Tip 1: Try hiking boots on before you buy
Shopping in an actual store allows you to try on multiple sizes, styles, and brands. Though plenty of stores sell hiking boots, an outdoor retailer such as REI might offer the best experience since its employees know exactly how to assist in your search and address your specific needs. If you buy your boots online, we recommend ordering several different boots or several sizes of one boot from a retailer (such as REI or Zappos) that provides free shipping on returns.
Tip 2: Size up, not down
When ordering online, always order your boots true to size or a half-size up—but never a half-size down. “Generally speaking, I tend to size everyone up a half-size,” said Beth Henkes, a sales lead at the REI store in Alderwood, Washington, when Wirecutter writer Ebony Roberts interviewed her in 2017. “For example, if I measure someone, and they are dead on an 8, in most boots I am going to grab them an 8½ and at least start there.”
Tip 3: Try boots on at the end of the day
Feet swell throughout the day and can even change sizes, which makes shoe shopping—or trying on shoes you bought online—at the end of the day ideal. It’s important to decide on a pair of boots when your feet are at their largest so that the boots never pinch or squeeze, no matter the time of day, says podiatrist and former Wirecutter writer Jim McDannald.
Tip 4: Wear the socks you plan to hike in
Confirm that the boots you choose fit well with the socks you typically wear while hiking—a thinner or thicker pair of socks might affect the fit and could lead to an uncomfortable hiking experience. If you prefer to double up on socks for hiking (which we don’t think is completely necessary), wear both pairs of socks to try on boots.
Tip 5: Lace your boots correctly
The right lacing technique can relieve hot spots, prevent blisters, and tailor your boots to your feet. An outdoor-gear sales associate should be able to help you try a few different techniques so that you can feel what works best. If you’re trying your boots on at home, this Wirecutter video lays out the basics. REI also provides advice on how to lace hiking boots.
Tip 6: Check for a thumb’s width of space between your toe and the end of the boot
“As you hike, your feet are going to swell, and they are going to push forward,” Henkes explained, adding that you’ll also be grateful for that extra room when you’re coming downhill. “[Then] you aren’t jamming your toes at the end. That’s how you lose your toenails. It takes them about a year to grow back!” Also, if the boots fit well, you should be able to spread out your toes and wiggle them. If the boots feel tight while you’re standing still, they’ll feel even tighter on the trail.
Tip 7: Walk up and down a ramp
Verify that your toes don’t squish against the toe box while you walk downhill. Likewise, confirm that your heel doesn’t rub uncomfortably against the back of the boot while you’re hiking uphill.
Tip 8: But confirm that your foot doesn’t move around too much
The “windshield wiper” effect is another problem to watch for: If your foot slides from side to side when you walk, the boot is likely too wide for you. On the other hand, it’s normal—even healthy—for your heel to move a little in the boot. Henkes explained that a tiny bit of movement is important for protecting your Achilles tendon and preventing blisters, but your heel shouldn’t rise more than a quarter of an inch.
Tip 9: Check the volume (a sneaky component of boot fit)
“[Volume is] the depth of your foot versus the depth of the boot,” Henkes said. “That is possibly one of the most important pieces of fit no matter what you’re putting on. Because if [a boot is] not deep enough for your foot, you are going to put your foot to sleep. And if it’s too deep for your foot, you are going to slide underneath the laces and hit the end no matter what size that boot is.” To evaluate this aspect of fit, pay attention to where the boot falls at your ankle bone. If it’s uncomfortable, you might want to try a model that’s more (or less) shallow.
Tip 10: After you’ve bought your boots, take care of them
REI’s Beth Henkes also shared a few tips for maximizing the lifespan of your hiking boots, so you can minimize the number of times you need to shop for new boots in the first place:
- Always clean the mud off your boots as quickly as you can. And be sure to use a product with a water-based formula. “Nikwax shoe cleaner is a water-based cleaner … and it’s going to help repel dirt,” Henkes said.
- Don’t store your boots in the trunk of your car or leave them in a cold garage. Instead, keep your boots in a room-temperature space, such as your closet. “If you buy [boots] at the end of the season, and you go out on three hikes and then you put them away in the garage for winter, you have the potential to lose the sole of your boot,” Henkes said. “That’s because you’ve warmed up the glue and then didn’t do anything with it. All of those little cracks that form in the glue when you first started wearing them get really dried out, and your sole can delaminate.”
- Take your boots out for a spin every month. “You need to go walk your dog in them once a month, or something like that, to keep them flexible and pliable and help them understand that you are still using them,” Henkes said.
- If you have a full-leather boot, condition it once or twice per year. The conditioner helps to keep the leather soft and pliable.
- Be sure to re-treat your boots’ waterproofing two to four times per year. “Once the water stops rolling off the top, basically you are going to want to treat it. That’s the first line of defense,” Henkes said.
This article was edited by Ria Misra and Christine Ryan.
