- Have the salesperson measure both of your feet while you’re standing up, because yourfeet expand under the weight of your body.
- You should always go for shoe shopping during late afternoon or early evening, as your feet can get swell in during this time.
- It’s always a probability that one of your feet is bigger than the another one, so in that case you should always buy your footwear according to the bigger feet.
- There should be half an inch space between the tip of the longest toe (generally the great toe) and the end of the shoe.
- You should also try the shoes with socks on to see if that fit you well.
- You should always go for shoes that carry lace, buckle, Velcro or have some type of strapping mechanism as it provides more support to your arch.
- You should always check whether the shoe’s construction is done systematically in all the various parts like –
- The toe box: The shoe should bend in the toe box, not the arch. Make sure that your toes do not feel pinched or cramped, and that none of your toes are pushed over another toe. This means generally the toe box of the shoe should be broad enough to accommodate all the toes comfortably. Actually, the shapes of the feet vary widely and you should determine if the toe box is appropriate for your foot. It is not just the shape of the toe box but also the depth. For example a deeper toe box will have more room to accommodate a wide forefoot
- The Arch: A good stable arch will provide you with more support. It should not be flexible. You should not be able to easily squeeze the heel counter in on a new pair of shoes.
- The sole: The insole should be well padded and soft to have enough shock absorption on impact. Rough or hard insoles can cause a lot of pain. The insole should also be shaped according to the shape of the sole of the foot. An insole with an inner arch to match the normal foot arch is recommended.
- The heel: It is generally recommended to have a shoe with a small heel of about half an inch and it should be continuous raise towards the heel and not an abrupt heel.
