We’re guessing you already know that hiking boots need to be comfortable, and for that reason, the presence of toe rooms is essential. What could be bad for your feet and your overall hiking experience would be discomfort, especially cramping at the toes.
That is, too little toe room could make you groan in pain during and after hiking. On the other hand, too much toe room could make your hiking boots feel big. For this reason, you need to get the appropriate amount of toe room space.
If you’re a regular hiker, you would know that it is essential that your toes have enough space to relax and move freely within your hiking boots. However, some hikers tend to rely on their hiking boots breaking in, so they get tight boots from the onset.
While it is true that you can break in your hiking boots, you shouldn’t count on that. First, they could take a long period to break in, which means you’d have to deal with discomfort for those periods.
Second, even after the break in, you may still not get enough toe room that your feet need to be very comfortable. And this is why you have to get things right when shopping for your hiking boots.
So, how much toe room should you have in hiking boots? One inch? Two inches? Or more? We know how vital toe rooms are, and so we’ve found the answer that could help you buy the proper fitting hiking boots.
Let’s find out in the article.
Contents
Should Hiking Boots Have Toe Room?
Yes, hiking boots should have enough toe room. Why? Having enough toe room would make hiking better for you, and what’s more? Your feet will thank you for that (if they could speak).
You need to understand that too little room can be wrong for you. Plus, if you’re a first-time hiker, you should consider the different terrains you will likely hike on.
And while some can be easy, a few other terrains can be pretty rugged. Now, you wouldn’t want your toes cramped up in your hiking boots while you’re on mountain terrain or during a hot weather condition.
Trust us, these conditions would make the hiking experience tiring and tedious for you. In addition, while you’re hiking, your feet may get swollen, which could worsen the already existing issue of not having enough toe room.
Of course, there’s no joy obtained from hiking in pain. And you wouldn’t want to realize that when on a hike with almost no other option to change your footwear.
You need enough room at the front of your hiking boots, allowing you to wiggle your toes freely. Also, you need enough toe room to avoid injuries, swollen feet, and bruised toenails.
Your hiking boots’ toe caps which protect your foot, could torture your toes if the rooms are small. As a result, you may get blackened or bruised toenails when you eventually take off your hiking boots.
So, when purchasing the hiker’s boots, keep in mind that comfort matters in hiking. So, what makes up for enough toe room?
How Much Toe Room Do You Need In Hiking Boots?
Some people go into hiking stores to get their correct shoe size, but they sometimes end up with not enough toe room while on a hike.
So, there’s the possibility that buying your regular shoe size may not be the best for you if you want to move your toes freely when hiking.
So, how much more inches should you add to the size of your hiking boots?
Some hikers go for boots ½ an inch or even 2 inches bigger than their regular sizes. What makes them different?
½ inch
Some people go for an 8.5 hiking boots size even when they’re a regular size 8. This is because they think that the additional ½ inch would give them enough toe space when hiking.
Of course, getting an extra inch for your hiking boots gives you extra toe space, but is it really enough, or is it too much? For some people, an extra inch may not be enough.
We wouldn’t consider ½ inch too much or too little space for your toes. However, people’s feet vary, and what some may think is okay may make others feel uncomfortable.
When you’re at the store, you’d want to try the hiking boots on to know if you have enough space for them to move freely. Also, if you don’t know your exact shoe size, you can measure it at the store to get the right size.
½ inch extra toe room could be suitable for easy and flat terrains and summer hiking. This is because you wouldn’t need to wear thick hiking socks.
Thick hiking socks could take up more space making the boots that already fit you perfectly feel smaller. So, you can add an extra .5 inch when you’re buying these boots if you don’t intend on doing some intense hiking.
Since ½ an inch can probably accommodate thin socks, you may not be able to wear them during winter if you don’t want cold feet. The point is, you have to try your .5 extra inch at the hiking store to know if you have enough toe room or not.
1 inch
One-inch toe room may be the right amount of space you need to hike comfortably in your boots. Some people tend to add an extra one inch to their shoe sizes when buying their hiking boots.
Generally, regular hikers would know the correct shoe size for themselves. But, if you’re a new hiker, you could go for one inch extra. They wouldn’t be too small or big for your feet. Also, you’d be able to wear them on different hiking terrains and weather conditions.
Plus, you’d be able to fit your thick and thin socks in them, and they wouldn’t be too tight or free. It could also give you the overall comfort that you need in your hiking boots.
Your toes would have enough space to move and slide forward when you climb or descend. Additionally, they wouldn’t make your feet too clamped up in your hiking boots.
However, as we said, people’s feet vary, and what you may consider comfortable, others may think too free or tight.
And that is why you have to try your hiking boots on before you leave the store. Although hiker’s feet vary, an extra inch space might be better for a thick foot.
You may have to go to the store with your socks, both thick and thin so that you can have a feel of both. You wouldn’t want to realize that they are unfit when you’re hiking with either sock type.
Not only would that make your hiking experience bad, but you wouldn’t also be able to return it to the store. And hiking boots are pretty expensive for you to have a pair laying around without use.
In case you’re already get a pair of hiking boots that have tight toe room but can’t return it, you can try to stretch their toe box as guided here!
