u/Tidder_Me_Pink

After many rounds of trying the fit of various JG's, I went ahead pulled the trigger on a custom pair of boots.

I put in the order in mid June, and a couple days later they announced their new run of AnatomX African troopers!!

However, I'm more than happy that I did go for these customs, as they are double lined and use the full grain black leather for extra water resistance and protection. Needed in Scotland.

Also happy to support the great work that Jim Green do so no regrets at all.

I'm really glad I did try all the pairs I did before ordering, as these fit great right out of the box. Looking forward to breaking them in further as I'm sure they'll only get more comfortable.

I've been looking at a wide, zero drop replacement for outdoor biot/shoes, which lead me to JG's. I really like the commitment to quality leather and resole-ability. I live in the north of Scotland and most hill walks are going to involve trekking through heathrr and brush, so I was drawn to the African Troopers as an ideal solution. A tall boot. Reinforced toe, gusseted tongue.

After contacting their help I originally ordered size in a UK9.5 (1st picture). However my foot overhangs the welt quite a bit (red circle) and my pinky is clearly pushing against the outside (red arrow).

After some further guidance from their help - shout out to Rivalan for their endless patience - I decided to try a size UK10 African Trooper (2nd picture), as well as an AnatomX African Ranger (3rd picture).

At this point, I think it's clear that the zero drop last just isn't a good fit. The size UK10 BFAT clearly has loads of overhang on the outside of the welt.

The AnatomX have almost none - the two darker smudges on the BFAR are where the ball of foot/pinky line up. I'm not a fan of the collar, out of the box as it pinches and is quite stiff, but would likely soften with use.

My foot measures about 10.8cm across the ball of the foot.

QUESTION IS - Would the BFAT stretch to accommodate? Or should I stick with the AnatomX? Any experience would be greatly appreciated.

I'm aware another option may be to order a custom African Trooper/AR10 in the AnatomX last. Full grain leather as an option would improve water resistance as well. Not sure if they'd accommodate and what shipping to the UK would cost, but for a long-term boot solution I'm open to this idea.

Please keep me right, r/jimgreen!

Reaching out to folk who have experience with Jim Green boots - I recently bought a pair of Barefoot African Troopers from them after doing a fair bit of research on barefoot shoes that can be resoled, and barefoot boots that can be versatile. Also looked for taller boots as I live in Scotland and many hill walks don't have established paths, so the height really comes in handy. Was looking at leather specifically for longevity and the ability to apply wax for water resistance, as well as zero-drop and adequate width (not too fussy about ground feel for a boot I'd be using on wet/rock/mud trails). The thicker, nubuck-quality leather, speed hooks and resole-ability are all what I'm after!

I bought a size UK 9.5 after reaching out to them for advice on sizing, as the guidance isn't very helpful on their website. My feet measure 27.6cm in length and 10.8cm across the ball, with a ball circumference of 26.8cm (medium/high volume?) - but I don't have a wide toe splay so that's definitely the widest part of my foot. Definitely not a super toe spreader and a shoe like Realfoot's last would not be appropriate!

However, after wearing them it's clear that the width isn't nearly enough. I absolutely love everything else about these boots so I'm a bit torn and looking for advice.

The picture shows where the ball of my foot (circled) and my pinky (arrow) press against the side.

My options seem to be:

-I COULD wear these as is, and count on the leather stretching to accomodate.

-Or I could size up to a UK 10, which would give me a bit more width, but would also include more length and the sole already overhangs a fair bit on these.

-I could look at their AnatomX line up, which don't have the toe cap (which are good for kicking rocks on trails!) and only the new 719 limited run has decent height to it.

-Other brands? Nicks? Turiff? Bearfoot?

Hoping people can provide some help or guidance on what might fit for me! Otherwise ordering online is a game that can cause headaches.