My shoe size is 8. But with boots I always prefer to size up to half a size or one size bigger, especially with my work boots where I know I have to spend the entire day in them, run, walk and do a lot of physical activities in them.
The problem with boots is that they are stiffer than shoes as they are mostly made of leather or other hard materials.
So, your toes don’t get the space easily to take its own shape inside the toe box. And if the boots have safety toe boxes, then the problem of space and comfort is even worse.
Generally the longest toe is the first or the second one. It varies from person to person. If your longest toe touches the end of your boots, know that your feet are inside a wrong sized boot and you need to size up ASAP!
The problem is not always the length of the boots, some people even have wider toe area than others and in that case too, the toes get squeezed inside the toe box if you attempt to wear boots of the same size as your shoes.
Let’s learn more about the right size of boots for your toes to feel comfortable within and the subsequent problems of wearing a tight and smaller sized boot…
How much space should be between the toe and end of boot?
Just as the rule of thumb says that your toes need to wiggle freely inside the toe box.
But what exactly is the measurement!
The best tip is to put your feet inside the boots and then insert a finger at the end of the heel area (touching the ankles of your feet). If the finger can slide easily inside the boots, that’s the perfect fit for your boots.
See also: How Much Toe Room Should be in Your Work Boots?
But what if you are to buy the boots online?
Better if you size half a size bigger for round toe boots and a full size bigger if your boots have pointed toes.
Is it OK if toes touch the end of shoes?
The simple answer is NO!
It’s not at all good if your toes touch the end of your shoes or boots because if it does, then your boots are smaller for your feet.
When the toes touch the end of boots and shoes, your toes will constantly get hurt from the pressure when you walk because our feet always tend to move forward inside the boots while we walk.
With this will arise various problems like ingrown toenails, pain in the toes, disfigured toes, bruises, and at last pain in your feet that’s unbearable.
How can you prevent your toes from hitting the front of shoes and boots?
The first thing that you need to do in order to prevent this problem is get a proper fitted boot that isn’t too tight or too loose because with both these situations, your toes will tend to hit the front of the boots.
If your boots are too tight (smaller for feet), there is no escape to the hitting of the toes. Maybe you can try expanding your boots with a boot stretcher.
But if your boots are way too loose and that’s the reason that your toes are hitting the front of the boots, there’s these following tips that can help you solve the problem:
1.) First of all lace up the boots tightly, instead of snugly, yet the tightness should not hurt the uppers of your feet.
2.) Wear the boots with a thick pair of socks. This will cover up some space inside the boots and also give a cushioning effect to your toes.
3.) Next insert a heel grip pad at the base of the heel of the boots (of course on the inside of the boots). This will help to hold the heels of your feet in one place and lessen the forward movement of the feet and thus your toes won’t touch the end of the boots while you walk.
4.) You can also wear a toe guard that’s readily available on Amazon.
Consequences of wrong boot size:
Wrong boot size means that your feet won’t break at the right point (mostly the widest part of the boot) and the arch won’t fall in place. This can lead to various problems like:
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- Pain in the feet
- Ankle twist
- Bunions
- Flat feet
- Plantar fasciitis
- Athletes feet
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How should boots fit?
Knowing the dangerous sides of wearing a wrong boot, you will definitely want your boots to fit properly, right?
But how do you ensure that your boots are perfectly fitted for your feet? Well, the following pro tips will help you find the best match for your feet:
1.) Your boots must break exactly at the same point where your feet break:
The point where our feet break (bends) is the point where our toes start. So ensure that the boots break easily before the starting of the toe box area.
2.) Your heels should not run against the heels of the boots:
That said, do not confuse it with the one finger sliding behind the heels once you wear the boots. That is a must. But your heels should not slip from the boots all together. This will result in bruises and accidents.
3.) There should not be too much compression at the ball of your feet from the boots:
This means that the width of the boots should be such that the walls should not squeeze the balls as well as the toes of your feet. The best idea is to wear thick socks to the store.
4.) Arch support is very much needed in boots:
Whether you have flat feet or feet with high arches, in both cases arch support is necessary to avoid pain in the arches of your feet.
5.) Lastly, the toes should not touch the end of the boots:
I have mentioned this multiple times and its consequences as well. Reassure that there is an inch gap between the toes and the end of the boots.
And that calls for a wrap up!
That’s all folks for today. Hope you gained some light on how your feet should fit inside the boots!
If so, do stay tuned to our site for more such helpful posts.
Till then, take care and have a great day ahead!
