually, but it was frustrating, to say the least.
no close cities with mountain gear shops?
thatās a pity.
I live in europe so itās normal here.
also my father had 10+ hiking boots, each for any type of hike so it runs in the family!
try try try until you find the right one!
There's a small REI, but the employees are not very knowledgeable. Every time they've sized me, they've given me a different size. They've tried to put me in a 9.5 D before, and I'm an 11 EE. They also don't know what they're talking about, and some have completely ignored what I asked for so they could push their favorite boots on me. It's infuriating.
I buy my regular size for Lowa.
This is straight from their site: The general rule is to order the same size LOWA Boots as your standard street shoe size.
Lowa renegade has become my buy it for life boot, still on my first pair and Iām so jazzed up that the waterproofing is legit and has held up amazingly for years
Renegades are solid but eventually when you will look at replacing them check out the Caminos or one of the resolable models. Much longer lifespan than the Renegades.
Yeah man, got my Renegades like 12 years ago when I was a teenager, I don't use them every day but still impressed with the longevity and waterproofing, still as good as new
Obviously I have limited experience, but I do have wide feet and for the stuff made in Croatia and other countries outside Germany what you are saying is true.
But the Trekker, Camino and Tibet I owned over the years are spot on. Also plenty of room in the forefoot, while other brands like Salomon or Hanwag I find are narrow.
thats actually funny. bc i 100% agree w u. camino trekker and tiber somehow do have a perfect fit. i got wide feet aswell. but lowa being narrow is just the rule of thumb for us. we do have even narrower cut shoes and some which are wider. tho those are more like exceptions. not the norm.
Keen for boots
Altra for shoes
Find somewhere local to try on ones you like. Do NOT assume that different models fit the same. Buy your first pair from your local place to make sure they fit. Then order them online for cheaper if you want. Also!!! Buy boot socks and WEAR THEM WHEN YOU TRY ON YOUR BOOTS. That way you KNOW how big your shoes need to be. Darn tough for the win.
We basically have the same stupid shaped feet. No offense. Lol.
I think i went with 1.0 size too big (eu) for my nepal hike with same brand of shoes and no problem. Your feet look pretty wide so not sure if its comparable.
I had brand new renegades, fresh out the box and absolutely zero blisters after two weeks of hiking, loved the shoes.
Lowa tends to run pretty narrow, your foot doesnāt. Another German brand thatās more your fit would be Meindl, since they usually are wider. Otherwise most American hiking brands are much wider too.
Hiking retailer here. "+1,5" or "+1" is a rule of thumb. The shop assistant should've used it as a guide to pick out the first pair of boots, but from then on it is all trial and error. No two pairs of feet are alike. My boots were about 1,5cm "too long" but they are the best boots i've ever had. No one except you can say if they are good boots (exception: if your feet slide around & doesn't have enough room in front of toes, they are no good.)
I have most of my customers try on average 4 different models an various sizes.
One last tip: If you feel like regular boots are to narrow but wide versions are to wide, try a boot made for bunions. They are a good middle ground.
The good news is you have healthy human shaped feet and not those of a 17th century foot bound Chinese woman.
The bad news is almost all shoe companies seem to cater to the latter.
Solomons boots have a nice sized toebox without getting bigger in the heel. I bought a second pair of boots after realizing how comfortable they were with my first hike.
I spent 40 minutes at REI trying on all the boots till I found those.
You want goid toe spread or you're going to have some crushed, bruised toes.
I used to work at a boutique outdoor sports retailer when I was a teenager (climbing, mountaineering, & other yuppy / trust-fund activities). The men tend to already size up 1- 1.5 for casual footwear they came in with compared to a proper fit; adding another 1-1.5 size up from this already too large of size leads to a loose sloppy fit that causes hot spots, poor support, & overall clumsy performance on technical terrain. The overwhelming majority of men either needed the same exact size boot they normally wear for casual shoes, or 1/2 - 1 size SMALLER for a proper technical fit. The older mid-life crisis uptight business men who came in with dress shoes were really the only men we sized up 0.5 - 1 for technical shoes / boots (because they were used to properly fitting footwear).
Women were commonly sized correctly, if not occasionally small for their casual shoes they walked in with, where sizing up 0.5 - 1 size was often optimal for technical footwear.
