Sizing Guidance

Sizing guidance is general in nature as every foot is different, but we have a few ways to help identify the best size for you. Our customers size down into our boots. From typical sneaker sizing, it can be up to a full size down for regular width feet or sometimes a half size down for people who have higher volume or wider feet. For example, if you take a sneaker size 10 across all sneakers you own, you're either going to be a 9.5 or 9 in our boots. Medium width and volume will be size 9, wider width and higher volume will be a 9.5 in this example. Sizing discussions are best had prior to order placement. Placing an order and asking if you ordered the right size in the comments section will delay your order because we need to then reach out to you to discuss what you asked about sizing.

General Sizing Info:

If you are unsure about sizing please reach out to info@parkhurstbrand.com for assistance prior to purchase. When reaching out, it would be greatly helpful to provide any of the below information if you have it:

  1. Brannock measurement.
  2. Sizes you take in other brands of footwear you own.
  3. Whether or not you have a wide, narrow or medium width.
  4. Whether or not you have a high, low or regular instep height.
  5. Any foot conditions - Collapsed arches, bunions, surgeries etc.

Note - if you have any of the below foot/ankle characteristics, you may need to size down a full size from Brannock:

  1. Low volume feet
  2. Low insteps
  3. Narrow feet
  4. Skinny/narrower ankles

Brannock Measurement

If you’re a standard (D) width as measured on the Brannock device, we suggest going a half size down into Parkhurst boots. For example, if you measure a 10D on the Brannock, we suggest a size 9.5 in our boots. We suggest taking your Brannock measurement if you measure a single E width on the Brannock device, have a wider forefoot or like to have a little extra room in your boots. If you have a narrow (C) width, have a low volume, narrow foot and/or thin ankles, we suggest going a full size down from your Brannock measurement.

Size Translations with Last

602 Last

This last has a slightly lower volume to provide a more comfortably snug fit and to help prevent heel slip while maintaining a rounder forefoot. Its features include a rounder, yet low profile toebox along with a tapered arch and a snug heel. The instep on this last is more contoured to the natural shape of a foot's instep angle. The taper in the arch and heel may help to provide a mild, yet natural arch support.

Brannock - Half size down if you're a D width, full size down if narrow or low volume + skinny ankles.

Alden Barrie and Trubalance - True to size if D width.

Red Wing No. 8 – True to size if D width.

Thursday Boot – True to size if D width.

Allen Edmond's – True to size if D width, half size down may apply depending on foot type.

Nike – Full size down if standard/medium width, half size down if width is slightly wider.

Adidas – Full size down if standard/medium width, half size down if width is slightly wider.

New Balance – Full size down if standard/medium width, half size down if width is slightly wider.

602M Last

This last is primarily used for Chelsea and moc toe boots in order to support the pattern for them. However we will be incorporating this last into Allen/Richmond production as well. The main difference between this last and the 602 is that the 602M has a touch more depth in the toebox and width in the pinky toe area.

Parkhurst 602 - True to size. If narrower feet, lower instep, skinny ankles or lower volume feet in general, a half size down may apply.

Brannock - Half size down if you're a D width, full size down if narrow or low volume.

Alden Trubalance – True to size if D width.

Alden Barrie – True to size if D width.

Allen Edmond's - True to size if D width, half size down may apply depending on foot type.

Red Wing – True to size if D width.

Nike – Full size down.

New Balance – Full size down.

Adidas – Full size down.


Wide Width's - Our regular width boots will not fit you if you're taking a wide width in every set of footwear you own, or if you're measuring a double E width on the Brannock. Our boots only fit a single E width as measured on the Brannock and a half size down or sizing equal to Brannock measurement may apply.
 

Shoes (Bidwell and Bidwell 2.0)

Our customers take either the same size in our shoes as they do in our boots, or sometimes they size down another half size. Sizing down in our shoes is mainly due to their heels being extra narrow, or having narrow and lower volume heels and ankles than normal.

My boots arrived, how should they fit and feel?

Our boots should fit comfortably snug on your foot. What does this mean? Your heel and arch should feel secure (maybe with a small bit of room depending on foot type) while still having some breathing room in the toebox. Some heel slip is common and should be expected in some cases because the insole has not yet been broken in. Keep in mind, your foot is pivoting and flexing with each step against a hard, smooth leather surface (the veg tan leather insole). Sometimes this may vary depending on foot type or if you have a foot condition. If there is a sharp or pinching feeling in the toebox, the boots are most likely too small for you, and you may need the next half size up. For those who have high insteps, the instep into the vamp might be snug at first but will stretch when breaking in. Socks make a difference too – a thin sock will take up less volume in the boot, creating some additional wiggle room, while a thicker sock will take up more volume in the boot, creating less wiggle room.

Width

This is the most important note of fit to pay attention to. You should have room to wiggle your toes a bit while having a comfortably secure feeling. If you feel any sharp or pinching feeling on the sides, then the size is likely a half size too small for you. Too often we have seen customers in other brands of footwear size smaller on purpose either thinking the toebox will "break in" when in reality it doesn't if the size is incorrect. We have also seen customers in other brands buy a boot which has the shortest length possible so as to make the boot feel closer to their toes - almost like a sneaker. This is a detrimental, yet very common sizing mistake. Welted footwear is not, and should not fit like a sneaker would. You should have some excess space in length of around 1 inch because this is needed in the design in order to balance width and ball proportions. Since our lasts run a slightly wider, there will be some extra length in the toebox.

Length

You should have up to or around 1 inch of extra room between the end of your longest or big toe and the end of the upper where it starts to curve downward towards the welt, aka, the toe slope. This figure will vary for people because it ultimately depends on width. If you're narrower, you will have less excess room because your foot will reach higher into the toebox/insole pattern. If you're wider, you may have right around the 1 inch mark or possibly slightly over the 1 inch mark left because your foot won't fit as far up the toebox/insole pattern due to your width stopping your foot from moving forward.

Can you tell me the outsole and insole length?

We don't give out this information because it's not an accurate indication of how your boots will fit, and it should generally not be used as a sizing tool. By giving out this information, we feel this actually may be misleading. Outsole and insole lengths across different brands, even though the same size, will almost always be different and fit differently. Pairing this with last volume and patterns, you can easily get different measurements than expected once the boot is finished being built even though it's the same size across brands. Different lasts and insoles from different brands will always have a difference in measurement due to the different shapes of both the lasts and insoles used. Therefore, you may notice length, width, ball and volume to all be different measurements from brand to brand, even though the boots may be the same stamped size.

What in general should I expect when buying new leather boots made like this?

Fit and Feel

The majority of the components used to build are boots are either leather or metal. This includes items such as veg tan leather heel counters, heel bases, midsoles, insoles and welts. Additionally, there is a metal shank in the arch area underneath the insole where cork is found. Therefore, you may notice the boots to be stiff all over when putting them on for the first time and for wearing them for the first few wears. The leather components, such as the heel counter and insole, will mold to your feet with wear, but may feel a bit stiff for the first few wears. Initially, it is common to experience some heel lift or slip because the insole has not yet been broken in. With wear, your feet will sink into the insole and the insole will conform to your feet. This helps to greatly to reduce any heel lift or slip you may experience. Some heel or general foot slip/movement out of the box is normal, but if you have a drastic amount of volume/space, you may need the next half size down.