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CLOTHING
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GEAR
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FEATURED BRANDS
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Finding a
shoe or boot that fits
correctly can be about
as confusing as
alphabetizing a bag of
M&Ms. Some are big, some
are small, some are
narrow, some are not.
Rest assured, we have at
least one shoe or boot
in each of our
categories that will
have you singing “just
right” like Goldilocks.
So how should these
things fit?
Good question. The
answer is a little more
complicated than simply
saying; “it should fit
like this”. After saying
that, they should fit
like this:
Width is pretty obvious
and so is length. They
are both a linear
measurement (A to B). A
third part of fit that
is often overlooked is
the volume of the shoe
or boot. It is possible
to have a very wide foot
with low volume (think
ping-pong paddle). On
the other hand, it is
also possible to have a
high volume foot that is
narrow (think about a
brick). So, volume is
completely independent
of width and length. It
is the physical volume
of the inside of the
piece of footwear. If
you could fill up the
boot or shoe with water,
a high volume one would
hold more water than a
low volume one.
Running shoes:
Generally, these should
give you enough room in
the front to ward off
the dreaded “black
toenail” syndrome. Too
big and they fit like
clown shoes and cause
other problems than
black toenails, like
blisters or a strained
planter fascia. They
should approximate the
shape of your foot. If
you have a narrow foot,
don’t buy a wide shoe.
No matter what your
running buddies say,
they’ll never fit. No
amount of voodoo and
black magic will make
them fit.
Running shoes, both
trail and road, have a
typically lower volume
fit than a light hiker.
This is because you
don’t wear a thick pair
of socks with these
shoes. They should hug
your heel and not dig
into your ankle bone
(ladies, this is a real
problem when you wear a
men’s shoe). You should
also feel constant and
continuous pressure
along the length of your
arch. Especially in a
posted and/or bridged
shoe you will feel this.
Additionally, when tied
normally, there should
be even and constant
pressure along the top
of your foot. A “pinch”,
or a lot of excess
material, would indicate
a volume problem, i.e.
your foot is too big or
too small for the shoe
with respect to volume.
Finally, you should have
enough room to make sure
your last little piggy
doesn’t go wee-wee-wee
all the way home. This
is where width comes in.
Of the shoes we stock,
Adidas and La Sportiva
are generally a little
on the narrower side
while Asics, Nike,
Montrail, and Salomon
all fit a mid width like
a C to a C+. Vasque
generally fits on the
wider and higher volume
side. There are a few
shoes that we stock that
are available in a wide
width, which is usually
a D to a D+.
Boots and light hikers:
You want these to fit
pretty much like a shoe.
No matter what a gear
review says about a
boot, if it does not fit
from the start, then it
never will. No boot we
sell is better than any
other with respect to
quality. They are all
high quality kicks, no
doubt about it. However,
they all fit
differently.
Volume can be a problem
with hiking boots. Some
are just plain huge.
They may not be all that
wide, but you need a
foot like a stump to fit
in them properly. Our
footwear buyers go to
great lengths to weed
out any crazy lasts or
fits by trying on
everything we sell and
buying models that will
be comparable to each
other performance-wise,
while still fitting a
wide variety of feet in
the process. Of the
manufactures we stock,
some are wide and some
are not. La Sportiva,
Montrail, and Asolo are
a mid-volume mid-width
fit. On the other hand,
the Lowas and Garmonts
are a higher-volume and
higher-width fit. There
are exceptions to this
but it is a good place
to start. If you think
you need some help
choosing a model, shoot
us an email or pick up
the phone and give us a
call.
A word on Women’s boots
and shoes:
This may come as a huge
surprise to some of you:
women are shaped
differently than men.
*GASP*. Feet are no
exception. Having ladies
specific shoes, most of
the time, can make the
difference between a
good fit and a great
fit. If you’re a woman,
start with a ladies
shoe.
For more information
about fitting and foot
problems, Superfeet (www.superfeet.com/content/facts.html)
and Montrail (www.montrail.com/index_force.html)
both have excellent
information that is much
more in-depth than is
discussed here.
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