Always a tricky business, choosing the right shoe size becomes even more so when it comes to hiking shoes. Let's take a moment to look at the famous question of sizing.
Choosing the right composition, the right upper height or the right sole is not all there is to it when you're about to purchase a pair of hiking shoes — choosing the right size is equally essential. Even more so than with everyday shoes, the wrong size of hiking shoe quickly becomes synonymous with blisters and discomfort, or even painful rubbing. To avoid friction from shoes that are too large or risking bruised toes from shoes that are too small, it's important to get it right. It's never easy to decide on the right size, especially if you don't know the manufacturer or you're buying your shoes online without being able to try them on first. Not to mention that the famous claim "for hiking, you should go a size up from your usual size" is increasingly less true, and that sizes tend to vary from one manufacturer to another, or even from one country to another. Fortunately, there are a few tips and tricks to avoid getting it wrong. Let's explore them together.
Determining your foot length
For hiking shoes even more than for everyday shoes, sizing can vary from one manufacturer to another, from one brand to another, and sometimes even from one model to another within the same brand. That's why it's almost pointless to rely on the size you usually take. Especially since the various manufacturers are making increasing efforts to offer half sizes and even quarter sizes — a real headache. If you want to order your shoes online (or arrive at the shop prepared), the best way to find the ideal size is to measure the length of your longer foot. If possible, ask someone to assist you with this quick process, which only requires a few steps:
- Get yourself a sheet of paper, a pencil and a ruler.
- Place the sheet of paper on the floor, flat against the wall.
- Place your bare foot flat on the sheet of paper, heel against the wall.
- Stand up straight, back against the wall, and stay still.
- Ask the other person to draw a line at the tip of your longest toe.
- Finally, measure in cm the length of your foot — that is, from the wall (i.e. your heel) to your longest toe, at a right angle of course.
Most manufacturers provide their customers with a size conversion chart showing foot lengths in cm alongside the corresponding shoe sizes they sell. Once you've measured your foot, all you need to do is refer to a similar chart. If you fall between two sizes, we recommend opting for the larger size and adding a sole if necessary.
Trying on shoes and checking whether the size is right
Once the length of your longer foot has been established, all that remains is to find the corresponding size as determined by the manufacturer and order your shoes!
The only way to be sure you've chosen a pair of shoes in the right size is to try them on. Whether in a shop or at home, put on your thickest pair of hiking socks, slip on your shoes and lace them up as if you were heading out into the mountains. Take the time to walk several steps. If possible, go up and down a few stairs. If it's the right size, you should feel no discomfort, uncomfortable areas or painful spots, and quickly find yourself at ease and comfortable. A hiking shoe in the right size must give you enough freedom in the toe box. Your toes should not be too compressed and must be free to move, without the shoes being too large — which would risk your toes knocking and pressing against the wall of the shoe on steep descents. That's also why you need to check that your heel doesn't lift too much from the sole when rolling through your stride.
Bear in mind that when hiking you'll be wearing more or less thick socks, that your foot may swell slightly, that you could encounter particularly steep gradients, and that it is therefore necessary to include a margin of around ten to twelve millimetres — which manufacturers account for in their size conversion charts and which you'll notice at the heel when you try on your shoes.
There you have it — you now have all the tools you need to find the ideal size for your next pair of hiking shoes without making a mistake or spending hours deliberating or reading through every review about the pair of shoes you've set your heart on. Finally, if you're not sure about the size you've chosen or think you may have got it wrong, remember that most retailers accept returns or exchanges if the shoes are in perfect condition and have only been worn for trying on. So there's nothing to worry about if you need to order online.
