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YSK roughly 2 out of 3 adults are wearing shoes that don’t fit, and it usually has nothing to do with the number on the box
a 2018 review of the research on shoe fit found that somewhere between 63% and 72% of people were wearing shoes that didn’t match either the length or the width of their feet.
part of it is that feet keep changing in adulthood. ligaments loosen and arches drop over time, which makes feet longer and wider. a University of Iowa study measured women’s feet early in pregnancy and again months after giving birth. the arches had permanently flattened and feet got 2 to 10mm longer, which is up to about a full shoe size. most of the change happened with the first pregnancy.
but the bigger thing is that heel-to-toe length is only one of three measurements, and it’s often not the one that matters most:
arch length: that metal sizing tool at shoe stores (a Brannock device) has a second slider that measures heel to the ball of your foot. if that reading says a bigger size than your heel-to-toe length, you’re supposed to go with the bigger one. people with long arches and short toes end up buying a size too small, and the ball of the foot sits in the wrong spot where the shoe bends
width: most shoes come in one default width. if your toes feel squeezed but going up a size makes your heel slip, you probably need a wide, not a bigger size
your longest toe might not be your big toe. for a lot of people the second toe sticks out further. the thumb’s width of space at the front should be measured from whichever toe is longest
also measure standing up, later in the day when feet are a little swollen, and fit the bigger foot since almost everyone has one slightly bigger than the other.
Why YSK: that same review linked poorly fitted shoes to corns, calluses, toe deformities and foot pain. most people assume that stuff is just normal and never connect it to their shoes.
#education
a 2018 review of the research on shoe fit found that somewhere between 63% and 72% of people were wearing shoes that didn’t match either the length or the width of their feet.
part of it is that feet keep changing in adulthood. ligaments loosen and arches drop over time, which makes feet longer and wider. a University of Iowa study measured women’s feet early in pregnancy and again months after giving birth. the arches had permanently flattened and feet got 2 to 10mm longer, which is up to about a full shoe size. most of the change happened with the first pregnancy.
but the bigger thing is that heel-to-toe length is only one of three measurements, and it’s often not the one that matters most:
arch length: that metal sizing tool at shoe stores (a Brannock device) has a second slider that measures heel to the ball of your foot. if that reading says a bigger size than your heel-to-toe length, you’re supposed to go with the bigger one. people with long arches and short toes end up buying a size too small, and the ball of the foot sits in the wrong spot where the shoe bends
width: most shoes come in one default width. if your toes feel squeezed but going up a size makes your heel slip, you probably need a wide, not a bigger size
your longest toe might not be your big toe. for a lot of people the second toe sticks out further. the thumb’s width of space at the front should be measured from whichever toe is longest
also measure standing up, later in the day when feet are a little swollen, and fit the bigger foot since almost everyone has one slightly bigger than the other.
Why YSK: that same review linked poorly fitted shoes to corns, calluses, toe deformities and foot pain. most people assume that stuff is just normal and never connect it to their shoes.
#education