You Can Teach Your Feet

The health of your feet is significantly impacted by how well your shoes fit. Your podiatry doctor is a good source of information on shoe sizing. Podiatrists can help you to prevent injuries and deformities from developing in your feet due to poorly fitting shoes that don't support the feet adequately.

The following are four things to know about sizing your shoes to keep your feet healthy and avoid foot injuries:

The best time of day to size your feet and try on shoes is at the end of the day

Your feet actually change slightly in size throughout the day. As the day goes on, an individual's feet tend to swell slightly and also flatten. Measuring your shoe size and trying on shoes at the end of the day is the best way to get an accurate fit that will lead to maximum comfort in new shoes.  

The size of an individual's feet changes over time

A lot of people assume that foot size stays the same after one reaches adulthood. However, this is not the case. As an individual ages, the ligaments and tissues in his or her feet tend to expand. Feet change not only in size but in shape as well throughout life.

It's therefore important to have a professional shoe fitting performed periodically throughout your life. This is especially important if you have a history of foot injuries and want to minimize your chances of experiencing future injuries in your feet. 

Sizes vary between different shoe manufacturers

It's important to try on each and every shoe you use before buying. There is, unfortunately, no uniform standardization of sizing between shoe manufacturers. A size nine from one shoe manufacturer can be significantly different from a size nine produced by another shoe manufacturer.

This means that you can't assume that a shoe of a certain size will necessarily fit you properly if you've never tried it on. Improper sizing in shoes can damage the feet and ankles over time. If your shoes don't support your arches properly, they also increase your chances of suffering leg injuries. 

You should wear appropriate socks when trying on shoes

Don't bother shoe shopping if you don't have appropriate socks with you. You should try on shoes while wearing the same type of sock that you'll always be wearing those shoes with. Attempting to try on dress shoes with athletic socks, for example, is likely to end with you purchasing improperly fitting shoes.