How to Choose the Right Boots

Buying boots for yourself or for your kids sometimes feels like a test of your patience. Manufacturers do follow a standard footbed size, but the uppers can fit differently due to boot design and properties necessary for the style of boot. You, the consumer, have to keep trying on boots to find the one that fits just right and won’t chafe or pinch even though they’re the right footbed size.

And if you have foot problems, you might want to check if the inside is removable so you can add your own supportive inserts afterward.

The following are some tips to help you buy boots that fit right and won’t hurt your feet.

Buying Boots for Men

The purpose of the boots is the driving force behind the type of boot you’re going to wear. For work boots, you want a boot shape that gives you clearance in the toe box in terms of height and width, a footbed that’s got the right amount of room, and a heel block that is stiff but doesn’t rub. Boots for everyday wear follow the same principles, but you may find that you prefer a looser fit because you’re not going to be engaging in activities that require secure footing.

Buying Boots for Women

Women’s boots come in all styles and heel heights, which complicates the process of finding the right boots. Good fit still applies regardless of the style. You want a fit that supports the foot but isn’t so tight that you’ll get blisters. Pay attention to how your foot feels when you walk. If your foot feels like it’s being constricted when you roll over the ball of your foot, your foot can’t expand and you’ll wind up with soreness. Constriction is not ideal in any type of footwear — skip boots that constrict and find ones that have enough room.

Be mindful of the height of the heels you choose when it comes to comfort and ease of wearing. A thin heel needs a footbed with good shock absorption to compensate for the transference of impact to the foot. Otherwise, you wind up with sore heels and boots you don’t want to wear.

Buying Boots for Children

Ask yourself what activities your child is going to engage in while wearing their boots. Do they want a pair of boots because they want to look cool? Or do they want a pair for practical purposes? When it comes to boots for practical purposes, the standards of good fit apply. But if the boots are for fashion or utilitarian purposes, you want to get them a boot that they can’t step out of at an inopportune time. Find a boot that laces up or has a shape that minimizes the potential for the foot to slip out and is comfortable to wear.

Apply the principles of fit to any boot you’re looking at buying. Always ask the questions of how much constriction, is there heel strike against the back of the boot, and how much room a boot has. You’re more likely to love the boots you buy when you examine how they feel when trying them on.