Poorly fitting shoes can cause blisters, soreness and instability during exercise. The Mayo Clinic cites badly fitting shoes as one of the primary causes of most types of foot pain. To make sure you wear the right size shoes, periodically check your foot measurements to see if your feet might have grown larger or smaller. You can use your measurements to determine the appropriate size shoe for your feet.
Step 1
Put on your socks to take measurements for athletic shoes.
Step 2
Place your foot on a piece of paper.
Step 3
Trace the outline of your foot with a pencil, holding the pencil straight up.
Step 4
Measure the length and width of your foot outline with a ruler. Measure the distance between the two farthest points in both cases.
Step 5
Subtract 1/5-inch from your length and width measurements.
Step 6
Consult a shoe-sizing chart for your gender to determine the appropriate shoe size according to your measurements. Find the length of your foot in one column and then find your U.S. size in another column. For example, a woman with a 10-inch foot should wear a U.S. size 9 ½. A man with a 10-inch foot should wear a U.S. size 8.
Step 7
Try on shoes in the appropriate size to make sure they fit. Shoe sizing and width can vary slightly by brand. You should have ½ to ¾ inches of room between the end of your toes and the end of the shoe.
Tips and Warnings
- Measure your feet at the end of the day, when they are largest. When in doubt, choose a half-size larger to allow your feet more room. If one foot is larger than the other, buy shoes to fit the larger foot. If you order shoes online, make sure the store has a return policy so you can return the shoes if they do not fit properly.
Things You'll Need
- Paper
- Pencil
- Ruler
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