Hello everyone! It’s been brought to my attention that one of the more common questions we get here at Ghostbikes.com is regarding shoe and boots sizing. So I thought it might be helpful of me to make a blog post that you all can refer to with a bit of advice on shopping for new motorcycle footwear.
The first piece of advice I can give is this- Do not go thinking the rules apply to all the boots you may want to try on. Depending on the brand, the style of boots, the shape of the boots and the features on/in the boots- the game can change between almost every pair. You may find you’re a size 9 normally in your trainers and then you jump up to a 10 in one brand and style of a motorcycle boot and then to an 11 or a 12 in another. I see it happen a lot and it’s nothing to be concerned or self conscious about- you don’t have freakish feet and you’re not being a pain. This is simply just the nature of buying motorcycle gear in general- no two brands or styles are the same and it’s a common occurrence even when trying on jackets, trousers, helmets, and gloves. We all come in different shapes and sizes so it’s all about finding something right for you.
Second piece of advice- Try going up a size. Typically your boots will wear in and give a bit of extra room after some time, which can throw off your expectations if you’ve been trying on someone else’s boots for fit. But bike boots tend to be tight by nature, if you’re a size 10 foot trying to get into a size 10 motorcycle boot, nine time out of ten- you’re going to feel the squeeze. So going for the size 11 might be all the extra room you need.
Another good thing to do, if possible, is to come in-store and try the boots on before you buy them. I know it’s not ideal if you don’t live local but it’s far better to be able to come in store, try something on and know whether it fits you or not before you leave with it. You may have your heart set on a certain pair such as the Akito Stealth Motorcycle Boots only to find that no matter the sizes you go up in- the narrowness of the boot is just too tight for people with broad feet. Believe me, I’ve seen it, I’ve had customers desperately telling me that they’re sure they’re a size 9 but find even a size 12 is too tight in that particular boot. If this is happening to you, don’t worry, it’s not your fault and we believe you that you’re normally a size 9. The shape of the boot just isn’t for you. But what we will do in that case is direct you to alternatives and do what we can to sort you out with something that is comfortable. So being able to pop in-store is much better at accomplishing this, as you can imagine.
Don’t be afraid to phone in, email or comment on social media with questions. If you’re wondering whether you should go up a size or not in a particular boot, you can always ask. Maybe you feel you have broader feet? Concerned the boots you’re coming all the way for might be a bit too narrow? Measure the width of your foot at it’s widest point and again in the middle from the arch to the outer side- if we’ve got it here, we’ll take the same measurements of the boot it’s self and let you know.
Another piece of advice I can share is to wear socks that aren’t to thick or too thin. Find a pair of socks in your drawer that is a sort of happy medium between your winter and summer selection. This is so that when you’ve found a pair that fits while wearing your thinnest pair of socks- you’re not going to discover they’re too tight when you try the boots on while wearing a thick pair of socks. With a medium pair you’ve set a good middle ground for the spring and autumn with a perfect fit. You’ve got a little extra breathing room and ventilation in the summer with thin socks. And you’ll have room enough for a thick pair of socks with a snug fit for the winter.
Is there something about sizes that has you confused? Maybe you’re a size 9 but don’t know if that means you’re also a 43 or a 44. If you take a look at the conversion chart above- you can see where you fall in that scale too. You can also see your size in US measurements too as some of our boots, such as our Oneal Motocross Boots, have the US sizes on the box. Don’t fret, you haven’t magically gone up yet another size, the US just starts their measurements from 1 instead of from 0 like us, which is why you’re always a shoe size bigger over there.
So, in summary:
– Consider yourself one size higher in bike gear [9/10 times it works]
– Wear a medium thickness pair of socks when trying them on
– Come in-store if at all possible
– Take measurements if you’re unsure and message in for help
– Don’t worry or get self conscious if the boots you want don’t fit like you hoped. We can help.
And that’s all the advice I have to give on sizing yourself up for a pair of boots. I really hope it helps but like I said- all boots are different. They come in all shapes and sizes just like we do. If you’re still having trouble, do contact us for more info using the number or information at the top of the web page. Thanks for reading, all!
Until next time
-MattW at Ghostbikes.com
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