Shoe Fit Guide: Tips & Suggestions

Maximizing the way the new shoe fits around your foot is crucial to your overall comfort level and balance. Fit can affect your posture, chiropractic health and even your circulation. Some tips toward improving this are:

1. Most feet begin to swell and change shape through the day. Prolonged sitting affects the feet as well. Therefore, either try on or measure your feet later as opposed to the a.m.
   
   
2. Toenails should be clipped, and socks should conform without being constricting or without excessive padding. Noting that extra thick socks can bring on a counter-effect that the foot reacts to.
   
   
3. Your toes should never reach the inner front of the shoe, the toe box - leaving about 3/8" space to the frontmost toe, without leaving too much room. Knowing that pressing the end of the shoe, feeling for the end, is not the same throughout the course of the day.
   
   
4. Leave adequate room at the width. Don't simply accept too tight of shoes at the sides - many designer models are cut somewhat narrow, but if this is the case with you, keeping looking and seek a wider E. See our charts of mens wide and womens wide brands. If yours is a wide or unusual contour, find a brand/type you like and lean toward it in the future.
   
   
5. Materials used in the construction of the shoe do matter. Some of the softer leathers such as calfskin may be more pliable than heavier skins, and will usually stretch more. But it is important not to pressure this too much - over time this might cause failure at the welt/sole, the vamp and the lining however this is based mostly on the shoe, although consider the pressure exerted on your foot itself simultaneously.
   
   
6. Don't allow for excessive movement of your foot within the shoe as you stride. Many shoes have a tendency to slip at the rear and through the insole - look for more of an equal, subtle pressure to hold your foot.
   
   
7. The feel of the insole should naturally conform to your arch.
   
   
8. Cushioning is admittedly lacking in many styles of pairs on the market. If you find a pair you like otherwise, check into a pair of quality insoles ideally at the time of trying on. Aged feet are normally more sensitive to how the shock is absorbed on the ground.
   
   
9. The tongue should be stabile and with adequate padding. This is not as realistic with dress shoes of course as comfort, casual & walking shoes. And setting the clog and slip-on aside, the most stabile are integrated, single piece tongues (sometimes waterproof) - that could also be stretchable (some dress footwear). Lace-through tongues are more for walkers but see while trying them on if they stay put, removing the foot and then slipping it back in.
   
   
10. The outsole and tread pattern affects the gait, and the safety of the walker. Make sure these grip wherever you will be going.
    

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To reveal your foot pattern, simply dip your feet in water and step out onto an impressionable fabric or a doubled-up paper towel:

Flat Foot - pes planus

The foot that is flat, or that has a low-lying arch, meets the floor when the person stands. Pes planus is fairly common in young people before the arch develops. Those with flat feet are normally susceptible to pronation -- where the heel lands and the foot rolls inward. Arch supports may well be needed and, depending on the particular foot in question, the ones to seek with your health-as-a-priority could be medical professionals.

Normal Arch

The normal arch hits the walking surface forming an according pattern, with the balls and heel of the foot conjoined by a so-called normal width at the bottom. There is little if any pronation. And most people do have a normally formed arch.

High Arch - pes cavus

The case of the high arch, also know as pes cavus, is identified with its pronounced instep and it occurs less frequent than the flat foot. While there are different degrees of higher arches, such a condition can prove to be a source of pain. After heel contact, the high arch is apt to roll outward, or supinate.

Support is often needed and attaining a proper shoe fit can be a particular challenge. Since there are serious risk implications, medical professionals should be the ones consulted.