How to choose the right boot size

Measure twice, take your time trying them on, and then come back without blisters and with all your toenails. The right boot size means your heel stays put and your toes aren't short of room. Small boots won't stretch, and you can't make big ones smaller by pulling the laces tighter. So start with this guide.

boot construction buying online buying in a shop breaking in boots

Know where you're headed

That's the first thing to get clear. There's no such thing as an all-round boot, and the wrong construction can give you as much grief as the wrong size. Each boot category is made with a different sole stiffness and on a different last, which defines the shape of the boot – above all the width of the toe box and the height of the instep and heel.

Also bear in mind that mountain boots are bought a touch bigger. Your feet swell during the day, and when your toes hit the front of the boot on descents, it really hurts. Men tend to buy boots with more room to spare than women, whose feet are narrower.

Low hiking shoes up to 0.5 cm bigger.
Ankle hiking boots up to 1 cm bigger.
Kids' boots up to 1.5 cm bigger (mainly because their feet are growing).

All about boot construction

The individual design features tell you what your boots will be like and what terrain they suit. Get to know the materials and manufacturing methods and you'll find the right pair of boots, too.

boot construction

Choosing your size online

By insole size

Measure the insole of your own boots. A pair that fits you well and matches the type of boots you want to buy (so if you're choosing hiking boots, measure the insole from hiking boots). This is the easiest way to get the size right.

Take the insole out of the boot and lay it on a flat surface.
Measure its length in centimetres at the longest point.
That gives you your boot size in Mondopoint (MP). Using the manufacturer's size chart, you can then find its equivalent in the more common EU (39, 40, 41…) or UK (7, 8, 9…) sizes.

By measuring your foot

Measure both feet (they're never quite the same size) and go by the bigger one. You'll need a sheet of paper, a pencil and a ruler.

Lay a sheet of A4 paper on the floor with its shorter edge against the wall.

Stand with your foot on the paper (at right angles to the wall) with your heel against the wall.

Trace around the front of your foot. You may need someone to help you.

Measure the distance straight from the edge of the paper to the furthest point. That gives you your size in Mondopoint (MP); then add the extra room depending on the type of boot (see boot construction above).

Size charts

Asolo men's boot size chart

mp	eu	uk	us
24	38	5	5 ½
24,5	38 ⅔	5 ½	6
25	39 ⅓	6	6 ½
25,5	40	6 ½	7
26	40 ⅔	7	7 ½
26,5	41 ⅓	7 ½	8
27	42	8	8 ½
27,5	42 ½	8 ½	9
28	43 ⅓	9	9 ½
28,5	43 ⅔	9 ½	10
29	44 ½	10	10 ½
29,5	45	10 ½	11
30	46	11	11 ½
30,5	46 ⅓	11 ½	12
31	47	12	12 ½
31,5	47 ½	12 ½	13
32	48 ⅓	13	13 ½
32,5	49	13 ½	14
33	49 ½	14	14 ½
33,5	50	14 ½	15
34	50 ⅔	15	15 ½
34,5	51 ½	15 ½	16
35	52	16	16 ½
35,5	52 ⅔	16 ½	17

Asolo women's boot size chart

mp	eu	uk	us
22	35 ½	3	4 ½
22,5	36 ⅓	3 ½	5
23	36 ⅔	4	5 ½
23,5	37 ½	4 ½	6
24	38	5	6 ½
24,5	38 ⅔	5 ½	7
25	39 ⅓	6	7 ½
25,5	40	6 ½	8
26	40 ⅔	7	8 ½
26,5	41 ⅓	7 ½	9
27	42	8	9 ½
27,5	42 ½	8 ½	10
28	43 ⅓	9	10 ½
28,5	43 ⅔	9 ½	11
29	44 ½	10	11 ½
29,5	45	10 ½	12
30	46	11	12 ½
30,5	46 ⅓	11 ½	13
31	47	12	13 ½
31,5	47 ½	12 ½	14
32	48 ⅓	13	14 ½
32,5	49	13 ½	15
33	49 ½	14	15 ½
33,5	50	14 ½	16

