Boot fit

wildstreak

Member
Nov 24, 2014
82
1
Kentucky
Anyone else having a problem with new boots fitting properly? The time has come to replace my old Wolverines. They were 400g thinsulate, lightweight and very easy to walk in. I have a pair of danner prongorn 800g boots but I dont walk much in them as they are a little more bulky than I like for covering much ground but they fit fine. I have tried 3 different brands of boots (danner high ground, Cabelas Meindl, and UA Brow tines) and my toes hit in all of them. All of my running shoes fit fine. I wear the same size in every other pair of shoes and boots that I own with no issues. Are all of these boots really running that small?
 

sneakypete

Veteran member
Aug 9, 2011
2,821
275
Oakdale Ca.
You should go to a real shoe store kick the tires and have both feet measured, for me my feet as we age are now a 13. I also recommend taking the socks and sock liner with you when trying on boots, I did that when I bought my Kenetrek mountain extreme 400's. Nothing else spoils a great hunt than sore feet or blisters!
 

Gr8bawana

Veteran member
Aug 14, 2014
2,670
604
Nevada
You should go to a real shoe store kick the tires and have both feet measured, for me my feet as we age are now a 13. I also recommend taking the socks and sock liner with you when trying on boots, I did that when I bought my Kenetrek mountain extreme 400's. Nothing else spoils a great hunt than sore feet or blisters!
Go and try your boots on with exact socks you wear while hunting. I usually go 1/2 size bigger than my normal shoe size because of the thick wool socks I wear.
 

wildstreak

Member
Nov 24, 2014
82
1
Kentucky
You should go to a real shoe store kick the tires and have both feet measured, for me my feet as we age are now a 13. I also recommend taking the socks and sock liner with you when trying on boots, I did that when I bought my Kenetrek mountain extreme 400's. Nothing else spoils a great hunt than sore feet or blisters!
Go and try your boots on with exact socks you wear while hunting. I usually go 1/2 size bigger than my normal shoe size because of the thick wool socks I wear.
I have had no problems with fit until now. Even my work boots fit fine (maybe Timberland will start producing a quality hunting boot). However, I wear a 14. Cabelas is the best thing I have anywhere near me for hunting boots and they don't have much of a selection in 14. I have never seen a 14 1/2.
 

sneakypete

Veteran member
Aug 9, 2011
2,821
275
Oakdale Ca.
Another option is Lathrop and sons, they build the boot to fit your foot. This could help because of your limited options on places to look at of try on different boots.
 

Matthoek21

Veteran member
Mar 18, 2011
1,904
0
Peachtree City, GA.
Although I hate to agree with Pete. Mainly because he is a worm fisherman, but he is right on this topic. Lathrop and Sons is in Illinois and will be your best option for them big ol cloddhoppers you got. I think they are in southern IL so may not be too far from you. At least give them a call. I wear a 14 in the Lowa Tibets and anywhere from a 13 to a 14 in tennis shoes and normal boots. I had a buddy one time that I asked "what size shoe do you wear"? His response was "a 9 1/2 but that an 11 felt so good he bought a 13". Always liked that joke.:p
 

missjordan

Veteran member
Dec 9, 2014
1,136
22
Missoula, MT
I also have a hard time with shoes but also haven't spent more than $200 on boots. Mainly have problems with my feet getting wet even with waterproofing and my big toe rubbing on my right foot
 

wildstreak

Member
Nov 24, 2014
82
1
Kentucky
I also have a hard time with shoes but also haven't spent more than $200 on boots. Mainly have problems with my feet getting wet even with waterproofing and my big toe rubbing on my right foot
That's more of my issue. My big toe on my left foot has been rubbing the end of the boots I recently bought.
 

Murdy

Active Member
Dec 13, 2011
359
0
North-Central Illinois
I have had no problems with fit until now. Even my work boots fit fine (maybe Timberland will start producing a quality hunting boot). However, I wear a 14. Cabelas is the best thing I have anywhere near me for hunting boots and they don't have much of a selection in 14. I have never seen a 14 1/2.
Sometimes you can find something comparable to a 1/2 size in Euro or U.K. sizing. I wear a 13, and very few companies make 13 1/2, which I could probably use, at least from some manufacturers (my Lowa 13s are fine, Zamberlan not so much). I have a pair of Hanwag hiking boots in U.K. 12 1/2. Many sources say that U.K. sizes are a full size smaller, but others say only a half. I assume they are somewhere in between. Anyway, the Hanwags are one of the most comfortable boots or shoes that I own, and I'm guessing its because they are a little bigger than a U.S. 13. You might find the same thing with 14s.
 

Sawfish

Very Active Member
Jun 9, 2011
760
127
Peoples Republik of Kalifornia
Not only do you need to allow for heavy socks, but you need to allow for the swelling of your feet due to continuous walking. Paying close attention to toenail length is also important. Sizing varies by manufacturer. I can wear an 11.5, 12, 12.5 in different boots due to this variance. I wore a size 11.5-12 sneaker in high school, but a 12.5 in a basketball sneaker due to foot swelling.
 

B&C Blacktails

Active Member
Mar 1, 2015
237
0
I have had no problems with fit until now. Even my work boots fit fine (maybe Timberland will start producing a quality hunting boot). However, I wear a 14. Cabelas is the best thing I have anywhere near me for hunting boots and they don't have much of a selection in 14. I have never seen a 14 1/2.
I know I too have a size 14 and it too can be a 1/2 size larger
 

Laddy

Member
Nov 19, 2013
93
1
Idaho
I just have one tip for people who buy boots at retail stores: when you ask the sales guy "do you have this in a 10?" ask him to bring out EVERY size 10 in that boot....100% guarantee that out of 3-5 boots he brings out, one will be too tight, two will be too big, but one will fit perfectly. That's how you find the perfect boot in your size.


Boot fit is a "how do you take your coffee" conversation, everyone does it differently.
 

11C50

Member
Oct 13, 2011
75
21
Edgar WI
Another +1 for Lathrop and Sons. I struggled for years with off the shelf boots because my left foot is 1/2 size bigger than my right, So last year I bit the bullet and got in touch with Lathrop and Sons and ended up with a pair of Lowa Hunter GTX EVO Extremes, which I had custom fit ( a spendy option). But they are more comfortable than my house slippers. I had a pair of Pronghorns the years before sized for my smaller right foot, that cost me two toe nails on my left by time it was done.
 
Last edited: