18 October 2006

These Boots Were Made for Hiking...


...and that's just what they'll do!

After much searching and trying on of boots, I have finally found a pair to take to Switzerland. After all, you cannot possibly live in the Land of the Alps without a sturdy pair of hiking boots. But I knew going into it that I faced an issue -- my size 12 AAAA feet (size 44 European and extremely narrow).

Hey, my feet match my just shy of 6 feet height! Quit snickering! And don't bother with the jokes. I've heard all of them before. Trust me.

After weeks of research, I learned there are no companies out there that make a woman's hiking boot in that size. For boots with a great fit, I would need to go with custom-made and terribly expensive. That seemed excessive.

Further research showed that there are limited companies that make a men's narrow boot. And discussions with hiking boot salespeople revealed that only one company had a men's boot that tends to run more narrow than the others. What you are seeing is literally the only pair of boots that could possibly work for me.

Therefore, it is little wonder that I am so extremely happy to have finally found them! Yeah!!!

The only thing that makes me a little sad is they do not come in any fun colors. Moss green is the only choice. However, beggars cannot be choosers, now can they?

4 comments:

Global Librarian said...

You can get a backache stooping over to look in the mirror!

Unknown said...

My feet are extra large also. I wear an 11 but definitely a 43 in Europe which means your feet are probably larger there. I found one pair when I got desparate and settled for another but they were "clod stompers"...

I'd highly suggest making sure you have adequate shoes ahead of time or you will have to wait until you get back to the US!

Oh and that wake up light is a great idea, where did you find it????

Unknown said...

by the way, where do you find shoes? I have trouble here in Canada and can't wait until my immigration is complete because I need to get back to California!! I like Nordstroms.

Global Librarian said...

Nordstroms is the only place I can find shoes actually in stock. I love Nordstroms and worship at the feet of their Shoe God.

By the way, the Homeland for Nordstroms is Seattle, a 3-hour drive from Vancouver. It's the flagship store and the biggest selection anywhere.

However, I have also had good luck with an online shoe store called Maryland Square.

http://www.marylandsquare.com

Pretty good selection, wide range of sizes and a good return policy. Plus I like that you can search for shoes by your size. That way you don't even have to look at the pretty shoes you cannot buy...