How To Get a Proper Shoe Fit

They're gorgeous, they're hot, they're glamorous, they're on sale--and they pinch. So often we place the looks of a pair of shoes above the question of whether they fit properly, and so often we suffer for making that choice. Choosing shoes that fit properly is an important grooming task. Poor fit will in fact ruin the look we want to convey. For men and women, and especially for children, proper fit prevents balance, coordination and foot-health problems that can become permanent. Follow the steps below to check the fit of shoes before making a purchase that may have foolish and painful consequences.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Shoes Time Possibly a flexible attitude

How to get a proper shoe fit

1. Plan a brief preparation time before you go shoe-shopping. If shopping for yourself, wear the kind of hose you plan to wear with your new shoes: nylons for business pumps or party slings or your usual sport socks for new tennis shoes. Wear something with a suitable hemline to get the correct effect; you have laughed more than once at a teen trying on high heels in jeans and leg-warmers--don't let that be you. If shopping for children's shoes, make sure they are wearing the socks they will wear with the shoes--on small feet, even minor differences in thickness of socks can change the fit of shoes.

2. Anticipate problems. No matter how distracted, you need to try on both shoes, not just one--most of us have slightly different left-right fits. Walk around briefly. If you tend to turn one foot in as you walk, check that area on new shoes so you know what will happen with wear. Look in a mirror if possible. With children, examine their old shoes for particular areas of wear and factor that knowledge into new choices. Children tend to be so excited about new shoes they like that they are in no position to anticipate possible tripping hazards or potential sources of blisters.

3. Check shoe fit with your fingers. A heel fits properly if it is hard to insert your index finger completely between the back counter and the back of your foot. You can feel whether width is adequate or whether the bones at the base of your toes are straining against the shoe. We're familiar with pressing the toes of children's shoes to make sure there's room to grow, but adult shoes need to provide adequate toe space, too. A finger's width between toes and the shoe allow for natural expansion when walking.

4. Avoid choosing shoes that appear to need old-fashioned breaking in--that is, wearing for several weeks to mold the leather or fabric to your foot. Shoes tend to be made with thinner leather and a wide variety of synthetic materials that make this adjustment period a thing of the past (with the possible exception of leather hiking or riding boots, and even they should be comfortable when you try them on).

5. Make allowances for how shoes will fit under different circumstances. Business pumps not only get you around the office but also tackle that six-block walk to the train every day. The alcohol, salt, and prolonged standing that accompany cocktail parties or receptions tend to encourage swelling in the feet; skimpy, just-barely-fasten straps and extreme heels become a nightmare before you go home. Your sneakers need to be big enough for long walks--but not big enough that they'll trip you on the tennis court. Thinking about the work your shoes do will help you get a fit that's just right for you.

Tips & Warnings

• Although many shoe departments lack this service, every year or so adults should consider making a trip to a shoe store where their feet can be measured properly. Age and activity levels can change the shape of feet (one reason feet work so well is that they contain many flexible elements as well as bones.) An experienced shoe clerk can also spot developing problems, such as the beginnings of bunions, and can often offer good alternatives to prevent them from becoming worse.
• Especially for children, avoid plastic shoes or those with uppers of synthetic materials. Shoes are meant to stretch with feet, and these materials cannot do so. Further, synthetic shoes do not have the porous quality that enables leather to dispel extra moisture from the skin. The results can include greater risk of blisters and fungal foot infections.

References

• Shoe fit and foot health