Engineer Boots Crisis!

[nabottle]

Man, I'm drooling.

 

[l0fielectronic]

If they don't fit and you do return them you will be able to claim back the VAT/Import Duties, though not any admin charges made by the shipping company - theres a form on the .gov website (*I think* its this one https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/import-and-export-application-for-repaymentremission-c285 )

As others have said, much less seems to get thorough of late, I've even had to pay on CDs in the past few weeks due to the exchange rate just dipping under them being exempt.

 

[Gav]

Looking good though!

 

[edmond]

im offering a special mto /mtm engineers let me know flat toe last and i have a bulbous toe last 2 last only . any options hard part is you have to ask someone to measure your feet

 

[Harris HTM]

Here's a couple of piccys... Fresh out the box! View attachment 57793 View attachment 57797

They look soooo nice I would convince myself that they fit perfectly! Try some insoles or silicone heel insole. And now you need a nice leather jacket to match them!

 

[bretron]

You want a little heel lift and definite toe room. The heel pads and counters will form to your heel, but there's very little that can be done about the toe box in these I'm afraid. The leather is not that flexible for stretching. I've owned these before and they're absolutely the best looking engineers on the market IMO. My problem with them is they were like monsters to get on and off. Great boots, hard to fit

So I went and picked up my engineers from the depot (I paid the fine and got a complaint form - hopefully I will get some £ back but not much by the looks of things). The attractions are beautiful but I'm unsure about the sizing!
They feel quite snug on the toes / foot but very roomy in the heel.
I know there's meant to be some heel lift but i'm wondering if it's too much? i can quite easily move my feet around in them.
Perhaps some thicker socks and thicker insole would do the trick.

 

[Gav]

Perseverence... @bretron

 

[Jkohl]

Thanks guys, you're making me feel like / wanna feel like they fit!
Hopefully with some insoles / heel pads they'll work.
The foot is fine really, I'm just not sure how much heel lift ones meant to have and if these have too much!

 

[Carlos840]

Thanks guys, you're making me feel like / wanna feel like they fit!
Hopefully with some insoles / heel pads they'll work.
The foot is fine really, I'm just not sure how much heel lift ones meant to have and if these have too much!

In all my boots i can move my foot forward at least 1 or 2 cm before i touch the tip, and my heel will move up and down 2 or 3 cm if i stand on the spot and move my foot up and down.
Once i start walking i would say i have just under 1cm of heel lift and my foot doesn't touch the tip.

When i bought my first pair of boots i was told by the salesman that boots should fit like shoes, that my heel shouldn't lift, and that they would break in and feel great.
I kept them for a year, and was never able to break them in, they just killed my feet! I tried to soak them in warm water and wearing till dried, i tried wooden stretchers, i tried stretching spray, nothing helped.
They were technically my size, but because my heel couldn't lift, they gave me horrible blisters.
I bought my second pair after doing some reading on Western boots fit, and that's where i was told to aim for 1" of heel lift in a pair of new boots.

All the boots i have bought since fit like gloves.

Seriously, if you can move your foot back and forth a bit and move your heel up and down a few cm your are good.

 

[Jkohl]

Thanks @Carlos840 that's really helpful info. I don't think I'm experiencing more than 3cm of heel lift but it's quite hard to tell / measure what with my foot being inside the boots. I have a think insole and am wearing 2 pairs of socks, but that's giving me the problem of creating too much tightness around the foot area and I can feel the top of boot pressing down on my foot. So I think I should maybe try a 3 quarter insole...

 

[Carlos840]

Thanks @Carlos840 that's really helpful info. I don't think I'm experiencing more than 3cm of heel lift but it's quite hard to tell / measure what with my foot being inside the boots. I have a think insole and am wearing 2 pairs of socks, but that's giving me the problem of creating too much tightness around the foot area and I can feel the top of boot pressing down on my foot. So I think I should maybe try a 3 quarter insole...

