Since the length of one size 8 shoe can be different from another size 8, what you measure and the size shoe you wear can vary, even among the same brand. Add to this the fact (and it is a fact) that most people are wearing shoes that are about 1/2 size too short! It’s no wonder that we end up confused by what the measurement devices say, what the shoe size is, and what feels like the right size.
Here is an easy way to see if you are wearing the right size shoe:
Length: Take the footbed out of the shoe and stand on it. Have someone look at the back of the footbed. Your heel should not be right at the back edge, but about 3/8 of an inch forward from the back, the same placement it would be as you stand in the shoe.
Then look to the front of the footbed. The ideal placement is 3/8 of an inch from the end of your longest toe to the end of the footbed. The middle image (2) represents 3/8 of an inch and that is what that measurement looks like. If it looks like the first image (1), the shoe length is is too long. If it looks like the third image (3), the shoe length is too short.
You can check the shoes you already own because your foot will have left its impression on the bedding. Compare it with these pictures and you will see whether you are wearing shoes that are too short, too long, or just about right.
1. 2. 3.
Width: Width isn’t as quick and easy to determine but here is how to do it:
We don’t stand on the footbed to assess width, so to check the right width, put the footbed back in and step into the shoe. If you have a lace-up shoe, first be sure the lacing is comfortably open to start. There are several indicators of correct width. Look at all 4 these factors to decide if you are in the right or wrong width shoe:
1. If you had to “push” your foot into a lace-up shoe with effort, you are bordering on needing more width. If you push your foot in without effort, you are closer to the right width. For loafers with a small opening, pushing into that opening with effort may be necessary but once in, if the foot doesn’t complete the motion easily, it is another indication the shoe may be too narrow.
2. If you feel pressure (vs. just feeling the shoe) across your midfoot and/or forefoot, the shoe is either not deep enough for the size of your foot or it is not wide enough.
3. Most shoes that are too narrow are felt first at the 1st and 5th toes. If you feel pressure at either spot, the shoe is not wide enough. Feeling the shoe in those spots is fine; it is the feeling of pressure that determines if the width is adequate. For the opposite, if you can see or feel gaps between the shoe leather and the 1st or 5th toes, the shoe may be too wide.
4. On lace-up shoes, the lacing should be straight all the way up and down if it is the correct width. This is called railroad lacing. When the railroad “tracks” get obviously wider or narrower at either end, it is telling you the shoes are either too wide (if they get narrower) or too narrow (they get wider). Check your lacing for comfort before making your final observation.