“If the Shoe Fits Wear It!”
There have been several studies done that involved over 3000 patients that showed the majority of them were wearing improper shoes. Here are some of the findings:
- 98% of people wear shoes that are too short.
- 68% wear shoes that have an incorrect fit for depth, width and length.
- 88% of American women wear shoes that were narrower than their feet.
- 31% of men and 3% of women wore shoes that were at least 10 mm longer than their feet.
There is an average of 5 years since 26% of men and 47% of women had their foot size measured.
To insure a proper fit it is best to buy shoes in mid or late afternoon when your feet are slightly larger due to swelling. If you get your feet measured, I recommend that you be measured while standing to account for the changes in dimensions due to splaying of your foot from your body weight. There should be a 10 – 20 mm space between the end of the longest toe and the shoe. Shoes should fit well and feel comfortable while wearing in the store. You do not have to wait a year to have them “broken in.”
If your foot is starting to flatten out with age you may notice that some of your shoes that fit well in the past may feel too short. You can purchase an arch support which can raise your arch and give you more room at the end of the shoe for your toes.
Pregnant women may notice that their shoe size has increased. This is because of a yellow elastic ligament in the foot called the spring ligament which is hormonally regulated. This ligament stretches out and makes the foot more flexible to adapt to the weight gain of pregnancy. When this occurs the foot will flatten out and get longer.
Get measured… get comfortable.
