As we all know, if you wear a shoe that is too tight it will hurt your feet and lead to foot ailments, such as blisters, bunions and calluses. But wearing a shoe that is too big will cause us to walk in an unnatural and dysfunctional way. This can lead to serious foot problems.
Other painful effects of wearing shoes that are too big include: Corns and calluses: caused by excessive pressure on the toes. Metatarsalgia: caused by too much pressure on the balls of your feet. Disrupted natural stride: resulting in Achilles tendonitis, arch pain, and pain in the calf muscles.
A half size in shoes is only 1/8 of an inch in added length. Shoes size can vary for many reasons, from sports injuries to weight gain and age. It's not uncommon to go up a half size if your feet or arch height begins to become more flat overtime.
There should be about a thumb's width of space at the end of a shoe. This is because when you walk, your foot rolls from heel to toe, and needs that extra room to avoid cramped toes. It's best to get shoes that fit especially with the socks you'll be wearing with them.
While the difference between the length of whole and half sizes are small, keep in mind that shoe width does increase with size. So, selecting a half size larger will give you a little more wiggle room for both length and width.
There is approximately a 1/6" difference between each half-size (e.g., between 9 and 9.5, between a 9.5 and a 10, and so on) For every half size up, the width (across the ball) will increase by 1/8"
Assuming that you're talking about shoe sizes, an 8.5 shoe on a size 9 foot might fit, but it will be tight and uncomfortable, not to mention bad for your foot.
Is it better for shoes to be tight or loose? Shoes that are on the tighter side are likely to rub, and since this friction can cause blisters, it's best to have a bit of wiggle room.
Shoes that are too loose can lead to poor arch support, shin pain, and arch collapse. Loose-fitting shoes may also cause trips and falls, as your foot can't feel the surface as well as it should.
When your foot bends to take a step in a new shoe, your heels should slip slightly. 1/8” movement is normal but can feel like much more. Loose slipping in the heels will not cause blisters when broken in gradually, but wearing shoes that are too small and tight will cause friction and then blister.
A size 10 shoe is significantly smaller than a size 10.5 shoe, and as such, it will not provide the same level of comfort or support. If you are looking for a comfortable, supportive shoe, then you should opt for the larger size. I wear a size 10.5 and can often wear a 10 or 11 without problem.
What About Shoe Widths? With the lack of standardized shoe sizes just with the length of shoes, many companies don't even bother with the width of shoes when it comes to sizing. As your feet grow longer, they also grow wider- and as you go up in shoe sizes, you also need a bit more width in your shoes.
Shoes will typically stretch all on their own as you wear them. Leather shoes, whether it be men's dress shoes or women's heels, will fit over time. But if they are too tight and uncomfortable to wear in, try some of these easy hacks to stretch your shoes up to half a size or so to accommodate your feet.
If your feet slide back and forth while you walk, the shoes are too big in length and you may consider going down a half or full size. However, if your feet are sliding side to side, the shoes are too wide for you.
If you did buy shoes that are too snug, there are some at-home tips you can follow to stretch shoes for a more comfortable fit. In general, stretching your shoes can add a quarter- to a half-size in space, David Mesquita, owner of The Leather Spa, a leather repair boutique in New York City, tells SELF.
You'll need to soak them in water, then put them in the tumble dryer for around 10 to 15 minutes. The heat will help shrink your shoes down. If you don't have a dryer or you'd prefer to use natural heat, you can always leave your shoes in direct sunlight to dry.
As a rule of thumb (or toe), you should have about 3/8″ to 1/2″ of room from the tip of your longest toe to the end of the shoe. Your big toe is not automatically your longest toe.
Wear thicker socks (or multiple pairs).
Perhaps the easiest thing you can do to make a loose pair of shoes fit better is to "bulk up" your feet with thicker layers of socks. For example, you might try exchanging a skin-tight pair of dress socks or tights for a padded set of crew socks.
In addition to corns and calluses, you can easily develop blisters, which are very painful and annoying sacs of fluid that develop on a raw and irritated patch of skin. Sliding feet can slide your toes right into the toe box of your shoes, hitting them harder than they would if your shoes were fitted.
The new shoes feel tight around the toes, they rub at the heel, and they pinch with every step. They felt great at the store. What happened? It's the dreaded break-in period, when a new shoe rubs against tender feet, causing blisters and abrasions, until shoe and foot find a way to conform to each other in harmony.
Measuring Foot Length
It is advisable to undertake this foot measuring exercise in the evening, as feet swell during the day, so your feet will be at the biggest by the evening (better a slightly big shoe which can take an insole, than a shoe that is too tight!).
There is a difference of 1/3 of an inch between a 9.5 and 10 shoe size. This may not seem like much, but it can make a big difference in the fit and comfort of a shoe. A 9.5 may be too tight, while a 10 may be too loose. It is always best to try on both sizes to see which one fits better.
My shoe size is 8 can I wear 7.5? No, you cannot wear a size 7.5 shoe if your shoe size is 8.