SOME PRACTICAL TIPS WHEN BUYING SHOES

Check list for trying good leather shoes

•               Try on the new shoes in the afternoon or evening. During the course of the day our feet normally swell a little. Buying shoes later in the day helps assure a better fit.

•               Often one of your feet is a little longer than the other one. Try first the shoe size that fits your larger foot. It is good idea to stand up for a correct fitting.

•               Always try on and lace both shoes and walk around to check for comfort.

•               Wear always the same type of sock you plan to wear with your new shoes.

•               There should be approximately ½ inch of space between the end of your longest toe and the end of the toe box, or roughly your thumb width sideways.

•               Do not buy shoes that feel like they need to be broken in.

•               One should be able to wiggle one’s toes upwards.

•               One should be able to squeeze a ripple in the shoe between the 1st and 5th toes, signifying adequate space in the toe box.

•               Twist the shoe along its length to check for excessive flexibility.

•               Squeeze the heel counter to check for firmness. It should be firm and difficult to pinch since it stabilizes and prevents slippage at the heel.

•               Bend the front part of the shoe upwards. It should bend in the area of the toe box. If the shoe bends in the area of the laces or the middle of the shoe, it is excessively flexible.

•               When lacing up the shoe, the width of the lace holes should be the same all the way to the top. If not, it may be not the correct size.