How to choose trekking shoes (mountaineering shoes) size for climbing Mt.Fuji

• Understand what to look for in trekking shoe sizes.
• Understand why trekking shoes should be larger than normal shoes.

Hello!
This is Soranoshita.
Today, I will answer a question from a customer!

Q.I’m wearing trekking shoes for the first time.

A.It is recommended that you choose a size 0.5~1.0cm (for normal thickness socks) to 1cm (for thick socks) larger than the shoes you usually wear (sneakers, leather shoes, etc.).

Role of Trekking Shoes

The most important thing about the size of trekking shoes is to “leave space at the toe.
We are often asked by customers, “Trekking shoes are for gripping when climbing, right? They often ask, “Trekking shoes are for gripping when climbing, aren’t they?
It is true that trekking shoes have a better grip than ordinary shoes due to the shape of the sole and the materials used.
Also, it is true that the firm outer shell makes sprains less likely to occur.

But the truth is that trekking shoes really show their true value when “going downhill”!
When going downhill, with normal shoes, your toes hit the shoes every time you take a step.

This is fine at first, but after a little while, it starts to hurt so much that you can no longer take a single step. In the worst case, all the nails die, or even worse, you can’t even go down the mountain because of the pain.

Trekking shoes can support your weight across the entire instep when descending a mountain by making good use of a stiff outer shell and sturdy laces that can be tightened tightly.
This feature allows space to be left in the toes at all times, so the toes do not hurt.

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Why are trekking shoes 0.5 to 1 cm larger than usual?

Trekking shoes should be 0.5 to 1.0 cm larger than usual because thicker socks need to be worn.

When mountaineering, thicker mountaineering socks are necessary.
The image is a thick sock like those worn when skiing.
They provide cushioning and fit easily with the shape of the shoe.

If you often get sock sores, the socks are too thin or the laces are not tied tightly from the top of the instep, causing your feet to play around inside the shoes. To prevent this from happening, it is important to match trekking shoes with thick socks. Socks play a major role in mountaineering by providing a cushioning material to fill the space between the shoe and the foot.

When I was a student, there was a “50 km hike” as a social event in the student dormitory. The event was to walk from the student dormitory to the mountains through the night until morning and return by the first bus. I remember that I was sleepy because we walked for more than 12 hours in the middle of the night, but more than that, I was in pain because of shoe sores. Of course, I was wearing my regular athletic shoes made by a well-known manufacturer. Not only me, but everyone else seemed to be in pain from shoe sores. Now that I think about it, I can understand that since I was wearing them on a daily basis, there was a lot of room for my feet to play in the shoes, so they were prone to getting shoe sores.

Since I need to wear thicker socks than usual, this already makes them about 5mm bigger.
Then, in order to “leave space at the toes,” which is the most important thing, we choose shoes that are +5 mm larger than usual.
In total, the shoes are +1cm larger than normal shoes.

Thick mountaineering socks are recommended for mountaineering, but if you use socks of normal thickness, choose about 0.5cm larger.

*When trying on trekking shoes, be sure to try them on using real socks. A common mistake is to wear thin socks when trying them on and then buy thick socks for the actual climbing, which can cause sore toes.

Incidentally, Soranoshita sells socks for mountaineering, which were developed with a sock shop in Hyogo. These socks are 1.5 cm thick. It is very rare to have socks of this thickness. Therefore, when you wear your normal shoes with these socks, they suddenly feel tight.

https://www.soranoshita.net/item/list_21_1.html

We also provide a standard set of insoles for adjustment, so if you think they are a little too big, you can use these insoles with the shoes. If you think it is a little too big, you can put this in between the shoe and the insole to fit those with thinner toes.

Conclusion

Trekking shoes and other authentic mountaineering equipment will not show their true value unless they are worn and used correctly. We would be very happy if you could say that you now understand trekking shoes, even though you had not thought about it before.

At Sora no Sita, we provide a “mountaineering bookmark” with tips on how to properly use trekking shoes and other mountaineering equipment when you rent our trekking shoes.
Please be assured that it is perfect even for first-timers.

Climbing equipment for climbing Mt. Fuji can be rented at the following locations.
https://www.soranoshita.net/en/