Boots

[pickle]

I'm was nedding to know when I buy boots-should I get a 1/2 size bigger so i have room with hiking socks?

[Feral Bill]

Wear the sox when you try them on. A good outfitter will have a box of sox. Also consider lighter footwear.

[hikerboy57]

not only try them on with the socks youd be wearing, but make sure you try them on at the end of the day, as your feet swell during the day.you may need a full size larger than your normal shoes.if you're considering a long distance hike or a thru hike, keep in mind your feet will spread as you get more miles under them. some have said their feet grew a full size or more from the date they began.make sure your toes have plenty of room in the toebox to both spread and preveent your toes from jamming into the front of the shoe on downhills.

[hikehunter]

do not be cheep on your foot wear...you get what you pay for.....spend the cash to get a good quality that will protect your feet and last you for a long time..... maintain the boots: clean and condition your foot wear after each use.

[MuddyWaters]

Some say to get at least 1/2 size bigger.
2 reasons for this 1) your feet slide forward on downhills and will strike the end of the shoe 2) your feet will swell/grow

I havent found #2 to have a lot of cocern. Do the feet spread on some people? Surely. Do they grow forever? No If you started a thru hike with size 12 and ended at 13, does that mean someone that does 6 thru hikes will be wearing an 18?? Nope, that would obviously be ridiculous. but they will be bigger at the end of the day than in morning, so try them on then too.

Try shoes on with the socks you intend to wear. Be sure the toes are roomy enough, they will only get tighter if feet swell some. Some stores have the fake rock inclined surface to stand on to see if your toes touch the end. Of course that has something to do with how well you lace it too to secure the foot. Heck, kick something hard and see if your toe hits the end, that happens all the time on the trail and hurts.

Going too large may make the shoe not hold the heel well too. Have to use judgement and find what you think will work best for you.

[Bucho]

I'm was nedding to know when I buy boots-should I get a 1/2 size bigger so i have room with hiking socks?

Fitting boots is really difficult until you get to know what you need.

If you head to your local gear store and have them fit you they will tend to give you boots with a much tighter fit than the average thru hiker would want. The average thru hiker also wouldn't want boots but that's another topic ;)

I'd also suggest wearing the socks you'll be hiking in when you try on boots. If you don't have any, Darn Tough's are great.

[thebrewguy]

A good outfitter will measure your foot length and width and suggest something appropriate. I have very wide forefeet and only a few manufacturers make "wide" sizes. Merrell boots are very narrow and torture for my feet. Also for some people aftermarket insoles like Superfeet can be helpful. I've sworn by Lowa brand boots for years because they fit me well, are very durable, and very waterproof. But that's just my recommendation, everyone is different. For a thru hike it might be better to get something light and cheaper as you will probably go through a few pairs.

[SunnyWalker]

If you'd like to look at Keen boots/shoes you might find some variety there too to look at. I use them for hiking.