3 Steps to Buying Perfect Hiking Boots

Posted on November 23, 2009 - by Janice

I recently took a solo trip to the Lake District in England where I planned to do a lot of walking. (Pictures & story here: Falling in Love in the Lake District). But walking in the UK is like hiking in North America. The terrain needs more than the “walking” shoes I brought so, on day 2, I headed to one of the many outdoors shops in Ambleside to buy a pair of hiking boots.

The paths were rocky, slippery and wet.

My new hiking boots - day 1.

My criteria:

Waterproof
A good tread
Good support
Average quality
Not too expensive

The 3 Steps:

Choose a boot that meets your criteria in your usual shoe size. Pull out the insole and place your foot on it to see how it fits. There should be a 1/2 inch at the big toe and it should fit the width of your foot well. If the insole looks too large or small, the boots will be as well.
Put the insoles back into the boots and try them on with the socks that you would wear when hiking. If you’re a double sock person, try them with double socks. If they feel pretty good, (snug, but no pressure points), go to a ramp (they often have them for testing boots) and mimic the climbing up and walking down. Your heal should not lift as you climb up and your toe should not reach the end as you go down. If you are comparing two different boots, have one on each foot and see how they feel.
Once you think you’ve found your hiking boot, walk around for 10 – 15 minutes. How do they feel? Do you get hints of problems after that time? If not, you have probably found your boots. Go walking/hiking and enjoy!

This entry was posted on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 3:21 pm and is filed under How to Travel Alone. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

6 Comments

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January 10, 2010

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Hiking Lady said:

Thanks for sharing your boot fitting advice too! It is so important for people to find a good pair of walking/hiking boots. I’ve heard the Lake District is beautiful. Someday I’d love to go for a walk/hike there! Happy trails!
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November 24, 2009

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sightseer said:

A good pair of boots makes all the difference when hiking. Our site has a review.
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November 23, 2009

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admin said:

Thanks for your comment Frank. Yes. Blisters is not the desired effect of hiking boots. I was lucky. I put them on the same day I bought them and didn’t have one blister.
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November 23, 2009

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Frank – Our Hiking Blog said:

Great advice. Really nice and simple to suit my simple mind!
I am on about my third pair of boots and have gone more towards strong walking shoes. They work really well for me without any blisters! Not sure if they will last too long in the type of conditions I bushwalk in but happy that I don’t have blisters!
Thanks again
Frank
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November 23, 2009

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Zoe Dawes said:

Such good advice – people take it for granted that walking in the Lakes is a doddle but as you say, it is a bit more than that!
Zoe