Topic
Fit and sizing
UK, EU and US sizes, toe room, wide fits, lacing and the fit problems that cause blisters and heel lift.
- Toe room
- About 15 to 20 mm
- One UK size
- 8.47 mm (1/3 inch)
Measure your feet in the evening, in the socks you walk in. Push your foot forward in the unlaced boot: a finger, roughly 15 to 20 mm, should fit behind your heel.
Size charts vary between brands, so treat any conversion as a starting point. The size converter gives UK, EU, US and Mondopoint from your foot length.
Common mistakes
- Buying boots in the morning, when feet are smallest.
- Fixing heel lift with a smaller size instead of a heel-lock lacing.
Guides on this topic
- What size walking boots should you buy?The thumb's-width rule, measuring feet in the evening with walking socks, when half a size up helps and how to check boot size at home before you walk in them.How-to
- Walking boot size chart: UK, EU, US and MondopointFoot length in mm against UK, EU and US walking boot sizes, the common conversion rules behind them and why each brand's chart still differs a little.Guide
- Walking boot insoles: when an upgrade helpsStock footbeds against aftermarket insoles for arch shape and volume: what each does, how insoles change boot fit, and how to size and trim them properly.Guide
- Toes hitting the end of your boots downhillWhy toes hit the front of walking boots on descents: length, heel hold and lacing. The checks to make before blaming the boot, and what to look for next time.Fix
- How to lace walking boots for a better fitHeel-lock, window and surgeon's knot lacing for heel lift, instep pressure and toe bang, plus how to choose and replace laces on walking boots.How-to
- Heel slipping in walking boots: causes and fixesWhy your heel lifts in walking boots and what to change: lacing, socks, heel grips, insoles, break-in and when the boot is simply the wrong last for your foot.Fix
- Blisters from walking boots: why and what to changeFriction, moisture and fit behind walking boot blisters: socks, lacing, break-in and what the place on your foot says about the likely cause and the fix.Fix
- Are Scarpa boots true to size?How Scarpa's EU sizing maps to UK sizes, why many walkers check carefully, which models feel narrower and how Scarpa compares with Meindl and Lowa on fit.Guide