Where can I buy women's size 5 hiking boots in LA today?

May 29, 2014 4:24 PM

Help! Where can I buy women's size 5 hiking boots in Los Angeles today? For some reason it's really hard to find shoes in my size, let alone shoes that are reasonably priced and for a specific purpose without ordering them online. Unfortunately, the window for ordering online has passed. Walking shoes will do as long as my size is in stock. Where can I go shopping tonight or tomorrow night and know they'll have something in my size? Small size shoe wearers, WHERE DO YOU SHOP? (As always, cheaper is better)
posted by Space Kitty to Shopping (18 answers total)

I believe that REI has at least one store in LA area - I'd call and ask if they have boots in your size. It will be helpful to narrow it down - it sounds as though you are looking for "light hikers" - i.e. you won't be carrying 40 lbs on your back.
Kids sizes might also work for you, unless your feet are wider than most children?
posted by dbmcd at 4:26 PM on May 29, 2014

A quick look shows that REI has these shoes available in size 5 in stock in several LA-area stores. I suspect they have more options also, if you poke around, I just did a cursory look. Calling them would be good too.
posted by brainmouse at 4:27 PM on May 29, 2014

If (for whatever reason) REI doesn't work out, you might also try Adventure 16.
posted by mykescipark at 4:31 PM on May 29, 2014

We're talking Pico & the 405, so not exactly convenient, but I'll second Adventure 16. They're good shoe fitters, and have a great selection of shoes. They're not cheap, it's basically niche retail pricing. But they have a decent sale selection too: I got to choose between three or four pairs of shoes in the category of shoe I wanted that were all on sale. Worth a call.
posted by carsonb at 4:35 PM on May 29, 2014

One thing to consider is buying youth sizes. My daughter wears a women's size 6, which is the same as a size 4 in either boys or girls youth sizes. A size 5 in women's should be a size 3 in youth. This obviously won't help when you need to buy 3" platform heels, but for sports shoes it's not a bad option to be aware of. Youth shoes are also often priced cheaper than the equivalent adult shoe.
posted by drlith at 5:03 PM on May 29, 2014 [3 favorites]

I'd say A-16 or REI, but at least in my neck of the woods (corporate HQ store in San Diego), A-16 is generally regarded as being far superior for making sure you get the right boot, if getting the right boot is somewhat of an important thing for you.

If you're getting hiking boots and time is of the essence (like, you're going hiking tomorrow), I'd suspect that you won't have time to properly break in a pair of full-grain leather boots, so A-16 might be overkill anyway. If you're just planning on doing dayhikes for the most part, that's perfectly fine, and a suede/nylon mesh boot will be ok, but mention to the salesperson that you won't have much break-in time so that they can steer you away from boots that will be more likely to hurt your feet without the break-in.
posted by LionIndex at 5:17 PM on May 29, 2014 [1 favorite]

I'm also a size 5 women's.

My life has been much better since I started buying kids shoes. Size 3 or 4 usually works.

(And it's cheaper, besides!)
posted by leahwrenn at 5:30 PM on May 29, 2014

If you just want more sneaker-type hikers, not a a full leather boot, and cant face west LA, there is a discount shoe store at hollywood and western (cant remember name, its like a DSW in size, but not that brand) that has some sneaker-type shoes last time I was there. Off broadway shoes on sunset near highland is enormous and has sneaker/hikers in womens and kids sizes too.

I liked adventure 16, but it is pricey and has never had a wide variety of sizes or styles when I went a few times per year from 2007-2010 (I wear a 9.5 or 10, looking for real hiking boots, they had 10 styles but only 2 in my size). REI had a larger selection of styles and sizes. YMMV of course!
posted by holyrood at 5:45 PM on May 29, 2014

People have already recommended REI, but if you do go there check out their returns/open box department. It's usually a few shelves and racks right near their rentals department. It's where peoples online orders who either over or under sized end up, and as someone with aircraft carrier feet it's a godsend.

I saw an awful lot of small shoes last time i was down there too, is why i'm mentioning. The prices rule too, i got close to $200 shoes for $60 last time i was there, and i was debating whether they had even actually been worn beyond "insert feet, blatantly doesn't fit, return". It's also a goldmine for kids shoes if you were gonna go that route, since tons of parents buy their kids shmancy hiking boots and then just return them apparently.
posted by emptythought at 6:02 PM on May 29, 2014

Yes REI, but with additional guidance that you can buy the Keen brand of hiking shoes there, but in children's sizes (I wear a 6 and I do this- their kid sizes extend pretty high), and they will be half the price of the women's.
posted by charmedimsure at 6:37 PM on May 29, 2014

Nthing buying kids shoes. Usually this is hit-or-miss for me because kids shoes are lower quality, but I have a pair of north face hiking boots that came from the REI youth section and they were not only a great deal ($40) but also have lasted 3 years of serious use.
posted by tinymegalo at 6:41 PM on May 29, 2014

Yeah, pretty much the answer to this is REI (Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, Arcadia), or the (original?) Sports Chalet in La Canada, which is awesome (Or was when I was a kid which was awesome-long ago; they had a really short ski slope in the parking lot so you could test your boots and fittings!). (Bought boots, tents, assorted camping gear from there back in the day. But my foot size is pretty standard.)

Call ahead is probably the best advice.

*Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, Arcadia. We do not mess around when it comes to marketable suburban town names in SoCal.
posted by notyou at 6:50 PM on May 29, 2014

I would go with a quality kids shoe. I am slightly smaller than a 5. I would say go to REI or check online for kids sizes. LL bean might have something, or land's end.
posted by Jewel98 at 7:40 PM on May 29, 2014

Bring some tennies along on your hike. You don't want to be an hour along and discover your new boots are destroying your feet and you don't have any alternatives. Also bring moleskin and hiking-type liner socks (or the ends of pantyhose).

Check your feet for "hot spots' frequently while you hike. Spend a minute reading about blister treatment and prevention.
posted by sebastienbailard at 7:53 PM on May 29, 2014

I wear a size four, so I definitely feel your pain. I've actually been veering away from wearing kids shoes because they do not offer the support or quality I need. However, my hiking boots solution is a pair of kids hiking shoes (mine are from LL Bean but REI will have great options) with a set of Superfeet insoles inside. It works pretty well, and an REI employee can help you choose the right insoles for your feet.
posted by imalaowai at 9:46 PM on May 29, 2014

Sport Chalet.
posted by artdrectr at 10:50 PM on May 29, 2014

Seems like the hiking shoes are covered! For fancier shoe needs, I shop at Nordstrom/Rack. Size 4-5.
posted by driedmango at 8:01 PM on May 30, 2014

Response by poster: Good news: I ended up getting a child's size 4 at Big 5 for $20.00.
Bad news: I took them on their first hike yesterday and they're STILL TOO BIG.

Result: Hiking is going to be a thing I'll be doing, so I'm going to stick a crowbar into my wallet and go to REI for a proper fitting.

Thanks!
posted by Space Kitty at 12:44 PM on June 29, 2014 [1 favorite]