How to choose the right shoe size

Shoes are the most important part of a person’s wardrobe. It is designed to protect the foot from temperature extremes, atmospheric phenomena, damage. Properly matched footwear serves for a long time, creating convenience and making the walk confident.

Content

Basic techniques for taking measurements
Different labeling shoes
Tricks for the right choice
For children's feet
Comfortable shoes for first steps
Comfort baby above all else

Basic techniques for taking measurements

The size of the foot and, accordingly, the shoe is determined by the following parameters:

foot length;
foot width;
lift height.

The method of determining the size of shoes is simple, for calculations it is enough to have on hand a piece of paper, a ruler and a pencil. It is enough to become a foot on a piece of paper, circle the outline of the foot with a pencil, and then measure the length of the resulting print between the most distant points. So you get your size in centimeters. Use the data when fitting shoes or choosing models in the online store.

To measure the completeness (width) of the foot on the same footprint, determine the distance between the widest points of the toes. Properly chosen shoes should sit well on their feet without creating a feeling of tightness or looseness. Orthopedists recommend leaving a small (about 7 mm) gap between the foot and the inner surface of the shoe.

Lift the foot is measured using a measuring tape through the fold and heel. At the top of the foot, the tape is fixed at the fold, and at the back passes through the lower point of the heel. In order for the shoes or boots you like to successfully “sit down” on your leg, the circumference of your lower leg and calf (for shoes or half boots) is measured, and then the shoes are selected taking these indicators into account.

Different labeling shoes

Markings on shoes may be different. The scale of sizes accepted in Europe corresponds to the domestic one and indicates the familiar dimensions or their designation in centimeters. Footwear from the United States is marked differently - women's starting from figure 5 and further with move 0.5, men's starts from 7 and further with the same difference between adjacent sizes. In order not to be mistaken, use the size tables, which are published in reputable online stores or on large wholesale platforms such as AliExpress. Often, for the convenience of customers, sellers specify personal grids of shoe sizes of a certain brand (Salamander, Lacoste, Lloyd, Keds, Skechers, Primigi, Ecco and others).

Tricks for the right choice

There are general recommendations that will help to accurately carry out the necessary measurements of the foot and not make a mistake when choosing shoes:

Measurements should be made while standing, because when seated, the load on the leg will not correspond to the actual, and the size may be less than it should.
It is better to measure the foot at the end of the day, when its size has a maximum value.
When purchasing shoes with an elongated sock, keep in mind that 1-2 cm in the toe must be left free.
In any shoe you should feel your fingers and be able to move them freely.
Summer shoes choose exactly the size, and winter - a little more spacious, so that if necessary you can warm up with a toe or extra insole.
If you wear high heels, make sure that the foot in such shoes could not move along the shoe, otherwise, during operation, the foot may move forward, changing the load will cause the heel to break.
Suede shoes can be purchased "butt", because when worn, it quickly spreads and becomes wider.
If your fingers rest, the shoe is small in size.
You can carry shoes only in width, but this applies only to models of genuine leather, and the process will take time and require special tools.

To make shoes last longer, try to purchase several pairs for each season.

For children's feet

When choosing children's shoes, you must consider the peculiarity of the growing body of the baby. The skeleton of the child’s foot is formed by cartilage, the foot grows up to 18–20 years old, the stability and firmness of the stone become 6–7 years old, and the arch of the foot is fully formed by 12 years.

At the same time, the children's foot at different ages grows at different speeds:

at the age of 2-3 years it grows by 2-3 sizes per year;
for preschoolers it increases by two sizes annually;
schoolchildren are pleased with the growth of "paws" by one or two sizes each year.

If we take into account that the difference between the dimensions is 5 mm, then immediately it becomes clear the importance of the question of a thoughtful choice of shoes for the heir and constant monitoring of the size of the foot of the available shoes. Tight and narrow products not only cause inconvenience, they can deform the delicate cartilage of the foot, disrupt the posture and adversely affect the baby’s gait.

Comfortable shoes for first steps

The child should look for the first shoes at the moment when he starts to stand on his feet and tries to take the first steps. The requirements for the first shoes are quite strict:

the presence of a small heel (5-15 mm) for stability;
rigid back for fixing the heel;
flexible thin sole;
the correct size, so that the shod baby can move his fingers freely on his feet.

In order to correctly take the measure from the baby, it is convenient to apply a string, which can then be measured using a ruler. As a result, you get the size in the metric system (in millimeters). Modern domestic manufacturers often indicate the size of the skin mass system, where 1 pin is 0.66 cm. For example, the foot length of a baby is 15 cm (taking into account 1 cm per allowance), then its size is calculated as follows: 15: 0.66 = 23 size (it is necessary to round in the big party).

Comfort baby above all else

To make it easy for your child to walk, run and jump, do not forget to measure the length of his foot every 2-3 months and pick up shoes according to the dynamics of growth. It is difficult to determine the size of a fidget, it is even more difficult to walk with a baby on shoe shops and try on different models, so paint a footprint on cardboard or a thick sheet of paper, cut it and carry it with you. Put this footprint on the shoe or shoe you like to determine whether this shoe is suitable for your child or not.

You can use the services provided by numerous online stores, and order children's shoes directly from home, online. Choose on the basis of the measurements made, guided by the tables of the seller. For example, on Aliexpress Frequent buyers are US citizens, so you can see the American labeling system for children's shoes. The main thing is to know the size in centimeters or millimeters, and the tables will help with the translation.

When ordering shoes for a child, look at the material from which it is made. Products made of genuine leather have plasticity, durability and meet the requirements of sanitation and hygiene. Textile shoes are perfect for summer (matting, flax, etc.), and for cold weather, you can choose models from felt, cloth, wool or felt.The modern shoe industry offers enough options for high quality textile shoes at an affordable price.

When choosing shoes for your child, remember about the growing foot and buy "with a margin" of no more than 1 cm. During the season, the children's foot will increase in size, and spare millimeters will be very useful.