How to Select the Right Shoes for Your Feet with Guide to Measure Your Foot Size

As per an old survey, as many as 80% of men wear the wrong shoe size and one-third of women in the world have claimed to have harmed their feet by wearing a wrong-fitting shoe. Knowing how to choose the right shoes for your feet online with the right fitting & shoe size is more important than we think. It can save you from calluses, blisters, bunions, corns & other problems.

So in this article, we are sharing how to find the right shoes for your feet with the best fitting & how to measure your foot size (India) & choose your shoe size for online shopping.

We will be looking at the following:

1. Why is selecting the right shoe for your feet important

2. Steps to measure your shoe size (India)

3. How to measure shoe size for shopping online

4. How to select the right shoes for your feet with the best fitting

5. Shoes for different types of activities - which one do you need?

6. FAQ on choosing the right shoes for your feet

1. Comfort: Shoes are designed to provide comfort to your feet. Its cushioning midsole absorbs some of the force when your feet touch the ground and in turn, it increases the time taken for the force to apply to your body. The insole provides a padded surface to walk on.

2. Health: Whether you have a foot ailment or not, wearing a right-fit shoe can help you keep your feet away from other foot problems such as blisters, corns, and bunions. The right size shoe or footwear can also provide support to your foot alignment and even help maintain a good body posture.
   

3. Safety: Selecting the right shoe size and fit also ensures your safety from long-term foot problems. It also keeps you safe from injuries while playing sports activities by providing your feet with comfort and support.
   

If you already know your shoe size and how to select your shoe size online on Amazon, Flipkart & Meesho, skip to the next point - click here - "How to pick the right shoes for your feet"

To choose the right shoe for your feet online, you need to know your shoe size. The wrong shoe size cannot provide you with the best fitting and comfort and may even cause foot problems. The good news is measuring your shoe size is super easy and you can easily measure your shoe size at home.

Here’s how to measure your shoe size step-by-step at home

1. Place both of your feet on a plain floor on a piece of paper

2. Pin the paper or stick it to avoid moving the paper while measuring your feet' size

3. (Optional) Mark a dot at the tip of your longest toe and back and follow the below steps for more accuracy

4. Take a measuring tape or scale and place it straight from the highest tip of your longest toe to the back

5. Avoid placing your tape in a diagonal or tilted position to get accurate measurements of your feet

6. Note the length of your foot

7. Follow the same process for the other foot measurements as many people tend to have one bigger and one smaller foot size

8. Once you are done measuring your feet size, subtract the length of your feet by 3/16

9. Always go with the larger foot size measurement. For example, if your bigger foot has a 9-inch length and your smaller foot has an 8.7-inch length, go with the 9-inch length.

10. You can also wear socks while measuring your feet size if you are going to be wearing socks in your shoes

11. Once you have your final feet size measurements, compare them next to the standard sizing chart of the respective country or brand you want to shop from

Different brands may have different sizing charts. However, most top brands do have a standard size chart.

Measuring feet width size is optional. A correct shoe width size is crucial to give you the right fitting. However, most of the standard shoe sizes are proportional to the foot's width size.

To measure your shoe size for shopping online, compare your feet measurements or feet size next to the below standard sizing charts for men and women, respectively. Note that your standard footwear size may differ from the label footwear size.

For example, if you are a woman and your standard footwear size is 9 UK/India, your same shoe size for a label like Levis would be 10.5 as per their shoe sizing chart. Standard shoe size and label shoe size are different and must be checked separately.

Amazon: To select your footwear size online on Amazon, compare your foot measurements next to the standard sizing chart of your country. Note that India and UK have the same standard footwear sizes. Once you have your standard shoe size measurements, visit Amazon and select the required size from the “Size” option.

So, that was about how to select your footwear size for online shopping. Most of the top online shoe brands such as Nike, Levis, or Adidas follow a standard shoe sizing measurement which means you can just select your standard UK/India or EU, or US shoe size and the brand will take care of matching your appropriate shoe size to their label size.

If you are struggling to choose shoes for your feet online, you can identify your right shoe size and then select it among the sizes available. Try them out and see if the fitting seems comfortable if they are too tight or too loose if their cushioning is comfortable. You can also see if the width of the shoe aligns with your foot's width size.

To know how to pick the right shoes for your feet, you must know your standard shoe size, and the type of shoe you need - walking shoes, cycling shoes, running shoes, dress shoes. Apart from this, it is also better to know your foot shape and alignment when finding the best shoe for your feet.

1. As per your foot size and standard shoe size, select a suitable shoe

2. Depending upon your activity, select the right type of shoe (walking shoes are not alternatives to running shoes as they both are designed differently)

3. Stand in your shoes and press your foot gently on the shoe. Observe if there’s at least half inch space from the tip of your longest toe to the end of the shoe. This would help your foot move comfortably forward and back while walking.

