How to Find Right Size of Women Footwear?

23 February 2011

When it comes to the most appreciated fashion accessories by all ladies, women footwear finds place in the top slot! Trendy and stylish women shoes and sandals are always an adorable accessories but this is also true that right shoe size is as important as the other decorative features of women footwear. There are many reasons for buying the right size of shoe. So ,before moving on to know how to find the right size of women footwear, you must also know why it is important to choose the right women shoe size!

Why Right Shoe Size is Important?

It is a well known fact that a shoe size that is smaller than required can result into blisters on your toes and back of your heel. Apart from this cause, right shoe size is also important, especially for women footwear, for the sake of style and elegance. Just imagine how would you look when walking in a wrong sized shoe- if it is a smaller size shoe than you won't feel comfortable and if it is a larger size, you would then also find it uncomfortable. Your walking style will get affected and you won't be able to bring that elegance and grace while you walk! Too tight or too loose women shoes, particularly the athletic shoes may not support the wearer while she participates in activities like running or training.

Apart from these fashion style related problems caused by wrong sized shoes, there are some health problems too that result from not being able to find the right size of footwear. When you don't wear the right size shoe, you might suffer from back pain, knee pain etc.

Measure Foot Properly to Get Right Size of Shoe

There is this one major tip to get the right size footwear for you- Measure your shoe size rightly! And how to do that? Follow the below steps to measure the right shoe size for you.

• Take a piece of paper which is larger than your foot, a pencil, and a ruler or a measuring tape.
• While sitting with your foot (without shoes and with socks if you are measuring for a shoe that you are going to wear with socks) firmly on the floor and your leg bent slightly forward, trace the outline of your foot on the paper.
• You should hold the pencil upright and perpendicular (and not at an angle) to the paper. Ensure that your pencil is resting snugly against your foot as you draw around it.
• Draw straight lines touching the outermost points at the top, bottom, and both sides of the outline.
• Now with the help of ruler or tape, measure the length from the bottom line to the top line that you have drawn on the paper. Hold the measuring tape straight, and find the closest mark that you can - don't round up or down much. Write the number that you get this way.

• Now you have to measure the width of your foot to get a right size shoe having proper narrowness or width. For this, measure the width of your foot with the help of measuring tape or ruler. Measure from the line on one side of your tracing, to the line on the other side. Find the closest mark that you can. Again write down the number.
• Measure both the feet because some people have one foot slightly larger than the other. Now select the size which is larger of the two.
• Subtract 3/16 of an inch from the numbers you have written down. This is done to accommodate for the space between your actual foot and the line made by the pencil. Whatever number you get is your actual foot measurements.

If you don't want to do all this exercise for getting the right foot size for your shoe then there is also an easy way to find your right shoe size. Take a pair of your shoes that are a little tight and see its size. Now buy a half size up if these shoes are crushing your toes. If you have a pair of shoes that feel too tight on the instep, try out a comfortable pair of dress shoes. It will take care of the painful problem of instep pinch. There are many other tips to find the right size women footwear!

Tips to Get Right Size Women Footwear

When you go out to buy footwear – either sandals or even the casual shoes, the first thing you must consider is the shoes brand. The footwear industry doesn't have a set standard about size of shoes. Therefore footwear companies have different ways of constructing and designing shoes leading to slight variations in how different brands and styles fit. Go for the one that fits like a second skin. You won't need to look for a different shoe brand for years then, at least till the time your foot shape doesn't change due to age or some habit or weight changes.

• When buying women fashion sandals, select a strap round the back or heel of your foot. It is more comfortable if the strap is around the big bones than the small ones at the front of the feet.
• When buying summer or casual shoes for holiday, buy one size bigger than your winter shoes so as to avoid pinching, rubbing and blistering.
• See that the heel of your foot sits comfortably in the shoe with a small room for slippage. This will again prevent rubbing and blisters.
• Measure your feet size and also buy shoes in the late afternoon. At this time of the day feet are at their widest. Remember, your foot can expand as much as half a size.
• While buying shoes, spend enough time trying shoes in the shop. Walk for a while to test the size and comfort of shoes.
• Leave about one-fourth inch or one cm between your longest toe and the end of the shoe so that your toes have enough room to lie flat. This will also avoid crows' feet.
• Always keep in mind your foot shape when selecting a shoe. Choose a shoe style that resembles the shape of your foot. Other way round can make you uncomfortable. For example, if you buy a long pointed-toed shoe even when you have wide toes, it is will squash your feet.
• You should also consider your body shape and size of your legs and ankles. If you are a short woman with comparatively longer legs, avoid an ankle strap. This will only make your legs look more bigger. If you have big feet, you should not buy delicately small shoes as well as heavy women's shoes. Find a shoe style something in between that can flatter your feet.