At the factory a boot or shoe is given its own, specific form, this is defined by the last. A last is a model rather like an artificial foot. It is made either from a solid piece of wood or plastic and it is around this that the boot is constructed. The last should correspond to the actual foot that will wear it. If it doesn’t, every step you take will be painful and every hike will be pure torture.
For more information about the different lasts we use, and a comparison of how they fit, please see the following article: The Hanwag Fit.