I love going hiking. Hiking through woods or up hills to see a stunning view is just something that makes me feel happy. What I don’t like about hiking… blisters! If you get blisters after a long hike this could be a sign that your boots don’t fit properly.
But, how do you know if your hiking boots are too big? I’ve been looking into it and in this guide I’ll share with you what I have found!
4 Signs Your Hiking Boots Are Too Big?
There are 4 easy ways to tell if your hiking boots are too big:
1. Your feet move around inside your shoe even when they are fully laced up
When you have your foot inside your boot you may notice a little bit of movement inside the boot when walking, particularly when walking downhill when your foot is more likely to slide forward a little. This is a sign that your boot is too big.
2. You are getting blisters on your heel
If you find that after a long hike you have blisters on your heel, this is a sign that your heel is moving around inside the boot and rubbing against the back of it. This movement is due to the boot being too large and the heel being able to move du to the excess space.
3. You get toe pain when going down hills
Toe pain going downhill is a sign that your foot is sliding forwards in your boots and is squashing your toes into the front of the boot. The rest of your foot is not providing as much support as it should do and therefore your toes are taking up the slack.
4. Even when fully laced up, your ankle isn’t being supported by the boot
Boots that are designed to provide support to your ankle are made to stop your ankle rolling around too much independent of your foot. If you find you are able to roll your ankle at different angles whilst your foot remains flat on the floor, this is a sign that your boots are too big.
How To Check If My Hiking Boots Are Too Big
How much space is there at the front of the boot
Use your thumb to measure the gap between the front of your boot and your toes. If the gap is more than the width of your thumb, your boots are too big and you should consider buying smaller boots.
Measure your feet whilst wearing the socks you will wear for hiking
The socks you wear when hiking can make a big difference to how your hiking boots fit. If you are wearing you normal everyday socks, these are likely to be quite think compared to a high quality pair of wool socks for walking. Make sure you measure the size of your your foot with the correct socks or you could ebd up thinking your boots are too big when they are actually the right size.
Put your boots on and roll backwards and forwards from heel to toe, repeating this
Rolling your feet backwards and forwards will simulate the movement your feet will make when walking on different terrains. If your feet don’t stay still in the boot, they are too large.
Try your shoes on a ramp/hill
Even when you are going up or down hill, your feet should stay still inside the shoe and not slip around. If you feel increased pressure on your toes or that your foot is moving when the shoe is planted on the ground, your boots are too big.
Plant your foot on the ground and try leaning from side to side
This is a good test to see if your ankle support is doing its job to protect you from rolling over it. If you notice the there is a lot of sideways movement, so that the sole of the shoe lifts up but your leg remains fairly straight, this is a sign that the boot is too big around the ankle support.
What To Do If Your Hiking Boots Are Too Big?
Now you know if your boots are too big, it’s time to do something about it. The following are some of the ways you can correct an issue with your boots being too big.
Buy new boots
This is the extreme measure, but if your budget allows this might be the best choice in the long run. Buying a pair of hiking boots that fit really comfortably and aren’t too big will make your hiking experience far more enjoyable.
Wear thicker socks
If you want to keep the hiking boots you have then wearing thicker socks can help to fill the space inside your current hiking boots. If you are currently wearing normal “everyday” socks then switch to a thicker wool sock. This will not only help to fill the space in your boot, but also help your feet breath easier as well.
Put an extra pair of socks on
Putting on another pair of socks will help to increase the size of your foot inside the boot. Just be aware that this will make your feet much warmer (and potentially smellier).
Make sure you have your laces fully tightened
Quite often when we think out walking boot is too big it is actually the case that we haven’t got them tied in the most effective way. Lacing them in a way such as the quick tight lacing will give you the flexibility to tighted certain sections of the boot. This means you can tighten the laces more in the place where you need to rather than all the way through the boot.
Add insoles to your boots
Adding insoles inside your boots is a good way to decrease the space inside your boots and therefore reduce the amount your foot moves inside the boot. If you need a particular type of insole for a foot condition then you might want try putting these inside your boot and see if that helps. Otherwise you can purchase any thicker insoles than those the come with the boots and see if these make a difference.
Add blister pads or tape to your feet – If you have done as much as you can to reduce the space inside the boot and they still seem too big, you should try adding as much to your foot to make it bigger. As well as socks mentioned above, you could try adding blister pads, plasters or even tape you your feet to increase the size of them inside the boot. Realistically this isn’t a long term solution and should really only be done if your are already out walking and in need of an emergency fix.
Where To Buy New Hiking Boots
If you have realised from the above that you simply need to buy some new hiking boots, you should make sure you go somewhere that specialises in outdoor shoes. The following retailers will not only have a great selection of boots for you to buy but if you are able to get to their stores, there will also be an area for you to try the boots out on, with inclines and different terrain types (there’s no point testing them on a flat, carpeted floor is there?):
- Decathlon – Affordable sports equipment retailer with a wide range of outdoor wear
- Blacks – One of the UKs leading outdoor brand retailers
- Ultimate Outdoors – Outdoor clothing and equipment specialist
- Cotswold Outdoor – Multi-award winning outdoor clothing retailer
Summary
Now you know what to do if you’re hiking boots are too big. Unfortunately the best solution is generally to buy a new pair of walking boots, but hopefully you have learnt from the above that it is sometimes just a matter of wearing the right socks!
Happy hiking!
