Best Women’s Hiking Boots – Women’s Feet Are Different

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Women’s and Men’s Feet Have Physical Differences

Men’s and women’s feet are different. Women’s feet deserve the best women’s hiking boots. The best women’s hiking boots are different from men’s boots.

Women have unique feet, not a smaller version of a man’s foot. So, the best women’s boots are not a smaller version of a man’s boot. Women’s feet require boots with a different design so they have a comfortable hike.

Read on to find out how women’s feet differ from men’s feet. Also read this for 11 of the Best Women’s Hiking Boots.

How are Women’s Feet Different From Men’s Feet?

  1. Women usually have smaller feet.
  2. The width of women’s feet is different from the width of men’s feet.
  3. Women’s feet are more flexible.
  4. Women’s feet cause women to have more upright posture.

Women Have Smaller Feet, Usually

Just because a woman has a generally smaller foot purchasing a smaller sized man’s boot is not a good choice. Understanding the differences between men’s hiking boots and women’s hiking boots makes it easier for you to buy a boot that fits.

Women’s and Men’s Feet Have Width Differences

The boot’s width is the main difference between men’s and women’s hiking boots. Compared to the same men’s boot, boot makers make women’s boots wider in the forefoot and toe area. They make women’s boot narrower in the heel.

Usually, women also have shorter and narrower feet than men’s feet. The main differences are women’s arches and the balls of women’s feet. Women’s boot makers accommodate the differences by molding a compact heel box. Also, boot makers add stiff padding to hold the heel snugly in place and lessen foot sliding.

(Credit pxhere.com)

Women Have More Flexible Feet Than Men

Women’s more flexible feet caused hiking boot makers to improve women’s boot design. They made two improvements.

  1. Midsole Insert
  2. Arch Support

Midsole Insert

First, since women’s limber feet require more support to tolerate hiking stress, boot makers added a stiffer midsole insert. The insert provides more foot support.

Arch Support Contrast

The second design improvement is enhanced arch support. Frequently, women’s feet have higher arches, and women’s feet require additional support.

Women Have Different Posture

One manufacturer, Lowa, addresses women’s different foot structure like this.

Lowa addresses women’s posture. A woman’s different foot structure causes a posture difference. Since women have a more upright stance, Lowa removed a two-degree ankle slant included in the heel of their men’s boot. Removing the slant gives Lowa’s women’s boots an upright stance.

Lowa Renegade Mid-Waterproof
Backcountry
Moosejaw

The Best Women’s Hiking Boot’s Fit – Try Them On! 

To find the best women’s hiking boot, try on hiking boots specifically made as women’s hiking boots. This way you know that the boot maker understands the differences between a man’s foot and a woman’s foot. The boot maker should design boots for the differences in women’s feet.

Find the Best Women’s Hiking Boots – Fit Tips

To find the best women’s hiking boot that fit well, test several brands. Try on different sizes. Lace up every pair, and use the top eyelet closest to your ankle.

After you lace up, walk around in the boots for ten to fifteen minutes. This is time well spent since you want a comfortable hike. As you walk, look for several things including:

  1. Is there enough room in the toe box?
  2. Do your feet feel secure?
  3. Are your heels secure?

If the boot feels loose at all, it will be too wide when you break it in.

Also, use the American Podiatric Medical Association’s (APMA) Three Step Shoe Test. The APMA says:

  1. The shoe should bend where your foot bends naturally, at the ball of the foot.
  2. The shoe should not twist from side to side.
  3. Squeeze the back of the heel to ensure that it firmly holds the heel.

Read this for more on Foot Care Tips and Finding the Best Fit.                       

Conclusion – Best Women’s Hiking Boots Differences

The main differences between women’s and men’s feet include:

  1. Smaller feet
  2. Wider in the forefoot and toe area
  3. More narrow at the heel
  4. More flexible than men’s feet
  5. Require more insole and arch support

Know the differences between women’s and men’s boots. Buy boots made for a woman’s foot. Your feet will thank you!

Do your feet a favor, and try one of these 11 Best Women’s Hiking Boots!

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