How to choose the right boot for your needs.

Don socks of the same weight and thickness you would normally use with the particular boot you are trying.  Socks must be wrinkle-free, and for heavier boots, consider wearing a thin synthetic liner sock under a medium-weight hiking sock.  Start with your street shoe size and work up or down from there, in half-sizes.  Put on both boots, and lace them up snugly and carefully from the bottom up.  Stand up, and walk around.

How do you know if you’ve got a good fit?  The eyelets or D-rings should be roughly parallel to each other.  The boots should fit smoothly around the foot.  Press the outside of the boot with your fingers to reveal loose pockets around the instep or heel where the boot is not touching your foot.  Your toes should not be compressed or pinched in any way.

Find a sloping ramp, or stairs, and taking small steps walk up and down.  On the way up your heel should not move more than a half-centimeter, if it does it could be an indication that the boot is too large.  On the way down your toes should not touch the front of the boot, if they do it could be an indication that the boot is too small.  On uneven surfaces, your foot should hold securely and not twist inside the boot.

To reduce the chances of blisters, or other nasty abrasions, wear your new footwear around the house before venturing out.  This advice holds true for both the lightest of trail shoes and the heaviest of mountaineering boots;  very few boots are perfect straight out of the box.

When breaking in new footwear, try different weights of socks.  Consider double-layer socks that offer some form of blister protection.  Then, load up your backpack and climb stairs repeatedly.  Wearing a pack can dramatically affect pressure points on the foot. Walk on uneven terrain where your foot is bending and flexing in different ways.  Make note of places where even the slightest discomfort occurs.

Before heading out on your first backcountry foray, don’t wait until blisters have formed to tape your feet.  Cover vulnerable areas like heels and toes with moleskin, or some other blister-preventing material.  At the first sign of hot spots, take your boots off and tape the affected areas.