Shoes Buying Tips

• Shop for shoes later in the day; feet tend to swell during the day, and it’s best to be fitted while they are in that state.
• Have your feet measured while you’re standing.
• Always buy for the larger foot; feet are seldom precisely the same size.
• Always try on both shoes, and walk around the store.
• Don’t buy shoes that need a “break-in” period; shoes should be comfortable immediately.
• Don’t rely on the size of your last pair of shoes. Your feet do get larger, and lasts (shoemakers’ sizing molds) also vary.
• Be sure that shoes fit well—front, back, and sides
• Select a shoe with a leather upper, stiff heel counter, appropriate cushioning, and flexibility at the ball of the foot.
• Buy shoes that don’t pinch your toes, either at the tips, or across the toe box.
• Try on shoes while you’re wearing the same type of socks or stockings you expect to wear with the shoes.
• If you wear prescription orthotics—inserts prescribed by your podiatrist—you should take them along to shoe fittings.