Sooner or later it will REALLY be spring and the trails we be calling you! If you’re new to hiking or if it’s time for you to replace your hiking footwear, here’s some good advice:
1. There’s No “Best” Shoe
If someone tells you they the brand and style of the “best hiking shoe” out there, you should take no hiking advice from that person. Ever. Because, the BEST hiking is shoe is the one is the one that fits YOUR foot, and your foot is as unique as your finger print.
2. Fit Beats Features
The way the hiking shoe fits your foot is more important than whether it is hi top or lo top, water proof or non-water proof, trail runner with squishy sole, or full leather boot with stiff lug soles.
3. Shop Late, Sock Smart
Shop for new hiking shoes late in the day, after you’ve been on your feet, and try them on with the hiking socks you will wear on the trail.
4. Get Professionally Measured
Get your feet measured by a pro!
5. Test Like You Hike
Use the little fake mountain to test out the fit. Stomp up and down, go sideways, flat footed, on your toe… all the ways your foot ends up on the trail to make sure they feel right.
6. What “Feel Right” Really Means
What does “feel right” mean? It means that nothing pinches, slips, rubs, or squeezes anywhere, when you roll up on your toe the point just behind the toe doesn’t fold putting pressure on the top of your foot, and your toes don’t bump the end of the shoe/boot when you do all that stomping.
7. Don’t Just Size Up
If you’ve been sized by an expert, but a shoe in that size doesn’t feel right, don’t go up a size… try on a different make/model of shoe. The people I trust say the old advice to always size up is not good advice. Sizing up changes the length, width, and volume of the shoe, plus it changes where the arch is. Sizing up may give your toes more wiggle room, but it will probably cause a problem somewhere else on your foot.
