Shopping For Better Home Accessories

When you are shopping for women's or men's hiking boots, you want to get a pair of boots that are comfortable and supportive for your feet. However, unless you know exactly how to shop for hiking boots, you are likely to make some beginner errors that are going to cause you a lot of pain. Here are some helpful hints when you are shopping for hiking boots. 

Always Buy Boots That Are One Full Size Larger Than Your Standard Shoe Size

A lot of people think that if you buy shoes that are too big for your feet, you will get blisters. This is true under certain circumstances, but where hiking boots are concerned, it is not. Your feet will swell dramatically during a hike, jamming the toes and the ends of your feet against the ends of the toes of the boots and the heels. That much swelling can cause your toes to blister and even cause "runner's toe" in boots that are your regular shoe size. (Runner's toe is where the nails of your big and sometimes little toes are shoved so hard backward into the nail bed that blood pools underneath the nails, and the nails can and will die. Larger shoes, or in this case, larger hiking boots, will prevent this incredibly painful condition.)

Make Sure the Boots Lace All the Way up the Ankle

Your ankles are going to be under a lot of strain on a hike as well as your feet. A proper hiking boot laces all the way up the ankle and pulls tight to give added support to your ankle so that you do not twist or bend your ankle in the wrong direction when you step up onto rocks, boulders, and steep trails. Too many hikers buy "fashion hikers" that look pretty as a boot but do nothing to protect your ankles on a hike. They also buy hiking boots that stop at the base of the ankle, which gives zero support to the ankle itself. If you break an ankle, the laced-up ankle part of the boot acts as a brace and helps immobilize the broken ankle. Get the books that lace one- to two inches up your lower leg and lace them tight enough for support. 

Do Not Forget to Buy Hiking Socks or Hiking Boot Inserts!

Hiking socks may be thick and uncomfortable, but they will protect your feet, heels, and ankles against abrasions. If you do not like wearing socks, at least purchase the hiking boot inserts. They will keep your boots from sliding around on your sweaty feet, which is typically the cause of blisters. 

To learn more, contact a store that carries products such as men's hiking boots.