4. Wiggle your toes to ensure your shoe has enough space to move comfortably

5. Make sure the width of your shoe is not too tight around your feet as it may cause shoe blister or corn. Know that a longer shoe size does not always guarantee a wider shoe

6. Make sure your arch length is in alignment with your shoe - The distance from the heel of your foot (a cushioning fatty tissue at the back of your foot) to the ball of your foot (where your big toe joint bends)

7. Wear your shoe and move in and around to see if the shoe feels comfortable and if the fitting is not rubbing your foot while moving

8. Try to pick a shoe for yourself in the latter part of the day as feet get naturally swollen as the day progresses

9. If you want to go even one step further to select the best shoe for your feet, determine your feet type - pronator, neutral, supinator - and then accordingly select the right shoe for yourself

10. Don’t take the pre-defined shoe sizes and shoe descriptions to your heart. Go with your own instincts to find what you feel the most comfortable in.

The type of shoe that is best for your feet depends on the activity you do. A shoe that may be good for sports may not be comfortable for walking. Hence, before you buy a shoe for yourself, you must first know what type of shoe is best for you as per your activity.

Walking shoes: Walking shoes must be flexible, bend more, and have soft cushioning to provide comfort all day long. When a person walks, the heel of the shoe strikes first. Hence, walking shoes generally have a lower heel wedge.

You can buy Skechers walking shoes on Flipkart at the most discounted prices

Running Shoes: Running shoes are different than walking shoes in terms of their heel wedge size, having more stiffer sole and being lightweight. PU sole, EVA sole, and Rubber soles are best for running shoes.

Flipkart is offering the most discounts on shopping Adidas shoes up to 60% OFF. You can also get flat 50% OFF on Adidas women’s running shoes and 40% OFF on Adidas Response Super 2.0 Men’s running shoes

Cycling Shoes: There are many different types of cycling shoes from road bike shoes and mountain bike shoes to indoor cycling shoes. Cycling shoes help you make your cycling journey smoother as they clip into your cycle’s pedals.

You can buy cycling shoes at low prices at Amazon and Flipkart or you can shop on Cyclop’s official website to find high-quality cycling shoes.

Dress Shoes or formal shoes: Formal shoes have a hard sole to provide support, and safety to your feet and at the same time, give a sturdy look to your footwear. Many people find formal shoes uncomfortable to wear due to wearing the wrong size or not wearing socks or if the shoes are too narrow and insoles too stiff.

While buying dress shoes, you can go with either rubber or leather shoes. Be sure to pick the right footwear for your feet depending on your usage and budget.

Formal shoes for men on Amazon are on discount of up to 75% OFF or you can shop through Flipkart and get up to 80% OFF on formal shoes for both men and women.

1. How much space should be in front of your shoe?

Generally, there should be a minimum of half an inch of space between the tip of your longest toe to the end of the shoe

The 3 types of feet are pronator, supinator, and neutral. Pronator foot type is characterized by low foot arch, supinator foot type on the other hand has a higher foot arch and neutral foot type is a combination of both, pronator and supinator.

Identify your right shoe size and then select it among the sizes available. Try them out and see if the fitting seems comfortable if they are too tight or too loose if their cushioning is comfortable. You can also see if the width of the shoe aligns with your foot's width size.

No, your toes should not touch the end of the shoe. There should be at least half an inch of distance between the tip of your longest toe to the end of the shoe.

Here's a basic process to find the best shoes for your feet:

1. Identify your shoe size

2. Identify the type of activity you need the shoe for - walking, running, formals, sports

3. Identify the type of foot you have - pronator, supinator, neutral

4. Find suitable shoes matching your requirements

5. Be sure to follow our shoe fitting tips shared above to identify if you have picked the right fitting shoes for yourself

Walking shoes can be larger as our feet tend to swell after walking for a longer time. However, for shoes for other activities like running or cycling, buying one size larger, if it's too loose, can actually harm your feet or make you trip and fall.

The best shoes for walking are the ones with low wedges but high cushioning, breathable, and right fitting to your feet.

The best shoe for your feet is right-sized, would feel comfortable, aid your foot alignment and would not cause any foot problems like blisters or corns.

You can buy the best shoes for your feet on many top shoe brands in India such as Bata, Skechers, Hush Puppies, Adidas, Nike.

Mostly, good walking shoes are made out of materials like leather or suede. Walking shoes made from suede material with mesh upper are best for breathability.

Good running shoes are often made from materials like leather, nylon, suede, and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA). Knitted uppers & PU soles are also something to look for in good-quality running shoes.

The best material for formal shoes depends on your usage and budget. Generally, rubber and leather are among the two popular materials for formal shoes.

Tight-fitting shoes are more likely to cause you foot problems. It is better to go with a slightly loose fitting that provides just the right amount of fitting, comfort, and room for your feet.

This was all about sharing how to select the right shoes for your feet with the best fitting and how you can measure your shoe size at home or select the right footwear size online for your feet.

Knowing how to select the right footwear size for your feet can help you find the best, most comfortable shoes for yourself and can keep you safe from many foot injuries and problems.

We hope our guide helps you find the right shoes for yourself. Did we miss anything? Do you have any footwear-related questions that we haven't covered? Let us know in the comments and we will try our best to answer.