1. Water Resistance
2. Load Carrying Capability
3. Terrain

What are the components of a boot, and how do they affect the boot's function?
Upper/Lining: The leather and fabric material that covers, protects and supports the foot.
Internal Heel and Toe Counters: are internal structures that reinforce the heel and toe areas, protecting the foot from impact, stabilizing and centering the foot.
Insole: is the internal structure that links the upper to the midsole of the boot. It controls the torsional rigidity and flex at the ball of the foot.

Rand: External protection running just above the midsole of the boot on the upper, protects the upper from abrasion and water penetration, helps to stabilize the foot.

Midsole: is the middle layer between the outsole and the upper. It provides stability, shock absorption and dynamic support to the foot.

Outsole: is the base layer that directly contacts the ground, providing traction and durability.

Footbed: The thin, usually removable insert which lies between the insole and your sock. It provides a small amount of cushioning, a soft, comfortable surface for your foot, and helps manage moisture and heat.

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HOW COMPONENTS MATCH UP TO PERFORMANCE PRIORITIES:
Matching Performance Priorities with Boot Components

	Outsole	Midsole	Insole	Upper	Counters/ Rand
Water Resistance		*		***	**
Load Carrying Capability	*	***	***	**	**
Terrain	***	**	**	***	***

Water Resistance
Properly functioning feet are the most essential factor in enjoying the outdoors. If your feet become wet, you are handicapped in two ways: 1. Your skin loses heat much faster and your feet may become cold, and 2. Your feet may slide around the boot, causing skin irritation and eventually, blisters. Current boot technology can help you decrease but not prevent how wet your feet become from either environmental water (rain and puddles) or body water (sweat).
Boot components that affect the water resistance of a boot are the upper materials (type of leather, thickness, special membranes or fabrics used) and boot construction techniques (the fewer seams, the more water resistance

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Load Carrying Capability
The ability of footwear to help us safely carry a certain size load is determined mostly by the midsole (firmer midsole = heavier load) and the insole (stiffer insole = heavier load). The upper and counters materials compliment the insole and midsole. Other factors, such as poor physical condition, lack of experience or heavier than normal body weight to can dictate that the boot be firmer than would normally be suggested.

Terrain
Terrain consists of two features: Surface (immediate surface beneath the boots) and Angle (steepness of ascent and descent). Proper features in the boot not only add safety, but also can do some of the work and make up for a lack of physical preparation and leaves you less fatigued at the end of the day.

Most hikes cover a variety in terrain. Most outsoles are a compromise, handling some terrain handily, other terrain not so well. Few do everything well. So a wise hiker decides either which terrain they travel most frequently and/or which they more often find most challenging.

Surface: Focus on outsoles.
Soft surfaces require
- deep, widely spaced lug patterns

Hard surfaces require
- finer spaced lugs
- flat surface areas on lug bottoms
- a sticky sole compound

Angle of trail: Focus on counters, rand and upper.
Steeper terrain requires
- larger and firmer counters
- taller and firmer uppers

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How do Garmont boots fit?
Good boots are always built around a form called a last. A good last is the secret for a good fit. Developing a great last is both art and science. In Garmont's case, the combination of these two disciplines involve the experience of five generations of boot builders with the leading edge technology that makes Montebelluna, Italy (home of Garmont Italy) the world leader in such work.

Width vs. Volume: Width refers to the width of your foot. Men's boots are generally made on a "D" width last, Women's on a "B" width last. Rather than thinking about the width of the foot, we tend to think more of the foot's volume, which is a measure of width and height. The best fit comes from a last with the best match to your foot's overall volume.

Volume: While there are differences between models, many of our models fit
Mid-volume feet. Our a.d.d. system fits differently than standard boots, and thus will tend to fit a wider range of feet volume.

Width: At the current time, we produce just two widths of boots, Men's and Women's.

Women's Last: Our women's last is not just a narrower last, but also different to accommodate the other aspects that, in general, make a woman's foot different than a man's including a higher instep, different tarsal/metatarsal bone lengths.

Sizes: The sizes we generally carry in most models are Men's 7 - 13, 14.
Women's 6 - 10, 11. Some models, like the Sticky Weekends and Clogs/Loafer come in unisex sizing 4 - 12, 13. In general, as a starting point, our boots tend to fit "true to size", or the size you generally take when purchasing footwear. The best is to get to a store where you can try on sizes; second best is to start with your "normal" boot size and go through the fitting process from there. Ultimately, the size, gender, brand or model should not strongly influence your assessment of fit. Objective, how the individual boots fits is the key.

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Model vs. Model differences: The fit of each boot will vary slightly due to the model's design and materials. It is always best to put your foot in the model you are interested in purchasing. If you are able to try on a model that is designed with a.d.d., that will give you a good idea of how other a.d.d. models will fit.

How do I make sure my boots fit correctly?
A boot can have a perfect combination of components and design, but if it does not fit the user well, it has very little value, regardless of price. Fitting a boot can require time and patience. The best thing you can do to get a good boot fit is to go to a retailer who has lots of experience in fitting hiking boots. We try to pick the local experts as our dealers. Many have been through specialized training in boot fitting that considers the many aspects of fitting boots correctly.
Each foot is unique; you probably are already aware of some of the special needs and requirement of your feet. There may be other characteristics of your feet that may affect boot fit that you are not aware of. A good boot fitter can be a tremendous help in getting the best possible fit for your feet.
Here are some basic factors to consider:

Time of Day: Your feet are usually larger later in the day and after a long period of time spent walking

Socks: Always use the thickness of socks you are planning to wear with boots

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Length: With boots unlaced, slide your feet to the very front of the boot so your toes are touching the front, but not jammed. Check to see how much space there is between your heel and the inside heel of the boot. For casual, light and day hiking, at least one generous finger width. For load bearing boots, at least 2 snug fingers. Check both feet, as they may differ! Most importantly,
try the boot out! While you must keep the boots indoors until you are satisfied they fit, try to simulate as closely as possible the conditions you will face hiking--ascending, descending and traversing. A minimum of one hour's test is suggested.

Width and Volume:
Ensure that the throat of the boot laces up parallel or diverges slightly (gets wider as you go from toe up to ankle). A converging lace pattern (laces get tighter as you go from toe up to ankle) indicates that the boot is probably too wide or high volume for your feet.

Other checks for a good fit:
1. Not jamming in the front going downhill.
2. Not lifting excessively (more than -") in the heel.
3. Your arch matches the shoe's arch pad.

If you wear orthotics, be sure to put the orthotics in during the fitting process!

Bigger is usually better: Boot fitters can customize insoles and pads to improve the fit of your boots. In addition, special lacing techniques can help to "snug" up loose fitting areas. Some sections of the boots with leather uppers can be stretched to improve boot fit, but others places or upper materials can not be stretched as effectively.

More Information:
Click here for information on Phil Oren's Fit System. Phil Oren is an expert on the art of fit, and many of our dealers have learned many fitting tricks from his workshop.

Size Conversions

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