If this is your first pair of boots you might be struggling with the psychological thing of boot fit.
Like i said in a previous post, you will never get slip on boots to fit like shoes, and they are not supposed to.
All my boots wobble when i walk, everytime i lift my foot, my heel rises enough for my foot not to be in contact with the sole by a few mm, and If i press my foot forward my toes can touch the tip
That's how boots should feel.

To me regular laced shoes feel like feet prisons now, they are so tight and constricted.

Just embrace the wobble and the foot movement, you will be fine.

 

[Carlos840]

The best way to check for boot fit is to put both boots on, stand up (important to be standing up)

Press your foot as far forward as you can, you should move 1 or 2 cm before you touch the tip with your big toe. If you touch with your small toe, just tape it for the first few weeks.

Move your foot back to the heel, use the arch of your other foot to keep the heel of the boot down.
Lift your heel, it should raise up 2 to 3 cm, without being able to escape the heel cup and go above the stitching of the heel cup.

Keep in mind the heel cup will form to your foot with wear. And that both feet won't always fit the same.
My right foot is somewhat larger than my left foot, and i have to account for that. I always have more lift on the left side than right side.

 

[Jkohl]

@Carlos840 thanks for the fit guide. Is there any indicator as to whether my heel is escaping the heel cup / going above the stitching?

 

[Blackadder]

The Attractions have very steep insteps and tall heel counters. A lot of people find the Attractions roomy (that their feet seem to move around inside) because of this steep instep and being close to E width especially around the arch area. They also have wide slant shaft that are quite rigid. Can be awkward to wear before breaking in especially if you are not even used to wearing engineer boots.
I bought mine in Tokyo and had to wear them on the ride back because there wasn't enough space in my luggage. I had to change back to my sneakers when I arrived home at the airport carpark because I couldn't confidently control the pedals with the new boots on. That's how rigid and awkward mine were. I have owned 5 pairs of engineer boots plus other harness and work boots before the Attractions and I have bought more boots since. I have to say the Attractions are amongst the most uncomfortable boots (before broken in) I have ever owned but luckily it took only a couple of days of wear to break them in and now they are comfy enough.

 

[Jkohl]

That's interesting @Blackadder , on other forums I've seen that people find them relatively comfortable with little heel slip but I guess everyone's experience is different.
I'm on my second day of wearing them and they do feel a bit more comfortable but I don't feel that they're broken in yet. Still feeling like the top of the boot is pressing down against my toe but only on the right side. I've been driving in them (car not bike)! I'm looking forward to them becoming more comfortable as I break them in.

 

[sweetfights]

great looking boots leather will form we hope to your benefit before you know it where them often

 

[Blackadder]

That's interesting @Blackadder , on other forums I've seen that people find them relatively comfortable with little heel slip but I guess everyone's experience is different.
I'm on my second day of wearing them and they do feel a bit more comfortable but I don't feel that they're broken in yet. Still feeling like the top of the boot is pressing down against my toe but only on the right side. I've been driving in them (car not bike)! I'm looking forward to them becoming more comfortable as I break them in.

I actually find the Attractions fit me very well. I have relatively thick feet and usually needs to wear EE width (I had to go up a size because I find the Attractions are with D width toe and E width arch area). I only find them a bit awkward to walk in when new owing to the rigid, slant shaft. Takes a couple of days to bend the shaft to break them in and they fit fine.

 

[Dumpster Diver]

The First thing I would have done if the boots were too big, Is to go to the army surplus and try a pair of thick felted insoles, that would be the cheap approach.

 

[willyto]

You shouldn't be sticking things in your shoes or insoles of any kind for them to fit just decent.

 

[Justhandguns]

I can see that many people are having this instep problem. I just wonder what sizes of boots you guys are wearing? Is it a particular problem for smaller sizes because the makers do not shrink down the instep/shaft proportionally?

Placing a thicker heel pads helps, but it also causes your feet to slide forward, a bit like women wearing high heels. Is it really the solution? Or a think insole would be better?