hiking shoe sizing

Im 6'-3", 285 lbs.

Looking at the Merrell Chameleon II Stretch. I found a good deal on a pair (1/2 off) but only in a size 13.

I wear 12 to a 12 1/2 mens, most companies stop 1/2 sizes after 11 1/2, what do I do? Ive never worn hiking shoes and Im not sure exactly how they should fit. I tried a different line of Merrell's in a 12 and my toe rubbed the front of the shoe with casual socks, however I never got to try a 12 in this style of Merrell.

Has anyone ever 1/2 sized up and used some sort of insole to sung the shoe up, or am I just looking for trouble with the shoe I am looking at.

Also I have read for some reason to 1/2 size up hiking shoes? Is there anything to that.

As far as the walking I will be doing, it is light trail with the family.

Sounds like you need bigger shoes! Your feet sweel somtimes up to a whole size wheen you hike. If your foot rubs on the first day of the hike you will be in major pain on your second day! I developed somthing called a mortens neuroma from wearing boots that were too small and had to have surgery. No fun;( Also you may be wearing thicker wool socks when you hike that will take up more space.

Lastly, you need a little extra toe room for hiking down hill. Even if you lace your shoes properly, your feet will slide forward in the shoe and need room. If you do not have any room you can bruise your toes.

So, if i am a 12 1/2 but can comfortably wear a 12 around town, it would be better for me to size up to a 13 rather than down to a 12?

The 13 feels a little sloppy, if I put an insole in it seems to fit a little better, is that a good or bad idea to do? If good, what brand of insole?

also my hiking will be light trail and occasional at best.

You've got to try on footwear to get a proper fit. That means you need to try the 12 1/2s on with the hiking socks you would wear with them to determine if they fit or not.

Jeffrey's right that you typically need more room in hiking footwear due to swelling, thicker socks, going downhill, and so on. And since your two feet can be different sizes you'll have to judge by the larger foot. Insoles can help, but neither shoe should feel sloppy to begin with.

For you, whether that means a size 12 1/2 or a 13 in a Merrell model only you and your foot will know once you've tried the shoes on, with socks, and compared them. Different brands are sized differently and fit differently. And different models from the same brand may fit differently too (although if you find a brand that fits you well and you're pleased with its performance and quality you'll probably want to stick with it).

Don't ever buy a pair of shoes just because the price sounds good. It won't be a deal if it doesn't fit right, just a waste of money and a lot of pain and trouble.

I don't know where you were shopping, but if possible, especially since these are you first trail shoes, I highly recommend going to a store with experienced footwear salespeople who can help you with sizing. And one with a good return policy too.

If a shoe doesn't fit comfortably at the store, it's not going to suddenly fit better on the trail.

You'll also want to read "How to Fit Boots" for some tips:
http://www.trailspace.com/gear/guide/boot-fitting.html

The hang up is that no one makes 12 1/2. Half sizes stop after 11 1/2. From 12 and up it is whole sizes only. ex. 9.5,10,10.5,11,11.5,12,13,14,15 etc.

I am a 12.5 and I always fight this.

The store I am at is Academy Sports and Outdoors. I tried on a 12 in a different model and a 13. The verdict is that once again I probably need a 12.5, which they dont make.

I think the answer is the fact that the 13's (1/2 size too large) is probably the way to go for hiking shoes anyway.

Thank yall for the help so far.

I was reminded, at my last shoe fitting, that as we age our feet do get larger. Gravity is a b----! Feet get larger as you walk and perspire too.

I wore a size 8.5 for most of my adult life. Once I turned 30, that became a 9, then a 9.5 and finally a 10. A favorite pair of hikers I have is even a 10.5 - 2 full sizes larger than 20 years ago!

My wife was training for the Kona marathon a few years ago. Her trainer advised wearing runners with plenty of room in the toe box - up to 1 full size larger than normal. Feet swell alot while running. (and hiking) One of the reasons runners often loose toe nails is the lack of room for the toes.

My $.02 worth...You HAVE to try shoes on. Mail order places MAY be fine if you are buying a shoe you have already tried and tested, but new shoes online is a no-no for me.

