A couple weeks ago we went to Ulury/Ayers rock. As luck would have it they hadn't closed off the rock that day, so we were allowed to climb it. Helen couldn't make it, so Barb let me go on by myself.
I was wearing my Asolo hiking boots, which gave me a quarter sized blister on the way up. This blister popped on the way down.
When we got back I started looking for some trail running/ultra-light hiking shoes, as these are more in line with the kind of off road stuff I do anyway--I don't do the sort of multi-day 60 pound backpacking trips that they are purportedly good for, and they don't go high enough on my legs to provide any protection against brush and snakes.
Looking for shoes is, for me, fraught with annoyance and frustration. My preferences run to the Bauhaus--I don't like bright colors, I don't like extraneous crap, and I expect utility not hype.
Oh, and oddly enough I expect a good fit. Which is where almost all the shoe companies out there get a big FAIL.
Generally most people have a vague idea of what size shoe they are--they go to the shoe store and go to the size of the last shoe they bought, and then work up or down in the style they want until they find something comfortable enough.
This is fine for a shoe that you put on in the morning, wear to your car, walk from your car to the lobby, take the elevator to your office, sit at a desk for 3.5 hours, go to lunch, then do the whole thing in reverse.
If you actually need to be on your feet all day you need a shoe that fits right. Most shoe companies know this. Most of them don't give a shit because you'll still buy their shoes.
Off the top of my head I know of five companies that "get" this AND generally do the "right" thing about it:
I am sure there are other shoe companies out there that Do The Right Thing (I am excluding, of course, all of the high-end bespoke shoe makers because while I don't mind paying ~300 for a good shoe that will fit properly and last a decade or two with decent care, even I choke on a 900 dollar shoe), but those are the five that come to mind. Of them, only New Balance offers what I am looking for.
Maybe.
But let's look at what some of the others say.
Inov8 claims:
Fit & function
For technical footwear a good fit is essential to enhance your comfort while running. This is achieved through combining the key elements below.
Last
We have developed a range of lasts modeled around the actual shape of a runner’s foot, ensuring a secure heel hold while allowing the forefoot to assume a natural unrestricted position throughout the complete running motion. Our performance lasts offer a tight low volume fit suitable for racing short distances, our endurance lasts offer a higher volume more comfortable fit ideally suited for training or long distance use.
High Lacing Upper
When you try our shoes on you will notice the option for high front lacing, this is designed to ensure a good heel hold. (This feels unusual at first, but our testers have found they get used to it and remark on the benefits experienced of the secure heel hold.) Experiment with the laces, if you feel they are too high then lace them lower as per options in the lacing section.
Click here to view our wide range of lacing techniques.
Sizing
We use precisely graded UK full and half sizes to ensure an accurate, comfortable fit. Each half size of our shoes has 4.23 mm difference in the length, 3.2mm in the joint girth. We recommend try on and purchase our footwear from a local retailer if possible as they will be able to offer you expert advise. If you do not have a local retailer discuss the best shoe and size with your online or mail order retailer before ordering the shoes.
Of course, when you go to buy one that actually fits a wider (or narrower) foot...(crickets).
When I measure my foot on a brannock device I am a 7.5 EE (aka "pretty wide, but not extremely wide). Since the brannock is the single most common measuring tool for feet you'd think manufacturers would try to line their sizes up with it--at least for US sizes. I don't know what standard Europe has (I'm about a 41 in Euro sizes).
There are four measurements necessary to get a decent fit in a "functional" shoe (as opposed to a dress up shoe). Length (which is what most people mean by "size"), width at the toe-box (which is what most people think of when they think of "width"), width at the heel (which is useful to keep the shoe from sliding if it's too wide), and "volume", or (as a rough approximation) a diagonal line up the side of your foot from your heel to the furthest point along your instep.
There's a fifth one I've noticed--the distance between your heel and where the ball of your foot is--but that's for a really custom fit. Which would be nice.
Many companies do a "wide" or "Narrow" shoe in addition to their normal width. Very few adjust the heel of the shoe (although IIRC Alden and Allen Edmonds do as a special order). The only way you can control for the volume is to pay attention to the last. The last is a form that is used, at least in traditional shoe construction, to give the shoe it's shape. The shoe material is stretched over it as the shoe is constructed. Some companies (Allen E, Alden, New Balance etc.) will tell you which last a particular model uses. Some might even be willing to construct a specific model shoe on a different last, if possible.
Russell, Hersey (above) and most custom makers get around this by creating a last for you, or possibly having some sort of mechanical last that they can adjust to your measurements.
Brooks says:
Size: We generally recommend that you order your Brooks running shoes 1/2 size to one size larger than normal dress shoes. For men's footwear, "D'" is the default width when no width is otherwise specified. For women's footwear, "B" is the default width. You can tell that you have the right size when there's about a thumb's width distance between the tip of your big toe and the top of the shoe. This allows extra room for any swelling that might occur on longer runs. Also, make sure that your foot is not spilling over the footbed on either side. If it is, consider a wider width.
Of course only one of their 5 trail shoes comes in a wide, and none in a narrow.
So much for fit.
Notice a lack of something on Asics' fit page? On some of their shoes they will mention that a 4E is also available. Thanks for the favor. Why should I give you my money? Oh, right. I won't.
I have a pair of Nike Free 3.0s. Love them. Wife has a pair. Loves them. Bought my daughter (the older one) a pair of the Free Mary Janes. Nike has a programatic shoe finder. First it asks you your sex. Then it asks you your terrain. Then, if you select Male, Trail it gives you a shoe. Apparently Nike only does one off road shoe. Or at least that's all they have in their shoe finder. When you go to the "Outdoor" section of their shop site (Mens side) they have 2 military style boots, one purple suede hiking boot, and 17 different styles of flipflops. Which is odd because MEN don't wear flipflops outside in public unless there's a body of water too big to drink nearby. Oh, and those boots? Don't come in wide. Which is a shame, because the look comfy.
Nike does have a decent page on measuring your foot but knowing your size and finding a shoe that they actually make in those measurements is a bit different. Note here they include that fifth measurement I mentioned above (without really dealing with the volume issue). Taking the handy tape measurer to my foot it looks like while most of my measurements are in the 7.5 range, that arch length is closer to the 7. Which seems to fit with observation.
Adidas, at least on their official shopping site, doesn't do widths, although they have apparently designated some shoes as wide. Apparently narrow doesn't seem to be on their radar. Other places have some models in various widths, which is strange.
Zappos helps a bit in that they let you search for wide (or narrow) shoes. Which would be a lot more helpful if there were more to pick from.
This is by no means a robust and scientific survey of the entire industry, but if I recall correctly from school, three points is sufficient to start to plot a line.
Days like this I really hope there is a God and an afterlife. One (in this case) in which marketing directors and managers at big shoe companies are forced to walk around in brand new cordovan shoes that are a half size too big and a full width to narrow.
