If you have corns and calluses on your feet and often experience foot fatigue, it might be high time to evaluate what size of shoes do you wear, and if it is actually the right one for you.
The first, and if not the most important, rule when choosing your shoes is to make sure that it fits you well. No amount of features or style can compensate for wrong shoe size as it will only result to being uncomfortable and constantly feeling in pain.
Luckily, it is easy to know whether the size you are wearing is the right one for you. In this article, we will give you some tips on how to identify your true shoe size.
Men
If you will notice, men shoe size often varies depending on the shoe brand—this is primarily because manufacturers use different shoe mold which results to size differences. Because of this, men should make it a point to have their foot measured the old-fashioned way so they can know your actual foot size in centimeters or inches.
Knowing your true size should help you pick the size closest to yours. Just remember, though, to have it measured standing up as feet has tendency to swell when weight is put on them.
With regards to shoe fit, take note that it should never be too tight or too fitted on your feet. Since men typically moves a lot, your shoes should have an extra space to allow comfortable walking or light running. It is advised that you get shoes with extra half an inch in front and 1/8 of an inch at the back to allow some movements. With this, you are kept away from painful blisters or unsightly callouses.
Another factor to consider it the actual feel of the shoe. Are you comfortable with the material or the sole? It might be the right shoe size, but the design may feel a bit too tight to you, or maybe the material is rubbing on top of your toes?
Trust your feeling, and walk around the store with the shoes on before purchasing. This will give you a quick idea on the comfort level of the shoe and if it’s something that you can use for long periods of time.
Women
Women are lucky as they have tons and tons of shoe style to choose from, but this makes it a lot harder for them to know their true size as most brands follow different sizing. Much like in the case for men’s shoes, women are advised to have their foot measured with the good-old measuring tape to know their real foot size.
If you find it hard to get the exact measurement by yourself, ask help from your trusted sales person. Knowing your real foot size will make your shoe shopping a lot easier since you can always pick the size closest to yours.
Another thing that women should keep in mind when choosing the correct shoe size is their feet’s width. Make sure that all your toes are laid flat comfortably and are not being squashed, otherwise it will only result to blisters and calluses just the same. Adding half-an-inch space allowance on your shoe size is advisable so that your feet have room for movement.
Shoe style is also a factor women should consider as, sometime, form and design can alter shoe sizing. Take in the case of narrow-pointed shoes—they may seem bigger in length compared to your usual sandals, but in reality, offers the same foot space.
The extra inches that come with this shoe style are purely for aesthetic. With that, women should know how to be fluid with their shoe size and adjust accordingly.
*** Pregnant Women ***
As they say women undergo a lot of changes when they get pregnant, and that includes their foot size. Swelling of feet is very common with pregnant so make sure you get yours re-measured. Knowing your correct shoe size during this phase is important since your feet is supporting additional weight, which makes them more susceptible to foot fatigue and cramp.
Women should also consider the activities they will be doing during their pregnancy. Taking long walks are advised during this time so your shoes should be not too tight nor too loose. You may choose to add half inch to your shoe size so your feet have enough space to move around.
Kids
Kids are hyperactive and full of energy. Their shoes should be able to cope up with all their activities. You do not want to ruin your children’s playtime just because of wrong shoe size.
Although a lot of shoe brands have a sizing guide for kids based on their age, do not solely rely on it as kids grow up in different rates. Your toddler can have wider and longer feet at the age of 5 compared to others of the same age group.
There are number of ways to know your kids’ correct shoe size. You can measure it, or you can also let them try shoe sizes and ask them to run or walk with it. Since kids are almost always wearing socks, it is also advisable to have them try shoes with their socks on. The allowance for the socks may not look as a big deal, but it can definitely alter shoe size.
Conclusion
All in all, the first step to getting the right shoes is to get it in your correct shoe size. Getting shoes that are too tight will result to unsightly callouses and painful blisters; get it too loose and it will just be down and simple uncomfortable.
There are number of factors why shoe size changes, it might be because of the shoe style or the brand, or even the country where the shoes are made or sold. US, UK, and Australia follow different sizing rules; thus, your shoe size back home may not be the same for other countries.
At the end of the day, remember, that the question what size of shoes do you wear should be always answered with the size you are most comfortable in.
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