QUESTION:
I have narrow feet and am having a hard time finding a pair of hiking boots that fit well. My heel slips and rides up when I hike uphill. Any suggestions?-Pat, Durham, NC
ANSWER: Sorry to hear that! I have a narrow feet too, so heel slippage is something I’m unfortunately very familiar with.
First, be sure you buy hiking boots that run narrow – certain brands run narrower than others, such as Teva (for water shoes), Vasque (for hiking shoes) Asolo (for hiking boots), and La Sportiva (for mountaineering boots). Others run very wide, so just make sure you start off on the “right footing” by sticking to the narrower brands.
Next, use insoles if you aren’t already. I like Superfeet (my review on Superfeet is here). That will fill up the heel of the boot and help a bit with slippage.
Finally, and very importantly, make sure you are lacing your boots properly. There is a special lacing technique for people with narrow feet. Check out my pictures below. Please excuse the dirt on my well used (but loved) Vasque Kota hiking shoes 
Step 1: After lacing up toward the top of the hiking shoe as normal, loop the lace through the last hole as shown in the picture.
Step 1: Make a loop
Step 2: After you’ve made the loops, thread the remaining lace through the opposite loop, as shown in the picture. Then tighten the laces.
Step 2: Thread the Laces Through the Loops
Step 3: Tie as you normally would. Double knots are helpful so your laces don’t get undone!
Step 3: Tie as normal and double knot the laces
Finished!
This technique will help keep your heel in place. Good luck and if you need more info on boot shopping tips check out my other advice here.
Happy trails!
Hiking Lady
Do you have a question for the Hiking Lady?
Well this is all very interesting but doesn’t help me find narrow hiking shoes one little whit. I have searched the internet and am very frustrated. No one seems to make hiking shoes that come in narrow. Specifically AAA or AAAA. So your advise is useless.
Hi Charlene,
I wear a AAA width in dress shoes, so I totally understand your frustration. Since I have yet to find women’s hiking boots that come in widths, I buy brands that run narrow – the 2 that fit me best are Asolo and Vasque. I discuss how these brands run narrow, as well as those that run wide (Keen), in my 10 Tips for Hiking Boot Shopping.
Once you put in enhanced insoles, and use the lacing technique described above and also demonstrated in this video, you may be able to wear standard width boots like I do.
Happy trails!
Hiking Lady
HikingLady has the right idea- buy a narrow brand. My heels measure out at AAAAAAA width and I wear vintage Vasque in a “N” width. Some of the vintage Italian boots (like 1970s-1980s vintage) are impossibly narrow for most people. Once you find a pair that fits, take good care of them and have them resoled when they’re worn out and they’ll last for decades. It’s also possible to find ice-skating boots or sturdy dress boots in severely narrow widths (new, used, or custom) and have hiking tread installed by a bootmaker.
Great tip! Taking care of your boots will make them last a very long time, so when you find a pair that fits treat them like you’ll have them for life! I have found some narrow boots and dress shoes on ebay…which is great for my narrow heel. The older styles were definitely made narrower than current models.
Hmm…I also have not been able to find ideal hiking boots. I’ve owned 4 pairs, and haven’t met my perfect match
I currently wear Vasque. While breaking them in gradually, I developed purple toenails from some bruising (not wide enough at the toe?). But, I feel the heel is too wide? Or the volume is too big? I wear non-custom orthotics in them, and I feel my arch is separating from the shoe too much when I hike. I wear thick hiking socks, and sometimes a sock liner. I do feel some friction on the bottom of my foot sometimes, so I’m thinking they are too big.
Looking for a brand I guess with narrow heels, wide toes. I like a midweight boot. I haven’t tried different lacing techniquest yet. Maybe that would help.
If you get a chance to try my lacing technique I’d love to know how it works for you. If you haven’t tried a liner sock in addition to a good quality hiking sock that could help you too. Happy trails!
New Balance has ladies hiking boots in various widths from narrow to extra wide. The 1500, which is on clearance right now, runs narrow, and maybe a 1/2 size small. It comes in 3 widths. New Balance has a *fantastic* return policy too!
Vasque also has several widths in their ladies hiking boots. I bought the Vasque (B width) in REI last week, but wasn’t able to take up the extra volume even with 2 insoles. Later discovered they make a narrow width, but you have to order from Vasque.
