Should hunting boots be tight with little wiggle room for hunting on rough terrain?
Lagemuffin asked:
I recently bought some boots and am trying to decide to return them and go with a wider size. I am elk hunting in colorado and am worried that I do not have any room in my boots to move my toes. I will be hiking some rough terrain. Should my boots be like a cocoon around my feet or should I have at least a little moving room in there?
I recently bought some boots and am trying to decide to return them and go with a wider size. I am elk hunting in colorado and am worried that I do not have any room in my boots to move my toes. I will be hiking some rough terrain. Should my boots be like a cocoon around my feet or should I have at least a little moving room in there?
June 13th, 2009 at 10:41 am
personally i like to be able to move my toes a little but con fort matters also. try them snug but comfortable that is the best thing.
June 16th, 2009 at 3:47 am
it depends. are you hunting in winter and does the boot have insulation . you want every type of foot wear to be slightly snug and comfortable but you are going to want to leave room for some big socks if you hunt in winter or snow
no snow no insulation let them fit a little snug as they will stretch a little.
June 17th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
The best thing is to make sure they fit right and comfortably. I’m on a SWAT team and I bought some boots I needed, and I got them 1/2 a size too small because I thought I needed them to be extra snug. They ended up causing bad blisters that I still get if I don’t use mole skins. I’ve had them about eight months. Get boots that fit your foot size. I paid a lot of money for them, and I wish I had got the right size.
June 20th, 2009 at 3:07 am
You should definitely be able to move your toes
After a day of hiking in the cold they will swell up
If they are tight to begin with they will be unbearable at the end of the day
I like my shanks tight and tight over the arch and instep but I gotta move my toes freely
June 21st, 2009 at 6:46 am
I agree about the season. Winter you will need room for air to circulate. However having been to Alaska and walking in the tundra my group found boots that were comfortable with thicker wool socks on were best. One member took boots that allowed to much movement and had horrific blisters the entire two weeks. Good luck. Ensure you givce time for break in!
June 23rd, 2009 at 2:51 pm
I’ve always gotten hiking boots that fit like my figure skates. I guess I just assumed the same fit would work and it always has for me. A bit of wiggle room for the toes (helps keep balance and keeps toes warmer), tight across the instep (making sure it keeps the heel locked against the back of the boot) and snug around the ankle. I know wiggle, tight, and snug are subjective terms. I suppose I’ve just been doing it so long I know what feels right to me.
June 24th, 2009 at 2:36 am
THey should be tight because you will be walking long distances and you will get rub marks on your ankles and other soars and depending on how far you venture it will be difficult to walk back to camp.