Best hiking boot brand for women with wide feet.

[Maddy]

Women's 9 1/2 2E in a sneaker here! Now that's a big foot.

I have given up looking at women's wide boots altogether, the selection is very limited. I have big bunions that are not painful if I wear the correct boot.

Right now I have Merrill Ventilators for summer hiking in a 9 mens. They are very lightweight - most men's are much heavier than women's. I have tried men's Hi Tec's, but the soles wore out way too soon.

I have concluded that they make few wide widths in women's boots because they know you can buy men's.

Good luck to your girlfriend.

I have really horrible feet with "doorknob" bunions and have to wear orthotics for years now. Spent hundreds upon hundreds of dollars trying to find comfortable boots and trail shoes. In fact, I just wasted $120 on a lightweight Vasque boots and I cannot wear them. They kill my feet after about an hour. I tried Merrell's , Montrails, and Keene's but no more.
Cresta and Lowa's have really worked well.I have both in men's sizes and the heel are very stable. Often times I would buy boots that were roomy in the toes but my heels were floppy. I also have to play with the socks I wear. Lots of trial and error. The strange thing is I can wear Lowa boots but not the trail shoes.
I loved my Limmers ( not custom made) but my foot lengthened and they are too short now. The Limmer boys worked at stretching them out so they fit the bunions, and I would love to get another pair. Ken really worked hard fitting me.
New Balance sounds like a possible option but I will never again buy boots anywhere but LL Bean and REI. I found most places will not take them back if you wear them "outside". I have had that problem with EMS, and other outdoor adventure stores. Can't afford to waste that kind of money anymore.

 

[wardsgirl]

Cheap Hi-Tecs

I just happened to be in Red's Shoe Barn (Dover, NH) last night and picked up a $39 pair of close-out Hi-Tecs for my fat feet. I got my last pair this way (on a lark) and used them for several seasons, including hiking the Long Trail. The last pair are now totally blown out from those Vermont rocks and I came across this great deal last night at Reds. If you are in the Seacoast NH neighborhood, you may want to check them out. They had a good selection of cheapies.

 

[erugs]

That's great. I've always wanted to stop in there but it hasn't worked out yet. Very rarely have I had to pay more than that for boots and I cringe when I must. (My new Cresta boots were full price, but with gift cards.) I'm looking to get a pair of Keen with my Amazon points, unless something else comes up before I get around to it. And my Merrells are still holding up fine so shouldn't be boot shopping anyway. Glad to get info on Reds.