Different brands of shoes as well as different models of each brand, or even different pairs of the same model, can vary in size. Get your feet measured (by someone who knows about outdoor footwear) and try on lots of shoes for the proper fit. A bargain shoe is not a bargain if you end up with blisters, cramped toes, or worse.

I wonder if anyone else knows of outdoor footwear companies that make larger half sizes. If so, please share.

Since you fall between sizes, this is an instance where finding a good, experienced boot fitter would be really helpful. They might also be able to find out who, if anyone, does have a shoe in your correct size and be able to get it for you to try out.

Of course since all brands differ a 12.5 in one brand (like Merrell) can be equal to a 13 in another...and so on. Once again, this is why it's good to try on a lot of different shoes until you find what fits you. Do you have a specialty outdoor store anywhere nearby or even a specialty running shoe store? I'd try places like them first, rather than a larger general sports store.

All that said, if you have to choose between a little too small or a little too roomy, definitely go with a little roomy.

And, like f_klock said, I only buy shoes online from brands that I know I fit well and in exactly what size.

Somehow I would expect that the boot companies would see a growing demand for the half sizes at the large end. In working with youth, I am continually amazed at the number of 16 to 20 year olds who have "snowshoe" sized feet these days, and of course this means that as adults, they will still need the size 12 through 15 shoes.

There are a few companies that have been mentioned on this website from time to time that make custom boots of high quality. Peter Limmer is a company that has been around for many decades (over a half century that I have been aware of them). They also make "off-the-shelf" boots, but contacting them (or a couple of Canadian companies that have been mentioned from time to time) might be the solution. On the other hand, custom boots are extremely pricey. Still, having comfortable, properly fitting boots during a thousand mile through-hike is well worth it.

As Alicia says just above, proper fitting is fundamental.

Thankfully, I have a popular size and have found several companies whose standard last is close to my foot. The down-side is that this means my size is only rarely available at the close-out sales. Barb, on the other hand (my spouse of many decades, who is just 21 years old despite the decades of living with me), has tiny feet (size 4). The only shoes and boots in her size are kids, and they are of much lesser quality, plus the lasts for kids are drastically different from adult lasts. Sometimes we can find a nominally size 5 or 6 boot that fits well with a sock combination of a thin wicking sock and heavy wool sock, but that's rare.

Lowe makes an excellent line of hiking and backpacking boots . that come in 1/2 sizes . Many reviews on this site re: same ..

Good insoles can work wonders for micro-adjustments. Guides with problematic feet sometimes pay boot fitters for extra work in this regard, but it's a pretty steep fee.

In the past, I've made one or two rather crazy sizing mistakes in purchasing footwear, partly due to paranoia regarding frostbite.

I retired from being the bootfitter at a large gear outlet in Vancouver, NOT MEC, some years ago. Fitting you would be quite simple and I have often done it with bigfoots.

Go to a mountain store where they use the Phil Oren method of boot fitting and IF the FIRST thing the boot fitter asks is to SEE your BARE feet, sitting and standing, you are on the right track.

If not, get a pair that fit a bit too loosely WHEN weight bearing and then adjust these with insoles, sometimes trimmed to build an exact fit. Do this at the END of your day as your feets will be larger, fit to your LARGEST foot and watch for lack of toe room and tightness over your Cuniform Index and across your Met Heads.

Heel slop CAN be adjusted with those little doodads sold for ladies pumps and you can mix and match your socks as well. I have several pairs of highend boots, including custom Van Gorkums and I can fit about ANY boot to most feet if necessary.

I still prefer wholegrain leather and Vibram Montagna soles, but, some modern boots are quite useful, I currently am wearing La Spotivas as my daily "hooves".

Dunham Bootmakers have half sizes like most of the rest through 11.5 / 12, but, they do make up to 16 EEEEEE in some boots. Having a EEEE width, finding any boot other than Dunham can be a problem. That’s not all bad; I have an old pair of Trail Triumphs that are still going strong. As long as they make boots for fat feet – I’ll keep buying them. I end up putting aftermarket insoles in about everything I buy because of a high arch so I usually buy a half size large anyway. I love a lot of wiggle room in the toe box.

I beleive that Garmont makes hiking shoes and boots in a size 12.5. Their shoes vary in fit - some are made for high volume feet, some for low volume, so you'll still need to try them on., but you should check them out.