Help! Will I ever find the right shoes for my "weird feet"?

Posted by JB Smith, Co-Owner on April 17, 2012

Dear Ask the Shoe Fitter,

I have weird feet, judging by the way most shoe shapes are. I have trouble finding shoes that fit well. I have a normal width heel and a wide front, so that if I buy to fit the front of my foot the heel slips and if I buy to fit the heel the rest of my foot is squeezed.

Even though I mostly wear cross-trainer type shoes my pinkie toes have curled in over time because the shape of my foot doesn't match the shoes. This can be very irritating when I am walking or standing for long periods of time. I have even gotten blisters between my toes. The last thing about my feet is that I have very high arches; only about 4 square inches of my feet actually touch the ground when I'm standing flat, and it's all heel and ball. Insoles meant to provide arch support do not work well because my arch still doesn't rest on them. I believe this is what causes me to get pain in the top of my foot near my second and third toes. It's especially hard to find sizes that work, too, because I'm only a 6 1/2.

I have friends who have spoken at length about how much they love their silly-looking toe-glove minimalist shoes. I wear Injinji toe socks often to protect from toe blisters, so that idea appeals to me. My friends have also said it helps with foot pain by allowing you to build up muscle strength in the most anatomically useful areas of your foot, and they think this help me more than arch supports. Are they right, or am I better off hunting for the world's most extreme insoles?

Lastly, are there any particular brands of shoe that would work well for my foot shape? I'm thinking mainly of athletic shoes, but I also do wear strap sandals and more formal shoes. A few brands I have liked in the past are Chaco, Clarks and New Balance.

I'd love to come into your store directly but I am all the way across the state!

- CJ

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