What do you to add comfort in your boots?

[Pierce98]

Good evening,

I want black boots with shearling or Sherpa so it matches my black jacket. So far I've only need the men's Baffin Canada. Problem is, the insoles are uncomfortable while testing in the store, as well as the shoes actually being made in China.

Any tips or suggestions?

 

[Trouser Bark]

I'm at 61*N and quite a bit cooler than Cranbrook. On colder days I wear insulated hunting boots w/ a shearling foot bed. I have a couple pair of roughly 20 year old insulated Herman Survivors and they work pretty well down to about -20*f and from there on down you start to get into serious boot territory. You can pick up an old (insulated) set of Herman Survivors in xlnt condition on fleabay for not much more than a hundred bucks US.

Down to about zero I wear Wesco or Chippewa engineer / harness / Morrison boots w/ that same hi-zoot footbed and as long as I keep moving it's fine. I do have a couple tractors I need to jump on once in a while and on them my left foot barely moves as long as I'm operating so it gets a hard freeze quick. As long as you're moving you should be pretty comfy w/ an insulated hunters and insulated footbeds. I think they're great.

 

[MrProper]

From painful experience, I can only say: buy shoes that are comfortable right from the start. Trying to adjust them afterwards often doesn't work. Your feet are too precious, and you spend too much time in shoes to subject them to discomfort. And there really are endless options out there.

 

[Bennarion]

Shoes should be comfortable as soon as you put them on.
Buy shoes at the end of the day.

 

[01flhr]

If the boot has a removeable insole, changing out the insole is super easy. I have a heat moldable redwing footbed thats discontinued but ive been using for about 10 years now and has been in a few different boots. Imo all the insole does is make it more comfortable though, if a boot isnt fairly comfortable from the start, its not coming home.

 

[Edward]

Best thing I've ever owned for the cold is a pair of shearling-lined, West German Bundesmarine boots. Still turn up from surplus places as they were issued well into the 80s.

For boot comfort, though, I usually don't have to add anything. With some engineers, a thick foam insole has helped if the last runs a bit loose for my foot. Snugs em right up. If a boot's tight enough to be uncomfortable, it will never stretch enough to fit right. There are always other boots, worth trying til you find the right one.

One of the best pair of shoes I ever owned was Chinese made, though they were made to measure by a local cobbler in Beijing. The Chinese rubbish we get in the West is, unfortunately, what the Western brands order because the profit margin is greater.

 

[AeroFan_07]

A co-worker once gave us all a great piece of advice: Spend your money for the mattress you sleep on and the shoes or boots you wear. As you are always in one or the other.

Do not purchase uncomfortable (from the start) shoes of any type.

 

[01flhr]

If a boot's tight enough to be uncomfortable, it will never stretch enough to fit right. There are always other boots, worth trying til you find the right one.

Im going to disagree with this to a point. I have very thick feet but theyre not super wide. I almost couldnt even get my nicks on my foot when i got them but after doing alot of squats to force the ball to curl with my foot in it they fit really well. You cannot stretch the sole (unless its leather) but the upper will stretch quite a bit.

 

[Fayrawks]

Im going to disagree with this to a point. I have very thick feet but theyre not super wide. I almost couldnt even get my nicks on my foot when i got them but after doing alot of squats to force the ball to curl with my foot in it they fit really well. You cannot stretch the sole (unless its leather) but the upper will stretch quite a bit.

It takes an insane amount of force to stretch leather, especially the 6-8oz workboot leather Nicks uses. Doing this is forcing your joints against the upper, and will deform your feet overtime. You should instead size correctly with a genuine Brannock, get your heel to toe and heel to ball measurement, and stick to lasts that work for you. It sounds like you're too high instep at a minimum, but more likely wearing a size that's too small for your HTB.

I've never had to break in or use any "force" to get footwear to fit. This is indicative of improperly fitting footwear. Comfort and fit should be perfect from day 1.

 

[01flhr]

It takes an insane amount of force to stretch leather, especially the 6-8oz workboot leather Nicks uses. Doing this is forcing your joints against the upper, and will deform your feet overtime. You should instead size correctly with a genuine Brannock, get your heel to toe and heel to ball measurement, and stick to lasts that work for you. It sounds like you're too high instep at a minimum, but more likely wearing a size that's too small for your HTB.

I've never had to break in or use any "force" to get footwear to fit. This is indicative of improperly fitting footwear. Comfort and fit should be perfect from day 1.

This is just not true and something that someone who has textbook feet that can wear anything would say. Even nicks will tell you that the tightest fits end up breaking in the best and conforming to a persons feet the most.

 

[Fayrawks]

This is just not true and something that someone who has textbook feet that can wear anything would say. Even nicks will tell you that the tightest fits end up breaking in the best and conforming to a persons feet the most.

No, I'm someone who thought I was a higher instep 8.5D and discovered I was actually an ultra low volume 10C, because I didn't size to my heel-to-ball (and have the bunion and haglund to show for it).

Most shoemakers don't know how to size shoes, and will say anything to get you to buy them. Nick's at least endorses the Brannock on their sizing guide, and has an entire article warning against too tight shoes for the deformities I mentioned above.

 

[MrProper]

This is just not true and something that someone who has textbook feet that can wear anything would say. Even nicks will tell you that the tightest fits end up breaking in the best and conforming to a persons feet the most.

I think tight is not the same as too tight.

A leather shoe that feels tight can be broken in, take on the shape of your foot, and then become comfortable. A shoe that is much too tight simply does not fit.

About 40 years ago, I bought a pair of cowboy boots that I just had to have, even though they were already tight in the store. But back then, new cowboy boots were always put on with the help of plastic bags

The first time I wore them properly, it turned out that after a while they were much too tight and really hurt. Even though I was short on cash, I wore them at short intervals, but never for long, and eventually the leather stretched and I was able to wear them. But then the shape no longer looked perfect.

No, new shoes should at least not be uncomfortable from the start.

 

[Pierce98]

Thank you for the perspectives, everyone.

 

[01flhr]

No, I'm someone who thought I was a higher instep 8.5D and discovered I was actually an ultra low volume 10C, because I didn't size to my heel-to-ball (and have the bunion and haglund to show for it).

Most shoemakers don't know how to size shoes, and will say anything to get you to buy them. Nick's at least endorses the Brannock on their sizing guide, and has an entire article warning against too tight shoes for the deformities I mentioned above.

Low volume and narroe tells me you suffer from different problems and getting shoes to loosen up isnt one of them.

 

[Pierce98]

Do you have a better idea for boots similar to these, stylistically?

Black with white at the top, to match with my bomber.