Just got myself a very nice new pair of hiking boots; Hanwag Lhasa II, Yak leather and leather lining etc (no Goretex membrane or any thing like that.

I feel like they are a bit tight in terms of width but hard to be sure. They are not REALLY uncomfortable but they do feel snug. Do I send them back and get a wide fit or do I wear them out as much as possible and hope the leather will give. Hanwag reckon they will loosen up and previous experience with leather shoes (haven’t had hiking boots for years…) tells me they will do a bit.

Any tips welcome!

I think there can be a little bit of give. I was unsure about my leather boots when I bought them as they felt ever so slightly narrow (snug). Very comfortable now.

Make sure you’ve tried them in good thick socks that you intend to walk in though.

They will stretch slightly but it takes time.

Do some test in your house wearing the socks you plan to wear with them. Try different sock combinations too.

width
Only you can decide if they are wide enough. Wear them in house for a hour or so, go up and down the stairs. See how they feel

length
Push your toes slightly forward so they touch the front of the boot, can you get a finger behind your heel? If not they aren’t long enough.
Conversely, if you’re experiencing lots of heel lift inside the boot when laced-up  they could be a touch too long.

One pair of socks or two? I

Tricky one. Personally I prefer a boot that is on the loose side rather than on the tight side but I do have odd shaped feet

This is why I would not buy boots online as I want to try them on and to be able to return them easily if they do not fit

It sounds like you got them mail order. I’d order a pair in wide while you’ve still got the other pair and can compare them side by side, then send back the pair I didn’t want.

I feel like they are a bit tight in terms of width but hard to be sure. They are not REALLY uncomfortable but they do feel snug. Do I send them back and get a wide fit or do I wear them out as much as possible and hope the leather will give. Hanwag reckon they will loosen up and previous experience with leather shoes (haven’t had hiking boots for years…) tells me they will do a bit.

One quick point, bear in mind that your feet tend to swell during the day and in hot weather / on multi-day ultra races too apparently, so if the boots are worryingly snug in the morning, you may need to take that into account. Other than that, it really is an ‘only you can tell’ thing. You might also want to look into whether yak leather is more or less likely to give than cow hide.

The getting some wide versions in to try is a good call too. If they feel immmediately right, you’ve got your answer, no?

One pair of socks or two?

Thin Coolmax inners then outers to suit conditions. I use Bridgedale mid-weight socks mostly but heavier Thorlo mountaineering socks in winter boots.