Top Tips Do Your Walking Boots Fit?

At George Fisher, our business is built on boots. At the heart of our store is our legendary boot room where, for decades, climbers from all over the UK have been coming to visit us and get their walking boots fitted by our expert staff.

Everyone's feet are different. There's no such thing as an average foot. So here at George Fisher it's our job to find the boot that's the perfect fit for you feet. But what if you're not able to come all the way to our store, and you'd prefer to buy your boots online and fit them at home?

We're here to help. Keep reading for our top tips for trying on your new walking boots at home.

Preparation

1. Best Time Of Day
The best time of day to try on boots is in the evening. Your feet naturally swell as they day goes on so trying a pair of boots on in the evening is the closest thing to simulating what it’s like being in the hills all day.

2. Socks
You should always try a pair of boots on with the correct pair of socks that you'll be wearing in the hills. You could try them on with a thin pair of socks and they'd feel perfect but then you wear them out in the hills and you've got a thicker pair of socks on - it's not going to be right.

The Fit

1. Insole
If you grab the insole out of the boot and put your foot on it, you're looking for at least one finger, ideally two fingers, distance between your toes and the end of the insole. The reason for this is when you're coming back down off the hill, your feet are going to slide forward, and you don't want them hitting the end as that's how you end up with black toenails.

2. The Heel
You want your heel to fit into the boot heel cup like an egg in an egg cup. You want it to be secure as any movement will generate friction, that friction will generate heat and heat means you'll get blisters.

3. Width of the Boot
You don't want there to be too much pinching on the side of your feet. Leather will stretch a bit over time so it can be snug to start with. But if it's a real squeeze from trying your new boots on at the start, then it could be far too tight and you should look for a different boot. You'll know best if the boot is pinching or hurting by wearing the boots for a few hours around the house - watch the TV, put your feet up, go up and down the stairs. You'll soon know if it's hurting.

Volume Reducers

4. Depth of the Boot
If you have reasonably broad feet but not deep feet, when you walk the boot will flex and the space will put pressure on the membrane. Over time, it can break. So, you want space but not too much space; it's a fine balance. If you feel like the length, the heel and the width are all perfect, but you feel like there's too much space at the toe box then bring them into George Fisher and ask for some volume reducers. These are just thin bits of foam which we can pop under the insole and lift the foot up slightly and reduce that space. It can mean that it raises up the heel, but they can be modified and cut to fit and shape as required.

Those are the four main things you need to look at when fitting your boots at home. If you have any further questions, pop into George Fisher for the best boot fitters in Keswick to help you get the best boots for you.