There are two things a person does most of their life. One is sleep, the other is stand on their feet, so never buy an uncomfortable bed or shoes. With the thousands of shoes that shoe companies offer it's easier to find shoes that don't fit well and are not comfortable than it is to find ones that are. However, it's wonderful to have choices, if you walk into a shoes section, whether it be a department store, shoe store or sports store there's a wide variety of manufacturers, makes and model to choose from. Each has their own marketing and some even patenting their technologies. Lots of thought goes into feet you know, from that athlete's highly functional sports shoes to the stylish high heels the lady next to you is wearing.
First, there's nothing like trying shoes on first and walking in them a while before purchasing them. You may find some shoes fit you well and others feel like they don't. This is normal, everyone's feet are different and everyone has different perspectives of comfort and fit. I offer a few basic things to look for and practices before choosing the right shoes for you. It's even better when the better quality and more comfortable shoes are possibly cheaper and better looking. This article offers some basics of finding and buying shoes of your choice using a simple guideline of quality, comfort and fit.
Quality = stitching, fabric cuts should be even, smoothly cut and stitched together.
You should be able to see the quality of the fabrics, stitching and the cuts of fabric. A tell tale sign a shoe are not up to par is an initial view from the outside. Check the fabric cuts. If they are rough, hard and stitched unevenly where the fabric lifts up or the cuts of fabric just don't seem to be accurate they better be a good price. Quality control on the shoes were probably set to low standards at that particular factory or shoe manufacturing line. For example, I saw a pair of New Balance shoes that exhibited poor cuts and saw another model right next to it from the same manufacturer of much higher quality and the prices were the same. The obvious choice was to try the ones that looked like they were made properly with clean cuts of fabric and consistent stitching. Uneven fabric and bad fabric cuts means there's a good chance it could catch on something and possibly tear or cause odd wear. In this case, the cut was too large therefore the stitching could not be stitched down consistently and smoothly. Most importantly, it's very possible that the inner part of the shoe may have the same flaws.
Comfort - they should feel good standing, walking or whatever activity they are aimed for.
If you try on shoes and walk in them a bit, you will know in 5 minutes of trying them where the simple Quality meets foot Comfort, which means happier feet and a happier shoe wearer. Walk around in them and get a feel, then try on some other manufacturer's or different models from the same manufacturer and see what the they feel like and what your feet are telling you, there may be some differences you prefer. I recommend trying on many different pairs before making the choice that your feet and you will be happy with and keep in mind what features you are looking for if buying specific shoes for sports, walking or simply for fashion and won't wear that much.
Fit -Size, Width, Ankle Support - Mens and Womens Shoe Sizes and Widths
Shoes are sold in a range of sizes and widths.
Mens shoe sizes and widths and
Women's shoe sizes and widths differ. Click on the text to see them. Shoes also range from low ankle to high ankle support. Many hiking boots and sports shoes offer ankle support while dress and casual shoes do not. In no way should these features affect the comfort of your feet but only provide increased support for the heel and ankle. A shoe too narrow will constrict blood circulation, shoes too wide could cause blisters and not provide enough support for activities. Depending on what your aim is for the shoes, whether fashion, sports or casual wear, they should fit your feet well. No one person has the same exact foot dimensions, bones or sensitive feet but there are shoes out there that will fit you and your feet.
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