Shoes for LARGE Feet (Size 13 or larger)...

[Touch of Grey]

Okay I've seen the forums on shoes and not buying too many shoes for various reasons. I've also read or seen the forums on narrow feet and wide feet.

What I have not seen is, are there any problems or suggestions from others out there for those of us who have LARGE feet?

What I am referring to is that I am now wear a size 14 or 15 depending on how the shoes are made. If I am to believe the talk of many people that my shoe size will grow, what problems will I run into in getting shoes in larger sizes such as say 15, 16 or 17. Or is it only a width issue that will be my concern in that my foot will only get wider due to the use they will receive over the trail.

It's already hard to find or get shoes in my size let alone comfortable shoes at a decent price. I have considered going barefoot but that is not a full time consideration I think. Shoes will be needed periodically for various reasons.

Let's hear form some of you other hikers who are large foot challenged and/or who have already done the trail and dealt with this issue!

:-? Touch of Grey

[hammock engineer]

I can't help with an answer other than I feel your pain in selecting shoes. I wear an 11.5 EEEE. I usually have to buy new balances for the widths. Eventually other shoe companies need to look to new balance and realize the extra business they can get from offering wide, long, and narrow shoes.

[hammock engineer]

I forgot to add. You might want to look into buying your replacement shoes ahead of time. I plan on buying a replacement pair 1/2 size longer and leave them at home for when my first pair wears out.

[The Solemates]

I wear a 13. At the end of my hike, I still wore a 13. My feet didnt "grow" at all.

[Frosty]

I wear size 17 and the only company that makes boots that fit is Columbia. I have to order them, but there is a shoe store that will do it locally for me. Columbia usually don't have the models I ask for. They only do large size boot production runs every once in a while, and when they run out, they run out. It saves me from pouring over boot and sneaker specs trying to find the ideal boot. My ideal boot for me is the one that they stock at the time I am buying.

[icemanat95]

Foot spread (it isn't growth) is proportional to the weight in your pack. Someone who carried a heavy pack (like me) would experience fairly rapid foot spread in the first month or so of the hike. I had to replace my first pair of boots in Pearisburg because of this. My feet had spread in length by almost a whole size, but that's as far as it went. This was from my arches settling lower under the weight. Not really a good thing. If you keep your pack weight light to moderate (under 40 pounds) it shouldn't be a huge problem. They may lengthen or spread a bit, but maybe not. If you are already a largish person, your feet may have already spread as far as they are going to.

After a month, month and a half on the trail, you'll know. and your first set of boots should have enough life left in them at that point, to have the time for ordering.

[TOW]

I have size 13 with flat feet and the best hiking boot I have ever had and still have is the Vasque Zephyr and they make them in your size too.....but you have to buy them retail.

Here is a link to the boot itself, you can search the site to see where a retailer is located near you.

http://www.vasque.com/products/m-zephyr.cfm

[Touch of Grey]

My Thanks to all who have contributed to this discussion. I guess that my concerns are other than worrying about getting a pair of shoes along the trail in a timely fashion pretty much unwarranted otherwise.

I generally do just exactly as many of you do and pretty much walk in to a store and ask to see what is available in my size and then seeing what fits. I still seem to get those who ask well what style I want. At a size 14 or 15 it's not about style but about fit and comfort.

I also have a problem with mail order itemns because they introduce undo delay if the shoes ordered do not fit properly. I do currently have a good pair of Vasques from a local vendor and will most likely deal with this dealer throughout my hike.

Touch of Grey

[rswanson]

Umm, if I'm not too late, take a look at Dunham:

http://www.dunhambootmakers.com/

They make well received, good quality shoes and boots in sizes up to 15, with 3 or 4 widths in most styles and sizes. Dunham seems to be popular with hikers who have fit problems, particularily their Waffle Stompers line.