Asolo kids' boot size chart

mp	eu	uk	us
11,5	19	3	3
12,5	20	3 ⅔	3 ⅔
13	21	4 ½	4 ½
13,5	22	5 ⅓	5 ⅓
14,5	23	6 ⅓	6 ⅓
15	24	6 ⅔	6 ⅔
15,5	25	7 ⅔	7 ⅔
16,5	26	8 ½	8 ½
17	27	9 ⅓	9 ⅓
17,5	28	10	10
18,5	29	10 ⅔	10 ⅔
19	30	11 ⅔	11 ⅔
19,5	31	12 ½	12 ½
20,5	32	13 ⅓	13 ⅓
21	33	1	1
21,5	34	1 ⅔	1 ⅔
22,5	35	2 ⅔	2 ⅔
23	36	3 ⅓	3 ⅓
23,5	37	4 ⅓	4 ⅓
24,5	38	5	5
25	39	5 ⅔	5 ⅔
25,5	40	6 ½	6 ½

Trying boots on in a shop

Don't rush. Give it time. And go trying boots on in the afternoon. Your feet swell during the day – much like on a mountain hike. If you buy your boots in the morning, they may turn out to be tight in the end.

Socks

Take the socks you'll be wearing in the boots to the shop with you. They should be breathable – the kind that keep your feet dry. And cushioned in the places that take the most punishment. And if you use orthopaedic insoles, bring those along too.

Why socks matter

A bit of room

Do your toes have enough room? If not, you're heading for a black toenail on descents or even a painful infection. In mountaineering boots, too little room in the toe can even lead to frostbite. That's why there should always be some space in front of your toes in mountain boots. You can easily find out how much is left by taking the insole out of the boot and standing on it.

Low hiking shoes up to 0.5 cm bigger.
Ankle hiking boots up to 1 cm bigger.
Kids' boots up to 1.5 cm bigger (mainly because their feet are growing).

Lacing

Push your heel back, centre the tongue and lace your boots up properly. With two-zone lacing on hiking boots, you tighten the lower part up to the locking hooks and the upper part above them separately. How tight depends on the terrain. Either way, your boots must always be laced so that your heel stays put. Heel lift is one of the most common causes of blisters.

How to lace hiking boots

Uphill and downhill

Use the ramp the shop ought to have. Walking uphill, your heel mustn't move up and down. If it does, the boots are too big or not laced tightly enough. Walking downhill, your toes mustn't hit the front. If they do, the problem is again either too small a size or badly tightened boots.

Boots for bunions

Hallux valgus, or bunions, need more room at the front of the boot. That's why Asolo also created a Bunion Fit version of its Greenwood GV hiking boots, which gives more room for the enlarged joint.

Asolo Greenwood EVO GV

How to break in new boots

Straight off on an all-day hike! Well, that could still cause trouble. Especially with stiffer boots for tougher hikes and high-mountain treks. While light hiking shoes adapt to your feet very quickly, hiking boots need time. Even several weeks. And a 60 kg woman will take longer to break in stiff boots than a 100 kg man.

The right socks

Always wear the right socks. Ones that are breathable to keep your feet dry and cushioned where your feet take the most punishment.

Why socks matter

A centred tongue

From the very first time you put them on, make sure the tongue is properly centred. Once it slips to the side early on, it will never go back to the right position. And then it will press.

Zone lacing

Learn to work with zone lacing, which lets you tighten the instep and the ankle separately. How tight each one should be differs for going up and coming down.

How to lace hiking boots

Break them in slowly

To steer clear of blisters, wear the boots at home first. Then take them on a short walk, a couple of hours' outing, and only then on an all-day hike. Even so, always pack some gel blister plasters.

Boots from a family of shoemakers

An honest shoemaker will make you boots that last. Boots whose seams won't give way in the middle of a two-week trek. An honest shoemaker will even repair your boots after years of wear and get them ready for more years of adventure. And such shoemakers really do exist – in the Italian Zanatta family.

All about Asolo

How to choose the right boot size

Know where you're headed

All about boot construction

Choosing your size online

By insole size

By measuring your foot

Size charts

Trying boots on in a shop

Socks

A bit of room

Lacing

Uphill and downhill

Boots for bunions

How to break in new boots

The right socks

A centred tongue

Zone lacing

Break them in slowly

Boots from a family of shoemakers

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