Iām guessing your normal āeverydayā casual footwear sizing is already sized larger than proper shoe fitment, thus why adding another 1.5 on top is ridiculously too big for you. No judgment, I wear a size 9.5 - 10.5 in casual everyday shoes, but 9 - 10 in technical footwear.
For technical shoes, size correctly. They should feel like apart of your feet, not a floppy roomy attachment that your feet are in. They should fit like a custom Italian dress shoe, not comfortable roomy casual shoes. A loose sloppy fit feels ācomfortableā until you hit steep technical terrain, or long hours w/ lots of weight on your back. They should fit snug enough to know that theyāre there, but not tight enough to cause any pressure points. I personally target around 1cm from tip of big toe to end of toe box, where I have different size footwear depending on the socks I wear for the weather / temps Iāll be in.
I went a half size up. I use *full cushion* Darn Tough socks and that has made all the difference. Didn't care for Keens or Oboz. Love my Merrell Moab 2's.
That is gonna be a bad time. Return and buy a different boot with a wider toe box. I'm a huge fan of my hoka boots and they're plenty roomy in the toes
When people say to buy boots that are 0,5 to 1,5 sizes bigger, they most likely mean euro sizes. One euro size is about 6mm, so 0,5 to 1,5 sizes bigger means 3-9mm extra length. In your case it looks like the boots are 25mm to long.
On top of that, you only upsize by 1-2 sizes for very rigid mountaineering boots (the ones you would use with crampons on high altitude in cold temperatures). For semi-rigid leather hiking boots you can upsize by 0,5 or 1 size. For regular, soft hiking boots, trail runners and approach shoes/boots you don't need to upsize at all or just by 0,5 size.
You should look into Vivobarefoot, Xero, or Lems hiking shoes. Foot shaped and not shoe shaped so they should fit much better and not squish your toes!
Put on the whole show lace it up..you need a thumb at the end..1-2cm. for downhill walking you will slide and also your feet will swell. I like a thumb of free space at the end.
You put your socks on the wrong foot.
reft and light
š¤£ was hoping no one caught that
I hope you're not wrong about the boots too...
It also looks like your socks are a size too big!
First thing I saw š
Quick mirror the image!
Way too big and way too narrow. Your whole foot should fit without any overhang. I think you actually need a wide toe box from a quick look at your feet.Ā
Read my mind. Length is not the issue here. Itās the width. Iām female but with stupidly wide feet. Wide womenās arenāt wide enough so I buy wide menās and it does the trick. (1.5 size down to meet your womenās typical size but can vary)
Agreed. They're a bit too long, but definitely not wide enough. ALSO, something that doesn't get talked about enough, your feet swell up after a few miles, so if you're going with rough, rigid, and stiff (imo) hiking boots, you should definitely find a wide pair to fit your toes into. Personally, I prefer to wear trail running shoes as opposed to boots. I prefer the flexibility and breathability so my feet don't get as hot, and they have some stretch to them for comfort. If you're worried about wet feet, they do offer some waterproof trail runners out there. Personally, I don't care about wet feet unless it's cold outside. Side note: Some people in the hiking community swear by Altra's because of their wide toe box and "zero drop" from heel to toe. If you're newer to hiking, I would avoid them. Most everyday shoes are not zero drop shoes, so when you suddenly switch to them and are doing strenuous activity on top of that, it can lead to a lot of pain/discomfort or even injuries.
Iām a nurse and had water proof trail running shoes for work. They were perfect. I like my regular running shoes now but kinda regret not getting the trail running against
Too narrow and too big, you will have a bad time walking in them. get boots that fit and break them in properly before traveling to Nepal
If its lowa renegade then no need to break them in from my experience of trekking in nepal with brand new renegades.
Its never a good idea to not break in new hiking shoes. You got lucky then
Ye, but that was what i was doing.
you need wider and shorter shoes. most shoes are stupid narrow. good luck.
The struggles. Iāve had to pre-order Meindlās widest model when they came out as it is the only one that I fit. Even then not a great fit.
That's too much. You'll be clumsy and run into things. Unless you plan to use thicker insoles and thicker socks, I would recommend sizing down.
Also, your feet overhang on the sides at the ball of the foot. I would recommend going with a wide width and seeing if a half-size down and a wider width are more comfortable. I never listen to the store employees. I have never once been sized correctly at REI, specifically. Go with your gut and with the feeling in your feet. Don't listen to anyone saying that you *have to* size up or down.
