Despite the fact that a man and women would be trekking the identical paths, under the identical conditions, the fundamental differences between male and female feet mean we will not be purchasing the same footwear. What exactly are the differences in our feet which make the construction of men's hiking boots and women's hiking footwear so distinctive?
The most obvious difference, women's feet are shorter as well as narrower compared to men's feet. This by itself is expected, because (on the whole) ladies are smaller and lighter in weight in comparison to men. However, a natural part of this is due to the fact there is less cartilage between the bones of a woman's foot and her joints and ligaments are much softer and flexible. Also, a woman's heel is proportionally narrower when compared with a man's. Footwear manufacturers these days make up for this by either molding an extra restrictive heel box, or perhaps including extra rigid padding to maintain the heel snugly in place to decrease sliding.
The result of the greater flexibility of a woman's foot resulted in two design enhancements in the women's footwear. To begin with, the more flexible woman's foot requires more support to endure the continuous stress of hiking. This really is typically done by the inclusion of stiffer midsole support, like an insert. The insert is typically molded into the sole in order to retain the grip required for all kinds of terrain, yet stay flexible adequately for a comfy gait. The second and perhaps more vital difference in the midsole is the enhanced arch support in the woman's boot.
In general, a woman possesses a higher arch than a man, which requires additional support. However, it is interesting to note that because of monthly hormonal changes in a woman's body, specifically estrogen, the arch of her foot in actually decreases, this is because estrogen is a soft tissue relaxant. This relaxation of already flexible tissue may cause the contour of a woman's foot to phase between a relatively high arch or a flat foot. This fluctuation in the arch makes it necessary for the midsole of a woman's boot to have an enhanced (stiffer) arch support.
One hiking boot manufacturer (Lowa) has taken the male-female variance in foot composition a step further as it also creates a difference in posturing. A man's posture and gait are less upright as a woman's, therefore, Lowa has designed a 2 degree offset into the ankle shaft of their men's hiking boots in an effort to provide a far more balanced stance. Given that ladies have a normally more upright stance, this offset does not need to exist in the ankle design of their women's hiking boots.
Being familiar with the variations between men's hiking boots and women's hiking boots can make it much simpler for you to select a suitable fitting boot. Just because a woman's foot is biologically smaller, you should not assume that purchasing a smaller sized man's boot is the approach to take. The best choice is to try on hiking boots that are specially designated as women's hiking boots. This immediately tells you that the manufacturer understands the distinctions between a man's foot and a woman's foot, and then has designed their boots to address those variations.