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Tips for Shoe Shopping When Your Feet Are Not Similarly Sized

Tips for Shoe Shopping When Your Feet Are Not Similarly Sized
measuring feet
For many of us, shoe shopping is a fairly straightforward ordeal.

You go to the store, look at the options available, and pick out a pair. Once you’ve picked a pair out, you typically try the shoes on to see how they fit. You may even walk around a bit with them just to get a better idea of how they will feel on your feet during daily use.

If you’re shopping online, the selection process is even easier and you just need to check if they have the pair you want in your size.

Shoe shopping is not that simple for certain members of the population though.

Per HealthyFeetStore.com, 60 percent of people have differently sized feet. That number probably comes as a bit of a shock and you may be looking at your feet now just to check if they are sized similarly.

An important thing to note here is that the size difference is not always that significant. Many folks out there may have a right foot that’s just half a size smaller than their left foot.

Still, shoe shopping is a bit trickier if your feet don’t line up completely. If you or someone you know has differently sized feet, you can follow the tips below to make shopping easier.

Ask for Your Feet to Be Measured

According to Harvard Health, the size of your feet can change as you grow older. To be more specific, they tend to grow wider and longer.

Even if your feet were the same size the last time you bought shoes, that may no longer be the case. Discomfort with the shoes you’re currently wearing could be an indicator of that.

Just to be safe, request for foot measurements before you purchase anything. The last thing you want is to go home with new shoes only to find out later on that one does not fit you properly.

Accommodate Your Bigger Foot

Let’s say that you do have differently sized feet, but the discrepancy ultimately amounts to half a shoe size. What do you need to do next?

The solution here is to get a pair that will fit the bigger foot. It’s better to walk around with one shoe that’s a bit loose instead of one that is pressing on your foot constantly.

You’re going to need some time to adjust to the larger shoe, but it is a more than manageable transition.

What You Should Do if the Difference Exceeds Half a Shoe Size

If the discrepancy between your feet goes beyond half a shoe size, accommodating the bigger foot is not enough.

You can choose to have one of the insoles replaced to make one shoe more comfortable, but this is not a guaranteed solution. Replacing the insole could also impact the condition of the shoe, and you don’t want that.

Alternatively, you can also look for a retailer that is willing to sell mismatched shoes at no extra cost. Ability Hacker notes that Nordstrom will not ask you to pay extra if the shoes you’re getting are at least 1 ½ sizes apart.

Both kids and adults can take advantage of this deal.

Having differently sized feet can be a real obstacle during the shoe shopping process. Don’t be discouraged though as there are things you can do to land the new footwear you need to become completely comfortable.
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