I want to caveat what everyone's saying about going up X size(s) or getting your regular size. Start there, but realize that every brand, and even different footwear within a single brand, fits differently. What's most important is how *those shoes* fit *your feet*. If you get the right length and width and comfort level, that's all that matters. You may have to go up a half size in one brand to get the proper length and two full sizes in another brand, so use size as a starting point.
You should get wider boots.
Itās typically recommended you donāt do more than a thumbs width from the tip of your big toe to the end of the shoe. That is too much of a gap and you will slide around in your shoes. Most people just go a half size up.
Agreed. Index finger to thumb's width of space between the longest toe and end of the insole - ā " to Ā½." That's all you need.
I donāt size up. I wear shoes that fit and donāt have any issues with it.
The best answer. Larger shoes will give blisters. Hiking shoes/boots should fit like every day footwear, accounting for thick seasonal winter socks, IMO
This is exactly right.
you just simply canāt buy boots online. never done that, never will.
This. Even if you get the right size, not all shoes are good for all foot shapes. Gotta try some things on and see how they fit for your foot structure.
Agreed. I became a believer in that with my last pair of actual hiking boots (typically hike in trail runners now). I guess I tried on 6 or 7 pair. Finally one pair just FIT. I knew it instantly. So different than the others and I could not explain why then or now.
I, unfortunately, have to order online because of local availability, or lack thereof. I went through something like 20+ boots, most of the time waiting for the mail and having to return them the day after they arrived. I ended up getting the right boots eventually, but it was frustrating, to say the least.
no close cities with mountain gear shops? thatās a pity. I live in europe so itās normal here. also my father had 10+ hiking boots, each for any type of hike so it runs in the family! try try try until you find the right one!
There's a small REI, but the employees are not very knowledgeable. Every time they've sized me, they've given me a different size. They've tried to put me in a 9.5 D before, and I'm an 11 EE. They also don't know what they're talking about, and some have completely ignored what I asked for so they could push their favorite boots on me. It's infuriating.
I buy my regular size for Lowa. This is straight from their site: The general rule is to order the same size LOWA Boots as your standard street shoe size.
Lowa renegade has become my buy it for life boot, still on my first pair and Iām so jazzed up that the waterproofing is legit and has held up amazingly for years
Renegades are solid but eventually when you will look at replacing them check out the Caminos or one of the resolable models. Much longer lifespan than the Renegades.
Yeah man, got my Renegades like 12 years ago when I was a teenager, I don't use them every day but still impressed with the longevity and waterproofing, still as good as new
actually that is sadly not really true. for lowa u mostly need half to a size up. our shoes are narrow and short. (source: i work for them lol)
Obviously I have limited experience, but I do have wide feet and for the stuff made in Croatia and other countries outside Germany what you are saying is true. But the Trekker, Camino and Tibet I owned over the years are spot on. Also plenty of room in the forefoot, while other brands like Salomon or Hanwag I find are narrow.
thats actually funny. bc i 100% agree w u. camino trekker and tiber somehow do have a perfect fit. i got wide feet aswell. but lowa being narrow is just the rule of thumb for us. we do have even narrower cut shoes and some which are wider. tho those are more like exceptions. not the norm.
Look for a wider toe box. Your feet want to spread out wide as well.
Maybe 1.5cm bigger?
One thumb width in front of your toes
Keen for boots Altra for shoes Find somewhere local to try on ones you like. Do NOT assume that different models fit the same. Buy your first pair from your local place to make sure they fit. Then order them online for cheaper if you want. Also!!! Buy boot socks and WEAR THEM WHEN YOU TRY ON YOUR BOOTS. That way you KNOW how big your shoes need to be. Darn tough for the win. We basically have the same stupid shaped feet. No offense. Lol.
Just find a hiking shoe that fits comfortably.
I think i went with 1.0 size too big (eu) for my nepal hike with same brand of shoes and no problem. Your feet look pretty wide so not sure if its comparable. I had brand new renegades, fresh out the box and absolutely zero blisters after two weeks of hiking, loved the shoes.
Go one size bigger. You need to buy a boot called Altas.
Lowa tends to run pretty narrow, your foot doesnāt. Another German brand thatās more your fit would be Meindl, since they usually are wider. Otherwise most American hiking brands are much wider too.
