The Best Narrow Hiking Boots for Women – Narrow Heel Counters to Prevent Heel Slippage

Are you having the hardest time finding a pair of hiking boots that can accommodate your narrow feet and are comfortable to wear? Do you feel like you try several different shoe brands and styles but all boots seem too wide for your feet? Women with narrow feet have the hardest time finding shoes that fit, and when they need to look for a pair of seasonal shoes such as boots, it gets even harder. The good news is that I know which are the best narrow hiking boots for women from having fitted and tested several different shoe brands and styles.

If you have narrow feet and always struggle to find shoes that fit, don’t worry, you are not alone! I have been contacted by several women with narrow feet who are frustrated about wasting time and money from having to constantly return their shoes back and forth.

Most women with narrow feet feel like their feet move too much inside of the boots, which might create discomfort as well as foot issues. One of the most significant challenges for women with narrow feet is finding a pair of hiking boots that will correctly hug their feet so that they don’t get blisters, numb toes, or other foot issues.

Best Shoe Brands for Women with Narrow Feet

There are certain shoe brands that manufacture boots that are narrower than others, but among each shoe brand, there are specific boots that work a lot better than others when it comes to fitting a narrow foot. Below you can find a list of my favorite shoe brands that manufacture boots for women with narrow feet.

• Vasque
• New Balance (manufactures one hiking boot in narrow widths)
• Salomon
• Lowa

Keep in mind that not all hiking boots among these shoe brands will fit the shape of your narrow feet, just specific styles.

Why Are Narrow Shoes So Hard to Find?

Nowadays, there is a larger selection of boots available in narrow widths (N) compared to 10 years ago. The most common reason why shoe companies don’t manufacture more boots in narrow widths is profit. Did you know that the cost of mass-produced shoes is kept low by producing only the most common styles (medium width)? The fewer variations there are, the less the cost is for shoe companies. So, for women with narrow feet like yours, it gets harder to find shoes that fit.

What Makes the Hiking Boots that I Recommend Ideal for Women with Narrow Feet?

1️⃣ Narrower Heel Counters: The hiking boots that I recommend provide narrow heel counters that help prevent your heels from slipping out of the boots. Take a look at the image below to better visualize where the heel counter of the boot is located:

2️⃣ Narrower Toe-Boxes: The hiking boots that I recommend provide narrow toe-boxes instead of rounded ones as that helps prevent your feet from moving excessively inside of the boots. Take a look at the image below to better visualize the difference in the toe-boxes between one of the narrow boots that I recommend and a different style:

3️⃣ Narrow Platforms: A snug-fitting platform is crucial to prevent your feet from sliding forward and to avoid constriction and friction:

Now that you know what features the hiking boots that I recommend provide, you are ready to take a look at the best narrow hiking boots for women. Disclosure: Some links in this post may be affiliate links and we may receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you) when you click our links and make purchases. 

The Best Narrow Hiking Boots for Women ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 Please click on the image to see all the different colors that the boots are available in and learn about the features that each boot provides.

What Shoe Size Should You Order?

Take a look at the description below the boots that I recommended to find out what shoe size you should order to prevent your longest toe from rubbing against the front part of the boots.

How to Tie Hiking Boots for Women with Narrow Feet

Make sure you are lacing your boots properly to get the full support and stability that the boots have to offer. There is a special lacing technique for women with narrow feet that helps “hug” the feet and prevents heel slippage. If you want to apply this shoe lacing technique to your boots I suggest that you take a look at the article below:

How to Lace Shoes for Narrow Feet — The Most Effective Way to Prevent Your Heels from Slipping Off the Shoes!

How to Find Out Your Exact Foot Length

So, you are confident that you have narrow feet, but do you know your exact foot length? If you usually order your shoes online you must know your exact foot length, as that’s the only way to know what shoe size to order online.

Don’t insist on getting your shoes in a specific size simply because that has been the size that they always wore. I usually have to insist to them that they need to at least try the shoes in a different size to see how they feel. Your foot shape and size can change over time, and some of the factors that contribute to this change are pregnancy, aging and weight gain or loss. Over time and because of gravity, our feet might get longer and wider.

As we age, the body’s ligaments and tendons lose their strength and ability to spring back. This means that our arches decrease, which flattens and lengthens the foot and toes.

This often results in an increase in shoe size by a half-size or more. You might also experience a change in foot width, meaning that even though you always ordered medium width shoes now you might have to start ordering wider shoes.

How to Order the Correct Shoe Size Online?

Buying shoes online can be a challenge. If you are unsure of your current foot length, I suggest that you take a look at a free resource I created where I help women determine their exact foot shape from home:

How to Measure Your Foot Shoe Size – The Most Simple and Effective Way!

Are Any Other Hiking Boots Available?

If you are looking for a different boot style to accommodate your narrow feet or if you have any other questions you can email me at:

comfortablewomenshoes@gmail.com 

What Are the Best Everyday Sneakers for Women with Narrow Feet?

I created a different resource that describes the best everyday sneakers for women with narrow feet:

The Top 3 Best Sneakers for Women with Narrow Feet – Narrow Toe-Box and Narrow Heel Counter!

Did you know that some women give up hiking and backpacking because they are not able to find a single pair of boots that fit? I hope this article helps other women who may be ready to give up! Women with narrow appreciate how difficult it is to find a hiking boot that fits. Do not hesitate to contact me if you are having a hard time finding a specific pair of shoes to fit your narrow feet.

Let me know in the comment section below if you have found a particular shoe brand or boot style that worked well for your narrow feet. I am sure other women will benefit from learning about your experiences.