How to Choose a Hiking Boot:

Click here for General Guidelines for Fitting Hiking Boots PDF file

When it comes to a great hiking experience, it all starts with the boots. A poorly fit or made hiking boot made poorly can turn a great activity into a miserable one.

Below is a step-by-step guide to getting that perfect hiking boot.

When shopping for socks keep the following in mind:

Step 1: Start with the kind of hiking you will be doing.

Boots come in varying degrees of:


• Stiffness: Stiffer is better for hard-core backpackers.
  
  
• Support: Shoes that come up higher on the ankle are better for more serious hikers.
  


• Thickness of soles: Thicker soles are designed for harder terrain.
  


• Weight: You are likely to find lighter weights in shoes made for lighter day hiking.
  


• Breathability: It's especially important if you are in a warm climate or if your feet tend to sweat.
  


• Waterproof factors: You want your shoes to repel water if you are in wet climates or passing through streams.


Step 2: Consider any special needs for your own feet.
If you have foot pain, see us before buying your boots. We may recommend that you use a prefabricated or custom orthotic to treat your problem. If so, that will affect your boot fit. If you want to try a prefabricated orthotic we have found that the Superfeet Synergizer Green works well in most hiking boots (available at www.FootAnkleStore.com). If you think you may be a candidate for custom orthotics, see us before buying hiking boots.

Do you sweat a lot? Do you feet tend to get cold? If one of these is true, we may recommend specific types of socks for you. Make sure you know what socks you will be wearing before you buy hiking boots. Socks can affect boot fit so it is important to wear the same socks when trying on boots as you will use when hiking. If you sweat a lot, see our page on sweaty feet.

Before sending you to get boots, we will closely examine your feet. We will look at calluses, which can tell the history of how you walk on your feet. We will look at corns, blisters, any injuries you may have had and whether you have any special condition such as bunions, plantar fasciitis or hammertoe. This can help us recommend not only how to best treat any problems, but also help us guide you in finding the best boots. One we are sure that your feet are taken care of, we will refer you to a quality store to have boots fit.

If you have a biomechanical issue that may require the use of either prefabricated orthotics or custom orthotics, we will make those recommendations to you. It is important that you have any orthotics you might be wearing with you when you buy boots to ensure a perfect fit.

Step 3: Make sure you get a good fit.
Once we have evaluated your feet to determine any special needs, we will refer you to a store and a good fitter to be fit for your hiking boots.  A proper fit is critical.   A quality fitting process for hiking boots should include measuring your feet with no weight on them, and then with weight on them. And if you are going to be hiking with a 50-pound pack, they should  put that on you to make sure your shoes will still fit once the extra weight spreads out your foot.  We recommend being fit for boots toward the end of the day, when feet tend to be larger.  

Step 4: Modify if necessary.
A good boot fitter will try to match the overall foot shape to the boot shape. If your toes are fairly square, they’ll look for a boot with a square toe box. If you need a wide boot, they can find that, too. But even then, sometimes the boot is not quite perfect. That's where modifications come in. It could just be a matter of using a custom-made insole or orthotic to make things right. Or, it could take something more. A good boot fitter can cook, dry and pinch your shoes to make them just right. Got a bunion or bulge on the first joint of the big toe? They should be able to stretch your boots to accommodate your bunion in just the right spot.

Step 5: Try on the boots.
This doesn't mean just stepping into them and seeing how they feel. Walk around the store. Stores like REI have a small incline board, where you can walk up and down to test how your shoe does on inclines and declines. And, remember, some shoes need a breaking-in period for you to get used to the feel of them.

Step 6: Learn proper care of your boots.
If you take care of them, good hiking boots can last for years (depending on how much you use them). You should always treat your boots with a waterproofing agent, but avoid silicon or wax-based agents, which can clog the leather and make it less breathable. After a muddy hike, wash down your boots with a hose and scrubs them (try a basic floor-scrubbing brush to get mud off). After that, he says, apply the waterproofing agent while the boots are still wet and let them air dry. You don't need to do it every time. Just when it looks like they need it. Dr. Hale and Dr. Huppin are experts at helping hikers hike comfortable with no foot problems. If you are having any foot or ankle trouble at all when hiking make an appointment to see us in our convenient Seattle office. Be sure to bring your boots with you.

Click here for General Guidelines for Fitting Hiking Boots PDF file

All pages on this website © 2005-2010
Douglas Hale, DPM & Lawrence Huppin, DPM
Foot and Ankle Center of Washington, Seattle
The material provided on this web site is for informative purposes only.
If you need specific medical advice, please contact the office for an appointment.