Shoes Issued in Boot Camp

[safmedina]

Hello! I am a female with small feet..EXTREMELY small feet. I'd say I am probably a size 2/3 in kids depending on the shoe. Does anyone know the smallest shoe size that is available at Boot Camp? I'm asking because I don't want to show up, choose a shoe size that doesn't fit, and have to stick with it throughout the next few months. Also, I don't want to waste anybody's time since other people have to get their shoes as well. I am also wondering if they even make combat boots my size?? If there are any fellow small footers in the Navy world please let me know!

[Soccer_cat]

One of the girls in my division had tiny feet too. She wore Nike running shoes that she wore to boot camp or were mailed. Not sure how but they won't make you wear shoes that are way too big! I'd ask your recruiter.

[jzhaun]

I wear about a 3~3.5 in kids, 5~5.5 in women's.

For shoes at bootcamp, they sized me as 5.5 running shoes, 4.5W boots, and 4.5XW dress shoes. The fitters are very experienced, they're not going to give you something that won't fit.

Of those three, the running shoes and boots were in stock. The dress shoes had to be special ordered and I didn't get them for a while, but that was because of the extra wide - I think if it had just been wide like the boots, they would have had it.

Looking on the NEX uniform page, the smallest sizes they list for boots or dress shoes is 4 (N, M, W, XW for boots or M, W for dress shoes). Anything smaller is probably a special order.

[safmedina]

Oh, thanks so much for the replies! Did the fitters measure your foot? I read in another thread that you stand on a machine that determines your shoe size and your arch. Is that true?

[jzhaun]

Honestly, it's been long enough for me that it's a little hard to remember. The running shoes size was definitely determined by a machine, also testing for how much arch support we needed. You get those ones in P days.

The boots and dress shoes (along with a lot of other uniform items) are a week or two later. I remember the fitters checking the fit for the boots (and if they didn't fit quite right they'd change the size and send you round again), and a lot of standing in lines, but I don't remember whether the initial size determination was on a machine or by a fitter.

[safmedina]

Thanks so much!

[YN2(AW)Williams]

Originally Posted by safmedina

Oh, thanks so much for the replies! Did the fitters measure your foot? I read in another thread that you stand on a machine that determines your shoe size and your arch. Is that true?

You do stand on a machine that determines your shoe size and arch for your initial issue PT shoes. However, the Navy is not pinching pennies so badly that if you are wearing a poorly fitting shoe that they are going to tell you to deal. It is in your best interest and their best interest to change out a poorly fitting shoe for something better, because you can potentially increase your chances to hurt yourself otherwise.

As for your boots and dress shoes, it is much more personalized and they allow chances for multiple trips through the line to get the fit right, especially your boots.