How Do I Know Which Shoes Are Right for My Feet?

Walk into almost any shoe store—or start searching online—and the number of choices can be overwhelming. Neutral, stability, cushioned, wide, extra-wide, high arch, low arch, walking, running…the list goes on.

So, how do you know which shoes are actually right for your feet?

After years of fitting customers at SHOES-n-FEET, one thing I've learned is that there isn't one "best shoe." The best shoe is the one that fits your feet properly, works with how your body moves, and matches what you're actually going to do in it.

And finding that shoe usually starts with something other than looking at a wall of shoes.

Start With What You're Going to Do in the Shoes

When someone comes into our store and says, "I need a good pair of shoes," I don't immediately start pulling shoes off the wall.

I start asking questions.

What are you going to use the shoes for? Walking? Running? Work? Travel? Standing all day?

Are you currently experiencing foot pain—or pain somewhere else in your body?

Have you had trouble finding comfortable shoes in the past?

And what shoes have worked—or haven't worked—for you before?

Those answers give us a much better starting point than simply asking, "What size do you wear?"

Because shoe size is only one small part of finding the right shoe.

Your Feet Need to Be Evaluated in Motion

One of the most valuable things we do actually happens before the customer realizes we're doing it.

We watch them walk into the store.

That's often one of our best opportunities to see someone's natural gait because they aren't thinking about how they're walking.

Then we'll have the customer take their shoes off and look at their feet while they're sitting and not bearing weight. Next, we'll have them stand and see what changes.

What happens to the arches when weight is applied?

We may repeat the process several times to see how each foot responds.

We'll also look from behind at the Achilles and heel to see what's happening with heel movement and rotation. Finally, we'll watch the person walk again, looking not only at the feet but also at what's happening farther up the body, including the knees and hips.

Feet aren't static.

How your foot looks sitting in a chair doesn't necessarily tell us what it does when you're standing, walking or running.

That's one reason simply knowing your "arch type" isn't enough to determine which shoe you should buy.

Talk to a Professional and get your Feet Measured

Make sure that every time you get your feet measured.  Often times the right shoe just might be a different size or width than you traditionally wear.  A Shoe Fitting Specialist knows this and by looking at your feet while they are getting measured they often know what shoes in the stockroom will be the perfect fit.