A Sure-Footed Shopping Experience
Boots Hiking Shoes Women's Shoes

A Sure-Footed Shopping Experience

BBS (Before Becker Shoes) my shoe shopping experience involved stalking random stores with invisible sales staff, looking for prey that I could cut out of the herd. With the speed of a cobra, I’d strike, snaring the display shoe that caught my eye. Trophy in hand, I’d turn my attention to hunting down a sales associate. I would wait, like fishing without bait … and wait, hoping to catch the hurried sales girl as she charged the aisles like a zebra hunted by a pack of lions. When I’d finally get her attention, I’d shout out my shoe size and eventually, a box would be dropped in my lap before she’d sprint off to the next customer. Unlike Cinderella’s shoe experience, the shoe wouldn’t fit. Sound familiar? In a huff, I’d give up the hunt – or resign myself to a questionable fit and move on to saner experiences … like taking 3-year olds out for dinner.

Owen

At Becker Shoes, I was actually greeted by not one, but three sales associates who all said a sunny good morning as I entered the store. I cruised past several very well-organized displays of both men’s and women’s shoes and noted the easy to scan displays of shoes, sandals, and boots on the walls. This hunt would be easy. Find the right colour and you’re done. No?

The hunt for hiking bootsKeen and Merrell

I was looking for hiking boots. Coming to a stop in front of several attractive brands of hiking boots on display, it suddenly dawned on me that I’d been so focused on my quest; I really needed some help deciding which one was the best one. You can’t always go by price. Before I’d had a chance to send up smoke signals, a sales associate named Julie was by my side. I began my quest by asking her which was the most popular boot. She gently sat me down and said, “First we need to measure your feet.” To my surprise, Julie explained that Becker sales associates are certified footwear fitters. There is training and rigor involved in properly fitting shoes and boots. Hmmm …this is different.

I don’t know about you, but my feet were measured once upon a time … as an adult, after I had kids, so I know my foot size. “You’d be surprised,” my footwear Yoda said with a smile. “Not only can your foot size change after childbirth, but your feet spread as you get older, and that can affect the length of your foot, as well as the width.” Julie measured my feet in 3 ways:

 

Foot fittingHeel to Toe Length

Julie explained that from sitting to standing, feet can increase in size substantially. That’s why you always stand to have your heel to toe length measured while you stand, and you always measure BOTH feet. I thought I was a women’s 7 ½. Turns out my left foot is actually 6 ½. For real. Julie said this is typical of many people so not to worry; she fits to the larger foot.

Heel to Ball Measurement

Proper shoe-fitting incorporates arch length (heel-to-ball measurement). Shoes are designed to flex at the ball of the foot. Correct fitting properly positions the ball joint in the shoe and provides room for the toes so they are not confined. Mine are both different here too.

Widthfoot measuring device

Width measurements are important to determine the right size to try on. If the hiking boot that I try on size falls between widths, Julie will choose a wider width for a thick foot or a narrower width for a thin foot. My right foot has a bunion from working in retail in my late teens, (high heels – Yay!) so one foot was wider than the other and Julie went with the wider fit.

Once we had my foot properly sized, Julie asked me about the kind of hiking that I do, and what kind of terrain and weather I was going to hike in. Armed with that knowledge, she gave me the 411 on the different styles of hiking boots available. Some are better on rough terrain than others. Some are designed to handle slippery leaves on rocks, while others are better suited to fields. While I pointed to a pair of MERRELL hiking boots, Julie recommended the KEEN TARGHEE II Mid Height Waterproof boot and suggested that I try both on to compare fit and feel.

Merrell Siren Q2 BootFirst, I tried on the Women’s MERRELL Siren Q2 Mid Waterproof Hiker, a boot that’s engineered specifically for the way women move. This boot features a DRY membrane to seal out water and let moisture escape with a Bellows tongue to keep those stray bits of gravel and dirt out of the boot. I was especially interested in the contoured foot bed that offered amazing arch support. Because I’m on my feet A LOT, I’m prone to plantar fasciitis, an annoying stabbing foot pain that happens when you first get up in the morning. It involves the inflammation of a thick band of tissue that runs across the bottom of your foot and connects your heel bone to your toes and can be easily managed with proper arch support.

Julie urged me to walk around the store to get a good feel for the fit and how the boot performed. She also taught me a way to tie a double knot without the hard to untie part.

 

Keen Targhee II Mid HeightNext up: The Keen Women’s KEEN Targhee II Mid Height Waterproof Boot in Gargoyle. Julie gave me a run-down of the main features of this boot which included a waterproof nubuck upper and waterproof breathable membrane with Hydrophobic Mesh lining … all great features for damp fall hiking. A removable, metonymical dual-density EVA midsole would provide good arch support while the 4mm multidirectional lugs on the sole would provide lots of traction over slippery rocks and leaf-strewn trails.

Again, I gave the hikers a good couple of laps around the store. This boot also provided great arch support and stability.

The hunt was over. For my particular feet, I went with Julie’s recommendation, The Keen Women’s KEEN Targhee II Mid Height Waterproof Boot in Gargoyle. While the MERRELL boot was a lovely hiking boot, I had a little heel slippage on that smaller left foot … just enough to give me pause. As Julie told me, “The average person takes 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day, which adds up to about 115,000 miles over a lifetime. That’s enough to go around the circumference of the earth four times. Make sure your feet are comfortable each step of the way.”

Keen Targhee II purchased

Next Time: How the KEEN Targhee II Mid Height Waterproof Boot in Gargoyle performed on the trails.

 

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