Correctly fitting boots

Hi all.
I'm hoping someone else has difficult feet to shop for and may have advice for me. The top of my foot is quite high so my feet slide deeper into the boots when walking downhill.

Each of the boots I've brought lately are a great fit in store with about 20mm free room in the toe, while still nice and snug around the rest of the foot. I've tried trail shoes and 3 different ankle high boots with the same results & I usually end up loosing 2-3 toenails each trip from the nails touching the boot & flexing so much they get blisters under the nails. It's getting expensive and starting to restrict my walking, not to mention painful.

Ankle high boots are my preference as I only do Great Walks and other tramping nowadays, Would High top boots help by securing my ankle in place better or could I get away with trying to find something with more room in the toes (already wearing size 13), if so are there any brands that have worked for you that I should look at first.
Alan.

I don't know what the answer is, but it took me 30+ years to work out that I'm a size 9.5 rather than a size 9.0.

Thought about an orthotic?

I have a set for my mutant feet and I can't be without them over distance in boots

Many years ago I had a pair of Van Walk boots where my foot didn't slide forward but I dunno if that brand is still around

I find if I am in boots that don't have the laces clamp half way up that traps the lace so you can keep them tight over your foot and then tight again around your ankle/shin this happens to me.

What skihunt has said...trick for this is to thread laces through middle hooks/eyes the wrong way.so they lock,then continue as normal. Also alter HOW you walking downhill so your doing more sidling and less sliding toe first whenever you can. Keep nails short and get your socks right before lacing up boots.eg wear boots for ten minutes or so and adjust if needed,then lace up tighter. How do you get on with gumboots??? I hunt in laceup versions...with good innersoles it maybe another option for you to explore.john bill innersoles fit great inside skellerup gummies.

My wife has exactly same problem and recommend you see a podiatrist to discuss your problem. They can review your feet, see if orthic is needed (my wife needed it) and then can recommend style of boots
I had a different problem 8 years ago trying to get back hunting after having it confirmed my left knee was bone on bone and needed partial replacement- which I was determined to avoid at age 50. So went to podiatrist and she constructed an inner sole with wedge running from my heel to mid foot, high on outside of foot and low on inside to basically ’force’ the inner side of the knee to open up the bone on bone gap. Now it was uncomfortable but the theory seemed correct so started back learning how to walk again and to build up muscles, ligaments etc. Now back hunting and no inner soles, no replacement!

My preference has always been to wear calf length boots but the foot sliding forward issue you described can still occur if the laces aren’t tight enough. I’m with Micky when it comes to sidling down a slope.

Another option because you state you only want to tramp is to go to Shoe Clinic as they do a good job of fitting and more importantly have a 30 day return policy that they do stand by it - my wife has used it 3 times in Invercargill.
Our local store has a podiatrist in store every week to provide free professional advice.
So yes they may not be as cheap as on the internet deals but if they get you into what you want then worth it.

I read a book on fixing your feet for trail running that talks about black toenails, and how prevention through nail maintenance is a major factor

For your toenails, try clipping them as short as possible, leaving the edges square (to prevent ingrown nails). Once you have clipped them, grab a file and smooth the nails so there are no jagged edges at all, run your side to side and from top to bottom and back up feeling for sharp edges.

Another option is to tape your toes using strapping tape (I use leukotape). From the Fixing your feet website on taping for blisters https://www.fixingyourfeet.com/taping-for-blisters/

The 1-inch Kinesio Tex tape is great for toes because it molds well and is stretchy. Micropore is also good for toes. Tape only the last two joints, avoiding the crease at the base of the toes. Roll the tape around the toe, overlapping over the toenails for a double-layer but keeping a single-layer on the sides of the toes. Fold the excess over at the tips of the toes, pinching the top and bottom together. Since both tapes are stretchy, the overlapping of the tape is not an issue here as it is with duct tape. Cut off any wrinkles or corners of the tape with sharp scissors, so it conforms to your toe perfectly.

On my last trail run using toe taping, I came away minus 1 nail and had one blister. I suspect these were caused by me meddling with the tape more than anything.
My previous run without tape, I lost 5 toe nails and few blisters.

I find lacing my boots like this help locking my heel and ankle in.
Maybe worth a crack

https://youtu.be/FJFQdjZlbbs?si=OiKD3BGgyxNwa7sZ

Some boots, Lowas are one of them, have a lace lock at the top of the foot area so you can have the laces looser over the top of your foot and then lock your ankle back in tighter to stop your foot sliding forward on downhills. Sidling slightly and weaving down hill like Micky said helps a lot too.

Are your feet swelling much? This sounds a bit weird but if your feet are cold and aircon'd you might have 20mm+ free space, but once they are hot and puffed up you might not have sufficient room in your boots?

Seems a little strange to me that high arches (if I'm correct in what you are saying you have) are allowing the foot to slide forward in your boot - would think that you would be have the best situation for foot placement in the boot! I have flat wide feet for example and need EE type boots as standard Euro fit boots pinch across me (small size 9) paddles. In a Euro standard fit I'm 9.5-10 in UK fit, EE or Wide sizing I'm a UK9. Do you find the front of your ankle complains at the end of the day?

