• The perfect fit
• Shoes or Boots?
• Waterproof vs breathable
• Vibram vs soft-rubber

Outdoor footwear comes in a confounding array of styles and options. Whether you are looking to purchase your first pair of boots or shoes, or if you are a seasoned walker, there are a number of features that will help to identify the ideal sort of footwear for you.

Once you have a clear idea of what sort of footwear you are after the next step is to try some on and walk around the store for a while. Fit is THE most important feature of any footwear. A well broken in, correct fitting pair of walking footwear will give you many miles of blister and pain free walking. Try on as many pairs as possible before making your final decision. Wear your new footwear around the house for a day or two just to make sure there are no hot-spots or potential nagging fit problems – if you don’t wear them outdoors you can always take them back to the shop!

All footwear is built around a ‘last’ which determines footbed shape and volume.

There are major differences between male and female lasts as women’s feet tend to be narrower in the heel, Achilles tendon and across the ball, as well as having slightly longer toes than men. However, one last does not fit all feet and accordingly, manufacturers have developed a number of standard lasts to suit the market. A summary follows:

Brand	Last	Comments
Scarpa and La Sportiva	European standard or wide last	Narrow heel-cup and long toe box with high arch support
Merrell and Salomon	American standard last	Broad forefoot and heel-cup with standard arch support
Asolo and Montrail	European wide or International standard last	Average heel-cup and width, with low arch support
Blundstone and Rossi	Australian	Narrow heel-cup, very wide and standard toe box

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Duration Of Wear

The amount of time that you will be walking in your footwear has a significant impact on the style that you will need to choose. For day walks and light hiking, shoes are ideal - mid-cut boots are only necessary if the trail is rough.

For overnight hikes it is wise to wear a mid-cut or an articulated high-cut boot that supports the tendons and muscles in the foot.

Extended treks always require high-cut boots that will immobilise the ankle joint and thus prevent any chance of twisting or straining

Backpack Weight

Higher backpack weights will affect your sense of balance. Accordingly, a rough guide is:

For weights under 8kg - shoes or mids

For weights from 8kg to 15kg - mids or articulated boots

For weights over 15kg - high-cut boots

Trail Conditions

It may sound obvious but many walkers fail to take into account trail conditions when choosing footwear. A general guide is:

Maintained Trails - shoes or mids (national parks, major trekking routes)

Fire-Trails - mids or articulated boots (infrequently accessed trails)

Off-Trail - high-cut boots

Fit is paramount. It doesn’t matter what the grip, midsole or upper is made from, or what colour the boot is, fit has to be your overriding concern. With the current array of styles and options on the market it should be feasible for virtually anyone to find the perfect fit – even if it involves customisation of the insole. Fit is dependant upon two key criteria; the last and size. When you try on footwear please consider the following consider each of the following features:

Toes – the toecap shouldn’t squash, pinch or irritate your toes. There should be enough room to move toes around unhindered, but not so much room that they can slide from side to side. A great test for toe fit is the toe-tap. Lightly tap the toe of the boot on the ground. If your toes are crushed or painfully hit the end of the boot then you will need either a larger size (as the boot is too short) or a larger toe box (i.e. a different last).

Arch – Australians have generally spent much of their lives walking barefoot, this has resulted in slightly or dramatically collapsed arches. This results in a broader forefoot from the spreading metatarsal bones. Accordingly wide lasts are the most suitable shape.

Heel – the heel-cup frequently proves the most difficult aspect of footwear fitting. To prevent heel or Achilles slippage it is essential that the heel fits snugly into the heel-cup and does not move. Any vertical or lateral movement will result in blisters. If you need to wear inflexible boots (for mountaineering or heavy bushwalking) then ensure that the ankle is firmly laced and cannot slip.

Ankle – It is a bit of an industry myth that high boots provide ankle support – in fact high-cut boots immobilise the ankle joint. By restricting movement you are also reducing the chances of twisting or spraining of the joint.

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Footwear manufacturers have produced an extensive range of climate relevant features.

FOOTWEAR TYPE	IDEAL CLIMATE	MID-SOLE AND GRIP FEATURES	UPPER FEATURES
Light-weight ultra-breathable shoes and mids	Desert and Tropical	Polyurethane mid-flex mid-sole for protection against hot ground. Aggressive treads for sandy or wet surfaces.	Mesh uppers with flexible lacing systems to counteract foot-swell.
Travel / day walking shoes and mids	Temperate year round and alpine summers	Mid-flex mid-sole for support combined with air-cushion heel for sustained walking times.	Material and/or leather for flexible fit and water-repellency.
Weekend hikes / light trekking mids and boots	Temperate year round and alpine summers	Mid-flex mid-sole for support combined with air-cushion heel for multi-day walks.	1.8mm to 2.2mm leather for durability and/or a membrane lining for waterproofness.
Trekking boots	Temperate and alpine year round.	Low-flex mid-sole for heavy-duty support combined with soft-cushion outsoles for multi-day walks.	2.2mm to 3.2mm leather for support and durability and/or a membrane-lining for waterproofness.
Mountaineering boots	Alpine year round	No-flex mid-sole with a steel shank for crampon support.	Plastic shells with insulating inserts.

Waterproof membranes (Gore-Tex™ or equivalent) do not ‘breathe’ effectively – membranes are designed to expel moisture vapour and there is no room inside a boot for vapour to build up. Footwear can only ‘breathe’ when uppers have wicking-mesh areas around the foot. All footwear is lined with a moisture absorbing material (for example cambrelle), which will need to air each day.

Vibram has been around for over sixty years and is the hardest wearing outer-grip compound available in the outdoor market. Vibram contains a high proportion of silicon mixed in the rubber which leaves a glossy finish, and increases the lifetime of the grip. Vibram will last for well over a year of continuous use under normal conditions, however Vibram can be slippery on wet surfaces. Lower levels of silicon impregnation provide more grip on wet or slippery surfaces but they will have shorter lifetimes.