My daughters frequently tease me about how picky I am when shopping for shoes. When they were younger, we created a system for how we would pick out their shoes, especially for walking/running shoes.
I would have my girls try on the shoe size we thought was correct, and then I would test them with the "thumb test." I would press at the toe of the shoe to see how close the big toe was to the tip of the shoe. I wanted them to have about a half inch of space.
For more tips on how to pick out comfortable shoes that you can wear all day long, check out our YouTube video "Choosing the Right Shoes."
1. Make sure you have enough toe space.
When you're walking or running, your foot will naturally go forward in the shoe. So, you want to make sure you have enough space for when you're walking or running so that your toes won't get squished or stubbed.I would have my girls try on the shoe size we thought was correct, and then I would test them with the "thumb test." I would press at the toe of the shoe to see how close the big toe was to the tip of the shoe. I wanted them to have about a half inch of space.
2. Check where the shoe bends.
Because our feet naturally bend at the ball of the foot whenever we walk or run, I want to make sure that the shoe will also bend where my foot naturally bends. As seen in the photo below, I take the shoe with one hand perpendicular to the front of the shoe and the other hand perpendicular to the back of the shoe. If the shoe bends anywhere but at the ball of the foot, I put the shoe back on the rack and keep looking.
3. Check where the shoe doesn't bend.
I also always check the arch of the shoe to make sure that it does not bend. I grab the bottom of the shoe with my hands on either side of where the arch of my foot would be. I pull to see if the shoe gives or moves. If it does give, I put the shoe back on the rack and keep looking for a shoe that will give proper support.
4. Does your foot "pop" out of the shoe?
While this point isn't necessarily a selling point for me, I also take note if my heel tends to slide up in the back of the shoe. This can cause blistering, especially when you start wearing the shoe for long periods of time to walk or run. However, if I am comfortable that the shoe fits all of my other requirements listed above, I may still get the shoe. I can add a cushion or layer of material at the back of the shoe to take up the extra space that is causing my ankle to "pop" out of the shoe.For more tips on how to pick out comfortable shoes that you can wear all day long, check out our YouTube video "Choosing the Right Shoes."
