The new year is approaching soon and what better way to treat yourself than with a brand-new shoe. Many people think choosing a shoe is as easy as finding the best-looking shoe but that is not the case. There are a few key things to look for in your next shoe and today we’ll tell you all about it!

Shoe size

First things first, shoe size. No shoe can be great without a proper fit. When picking out shoes the rule of thumb is to have about 3/8” to 1/2” space between your longest toe and the end of the shoe. This will help to prevent your feet from banging against the end of the shoe and will allow for room for swelling of the feet. But don’t just think only about shoe length, think about width too! Anyone measuring your feet should touch on this but you don’t want pressure on the foot from the sides. Making sure your shoes are also the proper width is key. Nobody wants bunions!

Firm midsole

You can think of a great pair of shoes as the foundation for your body. And with any strong foundation stability is key! And this applies to shoes too. When looking for shoes do the “twist test”. This involves twisting the base of the shoe, and if the base can twist/bend greatly there’s a good chance your foot will do that too. When putting orthotics into these types of shoes this twisting can occur there too, making the orthotics less effective.

Heel counter

Any great shoe should have a strong heel counter. This is the portion of your shoe that wraps around your heel and works to control ankle motion during gait. One simple way to test the heel counter is to simply push down on the back of the shoe. The heel counter should not buckle inwards, if this occurs you should think about switching choices!

Rocker sole

A rocker sole is best described as when the sole of the shoe is rounded upwards from the ball of the foot to the toes. This simple thing helps promote your foot in toe off during gait which is important to making you move faster and getting pressure off your forefoot quicker during gait. Most shoes will have this, but best way to look for this is to push down on the toe box of the shoe, this should cause the end of the shoe to quite literally rock.

What do I do next?

Stop on by to your nearest local BioPed Canadian Certified Pedorthist today! We will get you started off on the right foot with an in-person shoe fitting. At these appointments we will get you fitted and test out some new shoes that will work for your lifestyle. No matter what the size we’ve got you covered!