I work at a podiatry clinic. Feet are so important, and a lot of people don’t take care of them as well as they should, which is a shame because so many foot and toenail issues are preventable. I also know that orthotics and orthopedic footwear can be prohibitively expensive, especially if you don’t have insurance. I started teaching patients what to look for when buying shoes themselves so that they can try to find deals at thrift stores or malls etc., and I thought I’d share here in case it might help other frugal people. I'm sorry if this isn't allowed here!
The first thing you should do is trace both feet on to a sheet of paper-- this way, when you do go shopping for shoes, you have a quick little thing handy that you can just put the shoe on. If the shoe’s width or length doesn’t match the sketch, forget about it. Write down the measurements from your toe to heel and the width at the widest part for your own records. If you find that your feet swell because of edaema, of if one foot is significantly larger than the other (due to surgery, pregnancy, weight changes, etc.), consider making multiple sketches at different times of the day for a week to see if there are any drastic changes.
If you can, try to get yourself sized properly. Just walk into any shoe store and have them measure you-- or, if your insurance covers visits to the podiatrist, get sized there if it’s affordable for you. FWIW, a lot of chiropodists/podiatrists might not charge you for sizing and treat it like a consultation, but YMMV and it's always worth calling a clinic to ask about that. Write all your sizing information (including the width and ball measurements) on your own sketch, and make sure you label what sizing system they measured you with (ex Drew Shoes sizing vs standard sizing etc.); also, keep in mind that a lot of different companies have their own specific sizing, and ask if your podiatrist has different measurement devices for different companies. If not, just visit multiple stores to be sized. Patients have done well with New Balance shoes in particular, so if you can find deals on those they’re worth it. Nikes and Reeboks aren’t the greatest, just because they’re more for the aesthetics rather than actual comfort and foot health. Also, it’s worth writing down your measurements in both men’s and women’s shoes, particularly if you prefer men’s shoes but have smaller feet, or like women’s shoes but have larger feet.
Once you’ve found a shoe that you like and that matches up to your sketch, you have to see whether or not it’s a good shoe.
- Pick it up and notice how heavy it is. Generally speaking, you’ll want a shoe that’s light so that it’s not cumbersome to walk in.
- A good shoe cannot bend in the middle, but the front where your toes are needs to be flexible; if a shoe can bend in the middle (imagine trying to fold it in half, bringing the toe box to the opening of the shoe), you need to put it down and ignore it forever. This is the most important thing to look for in a shoe so please be mindful.
- This isn’t necessary, but if you feel like you need more ankle support and can afford it, see if the area around the opening of the shoe is rigid. To do this, pick up the shoe from the back so that your fingers are around the area below the opening and the shoe is just horizontal as if it was on the floor, and pinch. If the shoe is rigid in that area on the sides and on the back of the opening, that’s pretty decent ankle support.
After you’ve done all that, try the shoes on, remembering that you shouldn’t be able to fit a finger behind, that you should be able to wiggle your toes without anything pinching anywhere, and that you must have enough room for the ball of your foot. Make sure you walk around in them a bit, and that you're not slipping out and that there's nothing that's scratching you or being ridiculous on the inside. You absolutely do not need to buy shoes that are two sizes bigger, and you shouldn’t rely on breaking the shoes in to make them fit. You need to find shoes that fit the first time you try them on, so that you don’t waste your money or hurt yourself. It's also important to check your sizing at least once a year, just in case it changes for whatever reason.
Also, it’s worth keeping in mind that lace-up shoes are the most supportive, but if you need to use bungee cords for whatever reason, those are better than slip-ons for most people. It’s also better to try on shoes towards the end of the day after you’ve been up and about for a bit, and make sure you wear the sock type you plan on wearing most often with those shoes. If you plan on eventually getting insoles, I usually recommend that patients take out the existing insoles so that they’re not being pushed out of their shoes, but otherwise just make sure the depth of the shoe is deep enough to accommodate two layers if you’re really insistent about it.
Anyway, I hope this helps someone out on this sub. :)
EDIT: added bold text to make this easier to skim and fixed formatting.
EDIT 2: added information on feet changes due to pregnancy etc.
August 24, 2018 at 11:45PM
