A Guide to Choosing The Perfect Footwear Size

Mar 19

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Choosing the perfect size for your footwear is arguably more important than the footwear itself, but how do you know which size you need?

Here are some essentials before we begin:

Don’t try your footwear barefoot or with very thin socks. You won’t be doing that while hiking, so no point in doing it while choosing your size. Use a thicker pair of socks, or trekking socks if you have them. Remember to bring your own!
You’ll need a bigger size than what you usually have, for two reasons:
First, after hiking for a while, your feet will swell slightly and will need more space.

Second, when walking downhill it is normal for your feet to slide forward slightly. The extra space will prevent your toes from smashing against the front of the shoes, which in many cases is reinforced. It’s a battle your toes will loose, so make sure to keep a good centimetre in between the two.

Keep in mind that two shoes of different brands can be marked as the same size but differ drastically in the actual size. An example is some Italian brands. They tend to size extremely small, and might require two or even three sizes more than what you usually have!

With that out of the way, let’s take a look at how to choose the right size for your footwear, step by step.

Choose your footwear (if you need help, take a look here).
Know your foot size. If you’re unsure, all good retailers will have a foot board to measure your exact size.
To determine the size you need, there is a method I prefer to use and that has always worked without fail:
Tighten and lace the shoes up like you would if you were going to use them. Then try walking around and keep an eye on the back of your heel. If it feels like it’s coming up instead of remaining flat on the insole, the shoe is probably too big and you’ll need to go down a size.
If the heel is not moving, try walking down an incline. Use that big stony arch you’ll find in most large outdoor stores, that’s what it’s there for. Make sure that while walking down, your foot doesn’t touch the front of the shoe. Remember that your feet will swell, so even touching slightly is not good.
Once you have a combination of these two things, your heel staying flat while walking and your toes not touching the front while walking down an incline, you can be pretty sure that’s the right size for you.
There is an extra test to make sure you have the right size:
Remove the insole and place your foot on it, careful to keep the heel all the way at the back. If the size is right, you should have about a centimetre between the tip of your big toe and the tip of the insole.
Make sure to be familiar with the return policy of the store. If you’ve followed these steps carefully, the footwear you’re buying should be the right size. It is however important to remember that not everyone has the same feet and that even if the size is right for you, perhaps the model you chose is not.
Before taking your new boots for a spin, wear them at home for at least an hour. You might suddenly feel a rough spot or a pressure point that you didn’t feel before, and that can unfortunately also happen if you chose the right size. It is better to find out at home while you can still return your footwear.