I'd say the issue would be more the boot sizing and setup than anything else, try the aftermarket innersoles as there are a variety of these about that might help and also the lace locking suggestions. Also, go for a walk and try after a while to see if the issue is a swelling thing, certain boots that don't breathe or things like Gortex water resistant socks don't help here either.

WOW !
That's a huge source of info thanks everyone. I'm currently wearing orthotics anyway for Planta Fasciitis so that makes it even harder to find something suitable. As most of my walks are Great Walks there aren't any hills that sliding downhill is even an option. (I'm also more of the rolling shape rather than sliding).
I'll try the laces and toe taping methods first as they may help with my current boots (Brand new).

in the old days (before we had flash boots)if they had a long steep descent, high country musterers used to pack tussock or snow grass between thier laces and boot tongue.

Another thought came to mind in wee small hours whilst pondering this....them funky trail running shoes that have toes for your toes,like cross between a dive bootie and a glove... If your only on tracks you may not need full on boot at all.

Your comment re. 20mm in the toe suggests you may be looking at it the wrong way around. That sounds like an awful lot - personally I wouldn’t want more than 10mm. Reason being if you have the space it’s hard to stop your feet moving inside the boots, you may better to restrict this in the first place.

For this reason I favour a closer-fitting boots with thinner socks over needing thick socks to fill them.

Like @No.3 says, most euro boots are too narrow for kiwi feet, so to get something that fits we end up going half a size up (and therefore too long). That will be exacerbated if you use orthotics.

Too late now, but next time you’re buying boots I’d be looking for something that gives you the space you need through the centre without adding a whole lot of length.

Most long distance trail walkers now where trail shoes not boots. Another thing that could help is creeper socks the ones with toes. Not sure if the 5 finger shoes that Micky was thinking of are still a thing.

Like No.3 I have wide for length feet, and used to have to go a few sizes up to get the required width. I found with creative lacing, I had a lot more flexibility in my choices of boot
Locking in the laces for the foot part of the boot allowed me to have them loose, while having the ankle part of the boot tight to stop my foot sliding down inside the boot.
Also having boots with a lace set back from other others allowed for additional tightening to stop the forward sliding.
Hard to explain....here's a picture.
Attachment 261011

Thanks @mopheadrob, I've had a few boots that were a perfect fit for my kiwi feet and that was the beginning of me getting back into tramping and having this problem. I now have a pair of inov-8 boots that fit great (with the extra clearance) so will try the lace locking trick that @mark_k, @quentin & others have mentioned. @No.3 has got the right idea I think re size & setup, I've got large and wide feet with med/high arch's so all these ideas are a huge help because most shops sell what they think could work-possibly without any real world experience. @Micky Duck Tomorrow I'll try a few places as I really want to find some of those funky 5 toe shoes to try on because it'll be like going barefoot/dive booties. I've seen some people doing great walks barefoot so that would be a nice compromise.
Photo of ugly feet with 1L bottle for scale.
Attachment 261017

Would part off the issues be that the boots aren't stiff enough & would a pair stiffer boots help ?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hunt08

Would part off the issues be that the boots aren't stiff enough & would a pair stiffer boots help ?

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I've had stiff boots before and now have flexible ones now to try.

There's a few different ways to lace your footwear for heel/ankle lock. The video I posted works well with my Crispi Nevadas, I've a more ankle height pair of boots that I use different technique for. I've short but wide feet so tend to have a fair bit of room at the end of a boot too

Saw some of those toe shoes in a frontrunner store again a few months back. ‘Vibram fivefinger’

Still just as unpleasant to look at as way back when they were first released.

Guidance/education my wife found helpful for her high arches.

“If you have high arches, it means that less of your foot makes contact with the ground when standing, walking or running, which in turn produces less shock absorption. People with high arches are more prone to ankle injuries, foot pain, plantar fasciitis, hairline fractures, inflammation in the ball of the foot, and hammertoes.12 The best shoes to help lower the risk of foot-related problems for people with high arches have a roomy toe box, ankle support, and a flexible midfoot with ample cushion for shock absorption.“

In a lot of boot brands, the Half size is wider but no longer than the previous full size. IE 9.5 is the same length as 9 but wider in the toe area. So often no need to go up 2 sizes.

Also, if you are walking a lot of the great walk tracks i usually do them in tramping sandals. Usually super grippy,no need for socks and your toes are covered so no stubbing your toes either. If theres particularly cold i wear a pair of waterproof sealskins to keep my feet warm. Far comfier than boots.

Not sure if it'll make any difference to the foot issues, but consider looking at Injinji toe socks. They do all types of socks and even thin ones you can wear under a regular sock. Some people swear by them for foot and toe comfort for long days in the boot.

If all else fails, consider a podiatrist or a foot specialist physio - they can get custom-made innersoles made up to fit your feet and arches and also source the good orthotic innersoles that correct posture and improve the support inside the boot. They can make a huge difference - it's like doing 4 hours and having foot pain to being able to go a few days full time hunting in the back blocks just with corrected innersole fit.

Wife has foot problems as in small feet for her size. After many different types of shoe and innersole including podiatrists she ended up at Frontrunner in Dunedin back in August. Amazing woman there sorted her out and we are currently walking 5km a day. Before that she would struggle to walk 1/2km especially after a day of standing at work.

So solutions are out there it's finding that one person who understands your problem