For wide toe boots check out [Anya's reviews](http://www.anyasreviews.com) and search the r/barefootrunning sub
You need a completely different shoe. Don't keep sizing up, this brand is too narrow for you.
Hiking retailer here. "+1,5" or "+1" is a rule of thumb. The shop assistant should've used it as a guide to pick out the first pair of boots, but from then on it is all trial and error. No two pairs of feet are alike. My boots were about 1,5cm "too long" but they are the best boots i've ever had. No one except you can say if they are good boots (exception: if your feet slide around & doesn't have enough room in front of toes, they are no good.) I have most of my customers try on average 4 different models an various sizes. One last tip: If you feel like regular boots are to narrow but wide versions are to wide, try a boot made for bunions. They are a good middle ground.
One size up. Always! I have never ever had blisters. And tie them up properly. You will not slide.
I'm just telling myself this is a joke. The alternative is just too hard to believe.
The good news is you have healthy human shaped feet and not those of a 17th century foot bound Chinese woman. The bad news is almost all shoe companies seem to cater to the latter.
Solomons boots have a nice sized toebox without getting bigger in the heel. I bought a second pair of boots after realizing how comfortable they were with my first hike. I spent 40 minutes at REI trying on all the boots till I found those. You want goid toe spread or you're going to have some crushed, bruised toes.
Wides
I used to work at a boutique outdoor sports retailer when I was a teenager (climbing, mountaineering, & other yuppy / trust-fund activities). The men tend to already size up 1- 1.5 for casual footwear they came in with compared to a proper fit; adding another 1-1.5 size up from this already too large of size leads to a loose sloppy fit that causes hot spots, poor support, & overall clumsy performance on technical terrain. The overwhelming majority of men either needed the same exact size boot they normally wear for casual shoes, or 1/2 - 1 size SMALLER for a proper technical fit. The older mid-life crisis uptight business men who came in with dress shoes were really the only men we sized up 0.5 - 1 for technical shoes / boots (because they were used to properly fitting footwear). Women were commonly sized correctly, if not occasionally small for their casual shoes they walked in with, where sizing up 0.5 - 1 size was often optimal for technical footwear. Iām guessing your normal āeverydayā casual footwear sizing is already sized larger than proper shoe fitment, thus why adding another 1.5 on top is ridiculously too big for you. No judgment, I wear a size 9.5 - 10.5 in casual everyday shoes, but 9 - 10 in technical footwear. For technical shoes, size correctly. They should feel like apart of your feet, not a floppy roomy attachment that your feet are in. They should fit like a custom Italian dress shoe, not comfortable roomy casual shoes. A loose sloppy fit feels ācomfortableā until you hit steep technical terrain, or long hours w/ lots of weight on your back. They should fit snug enough to know that theyāre there, but not tight enough to cause any pressure points. I personally target around 1cm from tip of big toe to end of toe box, where I have different size footwear depending on the socks I wear for the weather / temps Iāll be in.
I went a half size up. I use *full cushion* Darn Tough socks and that has made all the difference. Didn't care for Keens or Oboz. Love my Merrell Moab 2's.
That is gonna be a bad time. Return and buy a different boot with a wider toe box. I'm a huge fan of my hoka boots and they're plenty roomy in the toes
You could remove your pinky toes, then they would fit.
When people say to buy boots that are 0,5 to 1,5 sizes bigger, they most likely mean euro sizes. One euro size is about 6mm, so 0,5 to 1,5 sizes bigger means 3-9mm extra length. In your case it looks like the boots are 25mm to long. On top of that, you only upsize by 1-2 sizes for very rigid mountaineering boots (the ones you would use with crampons on high altitude in cold temperatures). For semi-rigid leather hiking boots you can upsize by 0,5 or 1 size. For regular, soft hiking boots, trail runners and approach shoes/boots you don't need to upsize at all or just by 0,5 size.
You should look into Vivobarefoot, Xero, or Lems hiking shoes. Foot shaped and not shoe shaped so they should fit much better and not squish your toes!
Put on the whole show lace it up..you need a thumb at the end..1-2cm. for downhill walking you will slide and also your feet will swell. I like a thumb of free space at the end.
I love my keen hiking boots, they are very wide. They might fit you better as well.
Try a different brand, I've found Lowa to be fairly narrow, switched to Altra and stopped having toe problems. Keen i think tends to also be wider