My feet have got a bit wider over the years, and I now wear thinner socks than I used to, so that may help - might even be the answer.

However, provided that they are the right size and not overly tight, leather boots will stretch and mould themselves to your foot shape. If they are too loose & comfy to begin with they will feel like boats after a month or two!

Get them wet a few times on short walks and they'll soon learn who's master.

Cheers phil my problem is I really need to decide if they are right. Cotswold will let you wear them indoors but outside they won't allow returns and at £150 it's a risk. They feel tight but length is right going up a size probably isn't the right thing. I'm guessing the new leather will need to mould my feet and them probably stretch and hopefully make my feet breathe again. I have which I didn't mention put thinker insoles in so taking them out and wearing a thinner sock will probably help. Are X socks thin? I'm just paranoid of blisters as I suffered on my last challenge due to potoroos fitted boots

I see the problem. Try taking them back to the shop and have a chat about the fit there before going into the wet muddy stuff then! They should have a stretching bar to ease the leather on the tight spots which can often help.

Otherwise it's back to square one and trying something else.

It took me years to find a good fit. Good luck!

P.S. Mr Walker is your man to tell you all about X socks - he'll probably be along soon.

Hi , I use Alt Berg . in winter i take out the in sole and wear a thick sock ( combats cold from snow ) . For the rest a thinner sock will suffice . If you're not going high check out Keen boots ( low or high ) and for xtra waterproofing get waterproof socks . With regard to preventing blisters get out on the hill a lot and then more , on the challenge stop every 3hrs or so sit down and uncover your feet . Thats about all there is to it except more walking and more airing of the feet . good luck ps it was my paraffin stove that Terry pointed out to you in Shielin o Mark 2006 .

About 4 years ago I went into Cotswold to buy a new pair of Meindl Burmas - size 11 (I've got daintly feet).

'Let us measure your feet sir' said the nice man.

'Okay' sez I, but I want Size 11. I've used Size 11 Meindl Burmas for years and they've been marvellous.

'You need Size 10.5 sir. Size 11 are far too big, they'll fail prematurely'

I tried the 10.5, they were too tight.

'We'll stretch them for you sir' said the nice man.

'Okay' sez I. (But why should you need to stretch size 10.5 when Size 11 are comfortable?)

Nice man comes back with the stretched boots and they certainly feel better.

A week later I'm back and see the same nice man, the boots are too tight. 'No problem sir, we'll stretch them for you'. And so he did.

The next week I backpacked the Limestone Way. It was a lovely little trip. All was well until the last day when the boots crippled me.

I went back to see the nice man. 'Don't worry sir, we'll stretch them for you'. And so he did. Again.

A few weeks later I did the TGO Challenge. The boots were comfortable. Great - the stretching had clearly worked. But the boots leaked. Badly.

It appears that all the stretching had damaged the Goretex liner. In fact the Goretex liner was completely buggered.

To be fair to Cotswold they replaced the boots with Size 11. That replacement pair has just failed - 4 years later. In that 4 years they've been supremely comfortable and I have had warm & dry tootsies. I'm happy with that, but very UNhappy with the recommendation of Cotswold.

I've now bought another pair of Meindl Burmas, Size 11, and the fit is just perfick.

I bought them from Cotswold but declined their kind offer to measure my feet.

Over to you!

BTW, ask Terry to phone me - he's always out when I ring!

JJ

And as if by magic.

X socks trekking (for me) are the dogs... In trail Shoes.

In boots (which I only use in winter) I prefer a thicker sock.
The X socks thicker fluffier trekking socks, or the hard wearing socks that Chris uses.

As to sizes..

Subjective opinion.
With modern boots (unlike the old leather boots) I reckon should fit.
If they don't they are too small.

Shouldn't stretch modern boots.
Makes no sense.