Guide to Buying Shoes.

Badly fitting footwear can be very damaging to feet. In fact, many foot problems occur because of poorly fitting shoes. To help avoid damage to your feet, try applying the following rules when you buy shoes.

Children have special needs please check the Guide to Children’s Shoes.

WHAT to LOOK FOR.

HEEL: This takes a large proportion of a person's weight. Unfortunately, the height of the heel is often determined by fashion, not by the needs of our feet. Ideally, the heel should have a broad base and the heel height should be no greater than 4 cm.

HEEL COUNTER: The portion of the shoe that grasps the heel of the foot at the sides and back, preventing the heel from sliding up and down while walking. Most importantly, it stabilises or helps maintain the position of the heel when the shoe contacts the ground. As the heel counter softens or breaks down and loses its shape, the shoe becomes less supportive. Not all shoes have a heel counter. The heel counter should complement the shape of the heel of the foot.

SOLE: The entire bottom of the shoe. It should be flat, except for a gentle slope upwards under the toes.

UPPER: The material that forms the main part of the shoe covering the top of the foot. Ideally, it is composed of a natural material, e.g.. leather.

LINING: Found inside the shoe and should be smooth and without seams.

FASTENINGS: This holds the foot in the shoe. Shoes should have laces, straps with buckles, or velcro to keep them in place. 'Slip on' shoes are kept in place either because they are too small for the foot, or by curling the toes.

Simple way of checking shoe size and fit

Determine your foot length from the tip of your longest toe. In many people, this is the 2nd toe, not the big toe! The correct length of a shoe can be determined by standing barefoot on a piece of thin cardboard and marking the place reached by the longest toe. When the cardboard is cut into a thin strip and inserted into a shoe, there should be 1 cm between the end of the cardboard and the heel of the shoe. The width of the foot should correspond with the widest part of the foot while standing. Your shoe width size should match your foot width.