Greetings and welcome. Today I would like to introduce size as a footwear concept. At first glance this seems to be a self explanatory term, however few understand how feet should be measured and fewer still realize that socks and shape will dictate comfort before size comes into consideration. Today there are many computerized systems that scan and measure feet. Here's why I don't like these systems and never rely on them for sizing. Unless new technology has hit the market these software programs are averaging your feet to come up with a nice neat whole round number. Almost nobody has a perfectly symmetrical body, typically each of us will have a foot that is longer and/or wider than its mate. Accurately measuring people means we get three separate measurements for each foot a person has: heel to longest toe, heel to the ball joint of the foot, and width. 

Another part of measuring that is frequently mishandled is the angle of your foot. Some percentage of the population will have a foot that is parallel with the midline of the body. Others will have abducted feet while still others will be pigeon toed (adducted). Better footwear has a support system that consists of materials that provide structure to your footwear. The shank of a shoe will run beneath the sole of your foot and stop approximately where your foot bends if your footwear is the correct size. If the shank of your shoe extends beyond your MTPJ (ball joint), your toes will be forced upward. This is responsible for some cases of turf toe. At the other extreme a shank can be shorter than the length it needs to be supporting. This can short someone's arch which is just as bad as hyperextending it.  

Mass production and the Industrial Revolution put millions of shoes on the shelves, but it robbed us of footwear that fit our individual feet. Another problem with size is that it changes. Feet are dynamic; different times of the day can produce measurements that can seem inconsistent, yet be accurate. Activity and conditions like pregnancy can also affect foot size. If you are working with a fitter this person will be trying to recreate the conditions you will be using this footwear in to the extent that they are able. Don't be afraid to come in wearing your favorite running shoes after a long run when you are hot and sweaty. Doing this helps insure that your feet are as large as they will be on race day. 

Periodically I will hear well intentioned friends and relatives advise others to go up or down a size. This is typically advice you can ignore unless it specifically comes from a manufacturer or other ethical professional who can explain that a certain brand runs short/long/wide, etc... Some brands will have markings on the insoles that indicate where the manufacturer intends for the foot to go. Ignore these at your peril unless you have a specific reason for overriding their specifications. My right foot is 3/4 of a size shorter than my left foot. I need the length for my left foot so my right foot is perpetually wearing the wrong size, that's life, and that's why size is a guide instead of a rule. 

When I work with people I measure both feet if they have them and explain that size is a place to start. We may go up or down, size can help guide us to footwear that fits well, but there are times when we need to deviate from the rules. This next part is controversial, it's my personal opinion, but I'm just some random writer on the internet so please take that into consideration before applying this strategy in your own life. Let's say that you have socks you love, shoes you like, but there's a sales person in front of you telling you that orthotics would make your footwear system even better. Orthotics can hurt you and your feet. I'll say it again, what you don't know can really fuck you up for a long time, in other words: proceed with caution.

Shoe stores and manufacturers make a lot of money on orthotics. They can help and be beneficial, they can also contribute to foot problems you didn't have before. Certain shoes have an orthopedic level of support. A company most of you are probably familiar with is Birkenstock. While they make a wonderful and relatively inexpensive footwear line, it isn't for everyone. You need to be sized for these shoes and orthotics because if that support doesn't line up with your foot you run the risk of harming your feet and possibly the rest of your body while you're wearing them. What makes a shoe a particular size is the arch length. That's how it should work, the problem is some of us have toes that are longer or shorter than the manufacturer's ideal foot. 

I'm going to digress and share a story about a customer because I feel like it illustrates what I'm trying to say about size. Several middle aged and teenaged women were at the shoe store where I worked trying to help a little old lady find a pair of shoes. After several minutes of heated debate these women asked if I would help them decide between the two pairs of shoes that they wanted their mom/grandmother to buy. After seeing their choices I explained that neither of them seemed appropriate. I had watched the elderly woman walking and determined that the support in one shoe didn't seem to be matching the curvature of her foot. Once I measured the woman I explained that she had a very long arch and short toes. 

