“The Right Fit” for Custom Cowboy Boots
I don’t know about you, but every time I’ve tried on boots in the store I start with my regular shoe size and they are too narrow. So I move up a half size- well now I’m sliding back and forth! I have a size E width, which means I typically have wider feet than the average factory boot. Footwear sizes (the numbers) indicate the length of your foot. While an adult run of a pair of boots will usually move from size 5 up through 14, this only accounts for the foot length. It is not efficient for a factory made boot to also then come in each width (A being narrower, all the way to E being wider). This would require the company to purchase 4 more lasts (the mold, shaped like a foot, used to create the boot) per length - which would essentially add up to waaaay more overhead. $$$$
This is why footwear sizes are standardized. Usually boots come in a B width for women and a D width for men, depending on the brand. The perk of getting a custom pair made is the last alteration. If I’m a size 7E, I start with a size 7 last and then add to the last sculpturally, based on my specific measurements. This makes the fit much more accurate to my own - no sliding and no toe smushing!
