October 2, 2023BOOT FITTING
Fashion boots fit differently than functional winter boots. This post addresses the fitting of fashion boots or everyday boots. Shockingly, 60% of people wear the wrong size and 70% of people have two different sized feet. That being said rule #1 is always fit your larger foot first. Just like shoes, you want your boots to fit in both length and width. It is important to have at least a thumb nail distance between the longest toe and end of the boot. Leather can and will stretch in the width but don’t expect much stretch in the length. Remember quality boots have a toe box, this is a reinforcement at the front to prevent the toe of the boot from collapsing. If you feel pressure on your toes the boot is too shallow, and you require a deeper toe box. Width is another issue. Not every boot comes in multiple widths, most are only available in medium.
However, Miller Shoes specializes in fittings, so we do offer boots in narrow, medium, wide, and extra wide widths. Still the majority of boots are medium only. We are experienced and have tricks to help adjust the width but they only go so far. Never purchase boots too tight in the width. Some say buy your boots tight and stretch them out, not the best move. Boots have no feelings and we can’t say that about our feet. Too wide and boots slip at the heel and offer not lateral stability. This causes all sorts of issues including blisters and planter fasciitis from the constant sliding. Too tight and the foot can develop corns, calluses, and other foot discomfort issues caused when your feet are constantly being cramped together.
Fitting your instep is just as important as fitting the width. Too much pressure on top of your foot can be solved with a boot that features both zipper and laces. Simply relax the lace to ease instep pressure.
When dealing with boots above the ankle calf fitting becomes the issue. Athletic calves require boots to have wider cut or offer some elastic goring or buckle adjustment. It is important to keep in mind when dealing with a tall boot that one can actually get them on and off. Too much effort to do up the zipper could cause it to break. Slender calves have a different set of issues. A tall boot does not look right if there is lots of space around the leg. Eventually the leather will slacken and you will wind up with slouch boots. When fitting tall boots the rule of thumb is you want to gently force a finger around the circumference of the top of the boot.
View All Posts
Fashion boots fit differently than functional winter boots. This post addresses the fitting of fashion boots or everyday boots. Shockingly, 60% of people wear the wrong size and 70% of people have two different sized feet. That being said rule #1 is always fit your larger foot first. Just like shoes, you want your boots to fit in both length and width. It is important to have at least a thumb nail distance between the longest toe and end of the boot. Leather can and will stretch in the width but don’t expect much stretch in the length. Remember quality boots have a toe box, this is a reinforcement at the front to prevent the toe of the boot from collapsing. If you feel pressure on your toes the boot is too shallow, and you require a deeper toe box. Width is another issue. Not every boot comes in multiple widths, most are only available in medium.
However, Miller Shoes specializes in fittings, so we do offer boots in narrow, medium, wide, and extra wide widths. Still the majority of boots are medium only. We are experienced and have tricks to help adjust the width but they only go so far. Never purchase boots too tight in the width. Some say buy your boots tight and stretch them out, not the best move. Boots have no feelings and we can’t say that about our feet. Too wide and boots slip at the heel and offer not lateral stability. This causes all sorts of issues including blisters and planter fasciitis from the constant sliding. Too tight and the foot can develop corns, calluses, and other foot discomfort issues caused when your feet are constantly being cramped together.
Fitting your instep is just as important as fitting the width. Too much pressure on top of your foot can be solved with a boot that features both zipper and laces. Simply relax the lace to ease instep pressure.
When dealing with boots above the ankle calf fitting becomes the issue. Athletic calves require boots to have wider cut or offer some elastic goring or buckle adjustment. It is important to keep in mind when dealing with a tall boot that one can actually get them on and off. Too much effort to do up the zipper could cause it to break. Slender calves have a different set of issues. A tall boot does not look right if there is lots of space around the leg. Eventually the leather will slacken and you will wind up with slouch boots. When fitting tall boots the rule of thumb is you want to gently force a finger around the circumference of the top of the boot.