Whether hiking steep terrain, running along a trail or enjoying a casual walk around town, shoes that fit correctly are essential for the overall comfort and health of your feet. The following tips and techniques are designed to help you get a good fit. First, find your shoe size. This may seem obvious. But feet do change size over time, so if you haven't had yours measured in awhile, it's not a bad idea - especially before you order boots or shoes online. Measure your own feet 1. Grab a marker pen, a ruler and a piece of paper. insoles 2. Put on a pair of socks that you intend to wear with your shoes. Be aware that feet do tend to swell during the day, so it's always best to measure your feeet at the end of the day. 3. Sit down in a chair and put your foot flat on a piece of paper. Lean forward putting weight on the foot you are going to trace, then proceed to trace all around your foot. (As you probably know, feet are different sizes, so always trace your larger foot. ) 4. With a tape measure or ruler measure the tracing of your foot from the heel to the tip of your longest toe 5. Using the shoe size chart find your measurement. If your are between measurements, size up to the next largest size. It's easy to add an extra pair of socks to fill that extra room, but much harder to make a too-small pair of shoes feel comfortable. Note: Just because you are a size 9 in one pair of shoe does not mean you will be a 9 in another. Foot shapes and sizes vary between different brands of shoes. Please keep this in mind when using the sizing chart. Next, check the fit once you get your footwear. Your feet naturally swell during a day's activity. It's best to try on shoes towards the end of the day when your feet are more closely the size they'll be after you've been walking for a while. Check the initial fit. Seat your heels firmly into the heel cups of the shoes, lace them up and stand up. They should feel snug around the ball and instep of your foot, but loose enough that flexing your foot forward is not uncomfortable. Since most people have one foot that's slightly larger than the other, try on both shoes. Try to walk on both carpet and hard surfaces to get an idea of different surface traction. If possible, walk up and down an incline to check for foot movement inside the boots. Check for heel lift and toes touching the end of the shoes. Next, move up onto the balls of your feet. Now back on your heels. Do the shoes flex adequately with your feet Are they comfortable Don't be fooled that a shoe can be "broken in. " Sure, a shoe will become "softer" with wear, but a good-fitting shoe doesn't need to be broken in. You should be able to wiggle your toes inside the toe box (the front of the shoe). To see if you have enough room, slide your foot forward so your toes are just touching the end of the unlaced shoe. In this position, you should have a finger's width (about ") between the base of your heel and the shoe. This will allow toes to spread to keep your feet stable and provide room for natural foot swelling
09/09/2011
