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Get The Right Fit!

The best pair of shoes in the world are worthless to the wearer if they fit incorrectly. Poorly fitting shoes are a major contributing factor to many foot maladies, among them ingrown toenails, blisters, calluses, etc.

Step 1:  Fit the arch of your foot first.

            The longitudinal arch of the foot is the area that spans from the heel to the ball of the foot. To properly fit a shoe to the arch of the foot, the ball of the foot must align with the "spade" of  the shoe, that is, the widest part of the forepart of the shoe, WHEN YOU ARE STANDING UP IN THE SHOE.  By insuring this alignment is correct, you not only insure that the arch of the shoe is the correct length for the arch of the foot, but this also places the widest part of the foot over the widest part of the shoe.

Step 2:  Adjust the width of the shoe to accommodate the width of your foot.

            After fitting the arch correctly, DO NOT ADJUST THE LENGTH OF THE SHOE TO OBTAIN THE CORRECT WIDTH! This is probably the most common fitting mistake made. The reason that this occurs so often is simple. Manufactures do not make widths in many of the shoes they produce, or the stores don't carry them! So lets imagine a scenario in which you have a wide foot. Since the shoe in which you are interested in is not available in a wide width, the next "logical" step is to try a larger ( longer ) shoe, because shoes are proportional, that is, they get wider as they get longer. But here is where the problem is introduced. When you go to the longer shoe, the arch length is no longer correct!

            Here is another scenario. Lets say your foot is narrow. Since the shoe feels to large in the correct length ( its not really, is just TOO WIDE ), again the "logical" thing to do is to try the next size down. Once again, this changes the arch fit of the shoe, making it incorrect and compressing the toes as they extend into the narrowing area of the toe space.

The only way to assure yourself of a proper fit, is to purchase shoes that are manufactured in sizes AND WIDTHS! Remember, get the length of the shoe right, and leave it alone. Adjust the width of the shoe by trying different widths, not by adjusting the length of the shoe. Always perform fit checks while standing in the shoes. Remember that your feet spread out when you have your weight on them.

Step 3: Check for proper toe length

            If you have performed the two previous steps properly, the toe length should be fine. Many people feel that the toe should reach the end of the shoe. This will only insure that your feet will feel cramped, proper interior ventilation will be inhibited, and you will wear out the linings of the shoe and the toes of your socks in a much shorter period of time. Proper toe room in a shoe should be at least the width of your little finger, somewhat more is probably better.

Your foot is a 3 dimensional object. When you surround your foot with a shoe, all three dimensions must be considered. Some folks have thick feet, some have thin feet. Some are long, some are short. Some have flat arches, and some have tremendously high arches. Feet come in all shapes and sizes, so getting a correct fit is just not that easy.

May we brag a little? We have over 100 years of fitting experience  represented in the employees that work at Norris Shoes. Many of our employees have been fitting shoes all their working lives, and take great pride and care to get our customers the best fit possible.

For more information on foot health and related issues, click the link  to be transported to The American Podiatric Medical Association.