There's a time to fit to total foot length, a time to fit to arch length, and a time to break the rules, but if you're a fitter who wants to keep their job you'll do your best to educate your customers so they don't make the kind of mistake that these people did with their loved one. One of my biggest pet peeves is people who refuse to let me measure them. They're basically telling me to try and do my job without the knowledge that I require to formulate a strategy for them. An expert will be able to tell that my right shoe doesn't fit as well as my left, but they might be fooled by a brand new pair of shoes that haven't had time to crease in the telltale way that indicates arch and support are not in alignment. 

Footwear systems depend on each component working in harmony with the others. Allowing someone to look at your bare foot, measure it properly, having the right socks or being open to suggestions from a fitter, and using feedback correctly will help your fitter help get you into a footwear system that optimizes what you do well, and minimizes what you don't. A lot of people rush through the process and try to take short cuts. These people are super annoying to work with and often leave huffing under their breath or worse. Most employees are not out to get anyone. They're trying to do a difficult job that doesn't pay fantastically and requires a lot of humility, grit, and perseverance.

Does size matter? Size matters, but it should be used as an introduction rather than a final authoritative say in the matter. If your socks, your shoes, or your orthotics are the wrong size you just lost the full range of benefits from each component. This is a dumb way to undermine yourself, but millions of people do it every single day of their lives because nobody has ever taken the time to explain this to them. I was at Sports Authority with my daughter when we met a competitive swimmer. The surgical scar on her knee had me wondering, when I looked at her shoes I had to say something to her and her mom who was sitting there with her trying to decide what shoes to buy her swimmer before she headed off to college.

The girl was wearing a skimpy pair of cute fun socks that pulled at her toes and didn't fit her heel properly. These were the socks she was wearing to try on running shoes. When I looked at the shoes she had walked into the store wearing I could see that they were too short. Suppose this girl and her mother bought her the best pair of running shoes Sports Authority sells in her size. What do you think is going to happen when she goes home and puts on a different pair of socks? You can argue that perhaps she is running in those socks, let's say that she is, she's compromising the full extension of her toes by wearing socks that are too small even if her shoes are the correct size.

To complicate matters further let's pretend that this girl who has already had one knee surgery purchases a pair of orthotics from the store and we'll even let them be the right size and support level for her. Because her socks are the wrong size, the entire system will under perform. People who think that they are saving money by cutting corners will never be able to optimize. Innovation is out there, but there are certain fundamental footwear basics that are going to be true regardless of how you innovate. I envy the people who can walk into a shoe store and walk out with footwear that fits them. I can't do that, but the good news there is that I've used my own problems to identify what will work best for me and minimize the damage that's being done to my right foot every time I put on a pair of shoes. 

Conclusion: having your feet measured by someone who knows how will increase the odds that you will purchase footwear that fits you well. Size is a starting point and there may be reasons to deviate from your measured size. Feet can swell and increase in size so make a point of getting measured later in the day or after athletic activities to avoid buying footwear that only fits when your feet are the smallest. Having a sock that fits will help you optimize and maximize your footwear system. Socks come before shoes, shape should be a consideration before size, and will influence the level of comfort an end user feels. You can buy shoes in your size that are not comfortable if they fail in another capacity such as height or depth. 

Once you have a shape and a size that work for you, try to stay within those parameters. When a shoe in your size doesn't fit be very careful before you go up or down a size as the support inside of the shoe may not line up with your foot properly. Footwear systems are only as fabulous as their weakest link. Footwear needs to fit before accessories like an orthotic is added although there are exceptions to this rule. Some shoes have orthopedic levels of support that require a greater adjustment period. Do your homework before you enter a shoe store since not every employee has been well trained. Size matters, learn what your minimally active to very active range is and may your shopping experiences leave you attractively and comfortably shod whenever you don your favorite footwear.