Only trouble you have is if you wear 11+ like me…most of them only go up to 11…
Thanks for the info! I love my Vasques, because even the regular width runs narrow. And yes, I like how they come in widths. I haven’t seen the New Balance hiking shoes, but I’ve definitely bought Narrow width New Balance running shoes in the past.
Hello, and thanks for the great info!
Will this lacing technique work for blisters on the balls of your feet too? I always get blisters in this location and sometimes they are large and cover the area between my big toe and index toe. I don’t have narrow feet – quite the opposite, but will this lacing help with that too?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Erika,
Great question. This lacing technique likely won’t be helpful for ball of foot blisters. Those could be caused by your feet needing more cushioning, so a softer insole could help.
For blisters between your toes, those are likely being caused by sweat that is keeping the area moist, and therefore a happy place for blisters to crop up. I wear “toe sock” liner socks a lot of the time, which helps prevent this from happening. Here’s more info about them: Hiking Lady’s Toe Sock Liners
Please share what you try and what works for you!
Happy trails!
Hi, Thanks for the tips. I’m going to Alaska in late JUne 2012 and need something for me A3 narrows. I’ll check out the two brands you all have mentioned.
Years ago I found I could wear Scandinavian cross country shoes.
Any one had any ( I think they were Danish???) luck with Scandinavian hiking boots?
Also, any of you been to Alaska in late June? Wondered if I needed a really warm hiking boiot.
Hi Kate – I haven’t been to Alaska in June, but with waterproof hiking boots and thick socks you should be fine. I haven’t tried any Scandinavian hiking boots yet, but perhaps one of the readers has and can comment!
Have a great time in Alaska!!
Hi Hiking Lady,
I did two small (approx. 6mi) hikes this weekend and tried the toed sock liners. Seems to have helped quite a bit, and I only got a little baby blister on one foot (still the ball of the foot). Thanks for the advice!
I guess I wouldn’t have been able to do your lacing technique anyways because my Keens don’t have the double hole at the top, only the hook thingy. I still have some toe discomfort after down hill, but I just kick the back of my heel to kinda adjust my feet back to the right spot and that seemed to help this weekend too.
Thanks again!
Happy in OC – Erika G
Hi Erika!
I’m so glad that the toe sock liners helped a bit. I’m not sure what style of Keen’s you are wearing, but if they are more of a boot than a low top, this video will help keep your feet in place on downhills: http://hikinglady.com/hiking/how-to-lace-hiking-boots-to-prevent-heel-blisters/
Thank you for the comments!
I wore a pair of New Balance womens boots for over a year because of the very narrow width. I tried to order another pair in Dec 2011 and learned that they have discontinued the product. They were the first boots I have found in 50 years that fit. Very disappointed.
Sorry to hear that! Have you searched online to see if any outlet type stores have them? Places like Sierra Trading Post carry some closeout and discontinued items.
We’ve been looking for narrow boots as well. Just wanted to point out here that LL Bean makes Gore-Tex boots that come in size narrow. We will probably buy some, and see how they do.
Thanks John! I haven’t tried LL Bean boots. I love their fleeces… great value. Please share some feedback here on your boots after you’ve tried them. Hope they work out well for you.
Hi Hiking Lady,
I, too, have very narrow heels. I don’t do much hiking right now, so I don’t need hiking boots. But I am trying to do more walking and I have the hardest time finding socks that are thick enough to really cushion my heels so that they don’t slip out of the walking shoe. I do have a walking/running shoe store nearby where there is an expert on shoes, so we have found me the shoes with the most narrow heels possible that are still suitable for walking. But even with these, I need to wear socks with very, very thick heels, and I have had the hardest time finding some.
Thanks!
