WALKING

Buying Walking Boots

When it comes to walking there is no more important piece of kit than your boots. Get it right and you will be happy to concentrate on the pleasures of the walk, get it wrong and all you will be able to think about is the discomfort of your feet. Taking time to choose the right boots for your feet makes real sense. Here are some guidelines you may find useful based on our 20 years experience of selling walking boots to all ages of people.

• Manufacturers sizings vary. Just because you are a size 8 in one manufacturers boot doesn't mean you'll be size 8 in another's.
• Manufacturers lasts vary. The last is the template the boot is based on. Strangely people's feet can differ from country to country. For example, Italians tend to build footwear with narrower lasts and in this country their boots are often too narrow for our feet. American lasts tend to be wider in the toe box. Another good reason to experiment with different makes of boot. These days most boots sold in Britain will be manufactured on a British last.
• Try boots on in the afternoon. Feet swell during the day. It is best to try boots on in the afternoon when your feet have seen a bit of action!
• Socks are almost as important as your boots. Make sure that you wear and try on boots with good quality dedicated walking socks. We promise you, they can make all the difference!
• Size ranges. Boots in Britain are often from manufacturers using British, American and European size ranges. These ranges do not exactly coincide. So if the 8 in a British size is not quite a perfect fit for you, you might want to try an American 9 or a European 42.

• A good walking boot specialist will be able to measure your feet. It's surprising how many people are wrong about the size of their own feet! Which leads us neatly on to the next point.
• Most people's feet aren't exactly the same size. Usually the variation is less than a half size, but it can make a difference. So, always try on both boots!
• Insoles can correct length and width shortfalls. An insole of the right thickness can make a pair of boots a perfect fit. Worth trying if the boots are nearly the right size. Or if one boot feels bigger than the other. Again a good shop will help you with this when you are trying the boots on.
• Allow room at the end of the boot. You need about a centimetre clearance between your big toe and the end of the boot. You would discover why when walking steeply downhill when your foot tends to slide forward. Without this clearance your toe will be painfully hitting the end of the boot with every step you take. The way to mimic downhill walking in the shop is to scuff and jam your foot forward on the flooring quite hard to see if you can feel the end of the boot when you do this.
• Good lacing is important. By which we mean more the way you lace your boots rather than the types of lace you use. Consider, for example, not lacing your boots all the way to the top. This often allows your ankle to be more flexible forward and backward and can stop the cuff of the boot digging into the back of your leg. If you need more ankle support in rocky or uneven terrain then definitely lace the boots all the way to the top. When you first set out on your walk you will probably need to adjust your lacing within the first half mile.