SPECIALIST FITTING
Can’t ever find the right fit? Whalley Warm & dry in Lancashire could be your fairy godmother.
Experts who’ll find – and tailor – the perfect boot for you.
Any walker with less than ‘normal’ feet knows the agony of boot shopping. they all look so good on the shelf and then you try a pair on. Doesn’t work. then another. nope. then you’ve tried on every boot in the store and end up hobbling out with the best fit – which is still a bad fit – you can find, doomed to painful feet on every walk. Don’t give up. there is help to be had.
Jenny’s story
i’ve always felt like an Ugly Sister in the Cinderella story, as if i’d have to chop a toe off to get my big (size 8 to 9), wide feet with their bulging toe joints into the glass slipper (any walking boot). But i’ve heard there is someone who can make my dreams come true; a shop in the picturesque lancashire village of whalley that specialises in boot fitting and customisation.
i anxiously ask owner Jon Smith as i arrive if he’s ever failed to find the perfect fit. “Only twice in almost 20 years,” he says. “and people come here from all over Britain. we’ve had customers from the Shetland isles.”
Jon begins by measuring the length and width of my feet on a Brannock device, both sitting and standing, and then runs a tape round the widest part of my foot to assess its volume. next is an electronic scan of my soles which detects where i put the pressure through my feet, and the height of my arches. then it’s all about Jon’s expertise. walking boots are made on a variety of different last shapes – some wide and flat, some narrow and high – and he can match me to one that suits. there’s plenty of choice here. Meindl, hanwag, altberg, lowa, and Scarpa boots line the walls in half sizes and up to five width fittings – with some models exclusive to whalley warm and Dry.
i try the first pair, kicking my heel firmly back in the boot before lacing; Jon tells me a lot of problems come from the foot slipping forward into the narrower toe section. the fit feels pretty good. Jon tests it and says he thinks we can do better. “you’re so used to how uncomfortable boots feel, that you can’t tell anymore. you’re desensitized to it.”
i try the next ones and they’re instantly slipper comfy. i walk around the shop and up and down the angled ramp, kicking hard down the slope to make sure my toes don’t hit the front of the boot. liz holgate, Jon’s daughter, who is just finishing her degree in podiatry, takes a close look and advises a stiffer-soled boot might be better, to ease the flex, wear and pain in the joints of my big toes.
i slip my feet into a pair of altberg kisdon boots. these are the ones – almost. it feels a bit tight just over those toe joints, but Jon can help. he disappears with them, then asks me to try them again. Comfy! he’s eased the boot on a rubbing bar to stretch it lightly; once you’ve bought them, they can be steamed and stretched permanently. For more serious customisation the shop has something they call the italian stretching machine, which is left in the boots overnight.
and it’s not just the boot itself: whalley warm & Dry takes an entirely holistic approach to your feet. During this appointment Jon has advised me on socks (Point 6, from the founders of Smartwool); lacing techniques ( box lacing is easier over the toe joints than corset); insoles (Sidas ready-to-wear,
customisable options available too); and proper cleaning and care of leather boots to make these custom fit boots last as long as possible (every customer gets a leaflet).
THE RESULTS
Cinderella at last! I have walking boots that fit like that glass slipper and that means more to me than bagging Prince Charming. I’ve spent years hiking in super flexible boots and even trainers, so the stiffer sole takes some getting used to but, as promised, my toe joints aren’t getting so sore. And with the careful aftercare tips, these should keep me dancing along the footpaths for years to come.
THE ECONOMICS
The fitting appointment and any custom stretching of the boots is all completely free of charge – all you pay for is the boots, and insoles if you need them. What’s more, you can return at any time during the life of the boots for further tweaks if they become necessary – all still for free.