I have tried many hiking boots for my long narrow feet! Had an old pair of leather Vasques that actually were ‘Narrow’ size from the late 70s never even had to break them in and they were as comfortable as shoes (the ones with the old black and red laces) I lost one boot coming back from the Arctic and nearly wept. I now have Vasque Breeze GTX in narrow and they are ‘OK’ but I still kept the moleskin company alive on long hikes. I’ll try the tying technique you mention. Also even ‘going backwards, top to bottom around the hooks’ at the top on boots will snug them up a little. I ordered the ‘Women’s Gore-Tex Mountain Treads, Mid-Cut and Low Cut’ from LLBean in narrow and they are very stiff so even though they are sort of narrow they won’t tie up tightly at all so I actually sent them back. I have the LLBean leather/gortex Cresta’s and they do fit quite well with Superfeet liners but they are a little uncomfortable/unyielding along the top. Perhaps I just need to break them in a little more. Thank you for your site ….. nice to know I am not alone
One commenter above mentioned trying two inserts… Is that something to try? I have Vasque hiking boots and have a lot of issues with my feet sliding forward on the downhill. No purple toenails yet but still painful. My feet are very narrow but also skinny in terms of height. So I think I’m not able to sufficiently tighten the the laces in the lower part across my foot (it seems to get them tight enough, too much of the fabric from the tongue bunches up and digs into my foot). So could an additional insert help take up some volume in that part of the boot? I have some concerns about the 2nd insert slipping.
Hi Linda,
Glad you find the Hiking Lady website helpful
I hope the LL Bean boots break in a bit more for you so they are comfortable. I haven’t tried those, so thanks for sharing the feedback that they are a little unyielding along the top. Perhaps a thicker pair of socks could provide additional cushioning for you around the ankle?
Happy trails!
Hi Katharine,
I have not tried the 2 insert method myself, and I agree with you that slippage issues could end up causing even worse problems. Have you tried this http://hikinglady.com/hiking/how-to-lace-hiking-boots-to-prevent-heel-blisters/” rel=”nofollow”>hiking boot lacing technique?
Have you tried the liner sock + hiking sock method too? With thicker hiking socks you’ll have additional cushioning and more volume will be taken up in the boot. You could wear thicker sockers, and while your feet will get hotter, the liner sock will wick the moisture to the outer sock to help prevent blisters.
Good luck!
I also have crazy narrow feet & high arches. I tend to wear sneakers on most hikes when I’m not carrying a ton of extra weight–Nike & Solomon work well. For the hikes that call for boots, I found that Lowa makes leather boots in narrow. The toe box isn’t too narrow, but the heel is still a little big. I look forward to trying your lacing & layering techniques.
Thanks, Heather! Hope the lacing techniques work well for you
Happy trails!
I am over in the UK and I suffer from the same narrow heel problem, but I also have size 9 feet (I believe a US 11 ish) which causes even more problems
Most women’s boots seem to stop at a UK 8 and the few rare ones I have found in a 9 are still too wide. I bought a men’s Scarpa boot last year since these are a narrow last, and tried lacing techniques, liners, insoles… you name it! But they still destroyed my heels. I am now about to sell them on ebay! Finding any shoes for my feet really is a nightmare! Next I am trying a boot-maker in Yorkshire in the UK called Alt Berg, since they make their leather boots in 5 width fittings. I only hope and pray that their X-Narrow is narrow enough! Will let you know if it is a success…
Sarah
Good luck, Sarah! Please let us know what you find that works for you!
Wow, do I ever feel for all of you. I, too, have a very narrow heel (3A in dress shoes) and am having a terrible time finding a shoe/boot to fit my needs. I am not a continuous hiker, although I do hike some in the woods around our home. My current need is for something that I can wear gardening/landscaping on a steep hillside, as well as hiking. To add to the situation, I have developed psoriatic arthritis in my metatarsal joints and ankles so I need something with metatarsal cushioning and a wide toe box to accommodate the swelling and tenderness across the ball of my foot. I am currently sitting on about $500 worth of shoes/boots that I have purchased either at my local outdoor store or ordered online and ALL of them are going back. I currently have shoes/boots from New Balance, Northface, Keen, and Carolina Womens work boots. If any of you have any suggestions, I would be so very grateful, because as it is right now, I am pretty much sidelined from all the things that I love to do.
Hi Carolyn!
I too wear a AAA in dress shoes…and I end up having to spend a lot of money on dress shoes because only the Italian brands seem to make shoes with heels that narrow. For hiking boots, my favorite pair are the Asolo Styngers. Not surprisingly, Asolo is an Italian brand! The price has gone up since I bought my pair a few years ago, but they have a narrow heel area for people like us, and when laced like shown in this short video about boot lacing, my heel stays in place. For me there is plenty of room in the toe box. I bought size 8, even though I wear size 7.5 in street shoes.
Hope this helps. If you find a particular boot that works for you please share it here so all of the ladies out there with narrow feet can learn from our collective experience.
Happy trails!