How to Buy Women's Hiking Boots

Hiking boots are essential if you plan to be spending a good deal of time on the trails. While standard running shoes provide adequate protection for level walks, hiking boots are much sturdier, allowing for the uneven terrain of challenging hikes. When you wear hiking boots, you'll find you have fewer blisters, less ankle pain and your feet just all-around feel better. Women's hiking boots are designed with a woman's foot in mind. You need to ensure that your women's hiking boots fit properly and are correctly constructed.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Proper shoe size
• Method of payment

1. Have your feet professionally measured. Virtually all shoe stores will be able to properly measure your feet. You can also have your feet measured at outdoors stores that sell women's hiking boots. You want to ensure you are properly sized prior to investing in hiking boots.

2. Determine the type of hiking boots you need. Generally, hiking boots are available in light, medium and heavy weights. Lightweight hiking boots provide the least support, but are the most flexible. Medium-weight boots offer solid support, but decent flexibility. Heavy boots offer the most support, but the least flexibility. If you will be using your boots primarily for short hikes, opt for lightweight boots. If you anticipate long hikes where you'll carry a heavy pack, heavy boots are your best bet.

3. Consider various material choices. Most women's hiking boots are available in either genuine leather or synthetic materials. The leather will stretch and adjust to your foot more than other materials will, but synthetic materials do offer nice moisture-wicking features. All-leather hiking boots tend to be very durable.

4. Try on various different brands of hiking boots. You may find that certain brands fit you differently than others. While you can purchase women's hiking boots online, it's wise to go into a traditional store so you can try on many different types of boots.

5. Wear the socks you'll wear hiking when you try on hiking boots. The thickness of your socks can seriously affect the fit of the boots, and hiking socks are thicker than most.

6. Shop for women's hiking boots in the late afternoon. Your feet will be the most swollen in the afternoon since you have already been walking on them all day. Since your feet will swell slightly as you hike, you want them this way when you try on boots.

7. Bring your pack with you to try on boots. Make sure it is packed with the maximum weight you will carry while hiking. Once you have boots on, hold your pack and walk around for a while in the boots. See how they feel with this added weight.

8. Assess the fit of the boots. They should fit snugly against your feet, but should not feel tight at all. As a general rule, hiking boots do not feel as comfortable as running shoes do, however, you shouldn't feel any discomfort. If you feel any pinching or squeezing, the boots are not a proper fit.

9. Walk up and down an incline while trying on boots. Since you'll be walking up and down many hills on your hikes, you want to see how the boots feel on various inclines.

10. Compare prices between a few different outdoors stores to get the best deal. If you already know the exact type and size boots you want, you can shop online to score some great prices.

Tips & Warnings

• Waterproof your boots prior to hiking in them if they are not already.
• Avoid shopping for hiking boots in the morning as your feet are at their smallest then.