I was reading an article in Consumer Reports on Health recently. The information on the importance of shoes for health and comfort was very good. The fit of a shoe should not be too wide, or too narrow, or too long, or too short. The article recommended buying shoes later in the day because your feet may swell and you want a shoe that will still be comfortable. And as people get older the stability of the shoe becomes important in preventing falls. If the person has diabetes it is important that the fit is good as any rubbing on the foot may lead to complications.
The article had three recommendations for buying shoes. One, get measured each time you shop. Some people have one foot larger than the other. And the foot size may change over the years. I have old army boots (1962 model) that are size 8 but I can still wear them. Even now, most of my boots are size 9 1/2. Two, shop later in the day. Three, try before you buy. I used to recommend this for individuals that want to start running. The runner needs to go outside on the sidewalk, or find a hard floor, as you will not be running on a carpet. And don’t just jog in place or run a few yards thinking that the shoe is a good fit. You need to run a few hundred yards to see how they feel when you actually run.
I have mentioned this before in articles but the evolution of footwear has changed dramatically. As a kid we had the Jack Kramer Converse black high top tennis shoe for the summer. This shoe was our tennis, football, baseball, track, basketball, soccer, tree climbing, shoe, for everything we wanted to do. If you ask for a tennis shoe now they will ask you if you are going to play on asphalt, clay, grass, or concrete as each requires a special tennis shoe. You will also have to decide if you want low cuts, mid ankle, or high ankle style in leather or a nylon fabric or cotton. Pity the poor person that walks in and just wants to play tennis and can’t answer all those questions.