2 inches
Here’s the truth, some hikers even go for extra 2 inches sizes when buying their hiking boots. However, this doesn’t mean they will provide enough toe room space. In fact, they may be a little too much for your feet.
Not only would that make you feel uncomfortable in your hiking boots, but they may also make you susceptible to injuries.
Honestly, extra two inches could feel baggy for your feet, preventing the snug feel, and you may end up hurting yourself. This is also the main reason of your feet sliding forward in hiking boots, which is quite annoying on the road.
However, they may be suitable when wearing thick socks, boots with thickened fur on the inside, hiking during cold weather, or on more rugged terrains.
Again, you must know that the size of your feet matters before considering 2 inches of the room. You have to try them on to know if they are the right ones for you.
Where Should Your Toes Be In Hiking Boots?
Of course, your toes would be at the front of your boot, close to your hiking boots’ toe cap. But, the appropriate toe room will leave your toes slightly at the front tip of your hiking boots.
However, you need to wear the right hiking boots size for them to be at the right place. Plus, your toes would need to be at the right place, not too far or close to the toe cap.
So how do you know that your toes have enough toe room and they’re where they should be? You can try the following hacks when shopping for your hiking boots:
1. Avoid layered toes
When trying your hiking boots, ensure that your toes don’t lay on top of one another. This signifies that you don’t have enough toe room for them.
While it may feel like you’ve found the proper hiking boots, you should ensure that they fit correctly and your toes can move freely inside your boots. In addition, each toe should lay flatly on its own in your hiking boots.
2. Try the rule of thumb
Another way to know if your toes fit in perfectly in your hiking boots is to try the rule of thumb when making a purchase. And yes, it does require you to size the boots with your thumbs.
Hiking boots that fit perfectly should be able to take in two fingers when you wear them. As an alternative, you could also try putting your thumb in your hiking boots.
Your hiking boots are perfect for your feet if you can fit in half or full size of your thumb’s width. That should give your toes the appropriate space to wiggle and move freely in your boots.
However, if you can’t fit in two fingers or your thumb, the boots are probably too small and may cause throbbing toes or some other pain. You also need to consider that finger size may vary, so you may confirm if you have enough toe room via other methods.
3. Go with your hiking socks
- Merino Wool for comfortable & dry feet: Our wool hiking socks have thermoregulating merino wool and...
- Support for your comfort: Our hiking boot socks feature targeted cushioning to reduce the risk of...
- Designed in Denmark: Our womens and mens hiking socks are designed with Everest mountaineer Rasmus...
Last update on 2023-11-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
When shopping for your hiking boots, we advise that you go with your hiking socks. Not only that, you might want to go with both your thick and thin socks.
You need to confirm if both these socks fit in your hiking boots perfectly and still leave enough room for your toes to wiggle freely. You wouldn’t want a pair of boots that you can wear with thin hiking socks.
Also, if the hiking boots still feel bigger after trying different socks, you should consider going for half an inch or an inch smaller size.
4. Try the toe-tapping test
You can also check if you have adequate room by tapping your toes against the ground. First, you’d need to wear your hiking socks and let your heel touch the back of your boots.
Then, you will have to position both feet against each other with one heel behind the other. When you tap, your toes will move and cover the front space as much as possible.
After, you then insert two fingers behind your heel in the boots to see if they’ll fit in. If they don’t, you’d know that the boots don’t have enough space for your toes.
5. Wear the insole
- LASTING COMFORT - arch support improves foot and leg alignment, enhances comfort, and helps ease...
- DEEP HEEL CUP- to maintain correct foot positioning.protects your heel during the heavy impact of...
- PREMIUM EVA MATERIAL - It is excellent for shock absorption and foot fatigue,The fabric also helps...
Last update on 2023-11-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Most hiking boots have removable insoles, and you could use this to check if the boots have enough toe room for you. But, first, you will need to remove the insoles and place your feet in them.
Then, slightly bend your knees forward. This will make your toes shift slightly, and you can check how much room is left around your toes.
You can also size the space up with your fingers. Then, if there’s still enough room to accommodate a finger or two, they may just fit perfectly. However, we advise that you try the boots on to double-check.
6. Walk in them
Many hiking boots shops usually have ramps where you can test out the hiking boots. You can try to ascend and descend on the ramps to feel your toes’ movements in the boots.
As your feet move forward, so do your toes, then you can check if they don’t clamp up at the front. Also, when you walk in them, you get a feel of how your toes balance in the boots.
Conclusion
Honestly, there isn’t a definite answer to how much toe room you should have in hiking boots. However, what is indeed true is that you need enough toe room in your hiking boots.
As earlier stated, you need them to move freely in your hiking boots to give you a comfortable hike. Plus, you wouldn’t want to end up with black toenails, bruises, or worse, short-term leg pains.
Whether you need ½, 1, or 2 inches extra depends on your foot size and the terrain.
½ inch could be enough; 1 may be perfect, while 2 inches more may be big and uncomfortable for you. So, when buying, you can try different methods to see if the hiking boots have enough toe room for you.
We have listed some hacks for deciding how much room you need and how many inches extra you can get. However, you should remember that comfort is critical when it comes to hiking.
So, use the information stated to determine which hiking boot is for you.