Make Sure You Have Extra Room For Your Toes. You may wonder; should running shoes be a size bigger than your regular shoe size ? The further you run the more your foot will naturally expand. This means it's wise to have just a little extra room (about a thumb's width) between your longest toe and the front of the shoe.
Buying a sneaker that is slightly larger than your foot allows for better circulation which minimizes swelling. If one foot is slightly larger than the other go for the bigger size and always consider the kind of socks you plan to wear with your shoes.
Well-fitting shoes should fit snugly around your midfoot and heel, and they should comfortably cup the back of the heel.
Properly fitting shoes stay in place as you move, but if the shoes are too big, you will almost certainly have painful blisters by the end of the day. Other painful effects of wearing shoes that are too big include: Corns and calluses: caused by excessive pressure on the toes.
Properly fitting sneakers will:
Fit snuggly but not too tight. Provide wiggle room for your toes. Not push into your toenails. Cup your heel comfortably.
Is a Half Size in Shoes a Big Difference? A half-size represents a 1/8” difference. It may not seem significant but is enough to distinguish between comfort and discomfort. Because there is no standardisation for shoe sizing, a half size difference will also depend on the brand of shoe.
Check the space at the end of the shoe.
Stand up and make sure there is 3/8" or 1/2" (about the width of your finger) between your longest toe (usually the second toe) and the end of the shoe. Always stand and walk around in the shoes to see if they are comfortable, fit well, and don't chafe or rub anywhere.
Check the size by your index finger: Put your shoes on and push your toes forward. After that, you slide a finger into your shoe. If two or three fingers can slide in easily, your shoe is too big. Walk in your shoes: Wear your shoes and try to walk around as much as possible.
When purchasing the perfect shoe, fit is always the most important. If your shoe is too tight, you may have blisters, numbness and general discomfort; to avoid this, many experts recommend buying a running shoe half a size larger.
Generally, walking shoes follow the same sizing as regular shoes, so the best place to start is with your normal size. If you can't find boots in your exact size - for example if you usually wear a half size - then try the next size up.
Typically shoes loosen up naturally as you wear them from place to place, but that entire process could take weeks of tiptoeing around with crunched toes and blooming blisters.
Tight shoes can cause even more problems. They can: make you unstable on your feet. deform your toes, produce blisters between your toes, and aggravate structural problems like hammer toe, mallet toe, and bone spurs.
As a rule of thumb (or toe), you should have about 3/8″ to 1/2″ of room from the tip of your longest toe to the end of the shoe. Your big toe is not automatically your longest toe. Pick the shoes that match your foot shape.
It is possible to fit into a size 8.5 shoe if you are a size 9, but it may be uncomfortable.
If you have to go with a different size you're better going a half size up. Going smaller the shoes will be tight and uncomfortable. By the end of the the feet will hurt and if you're on your feet all day it will be even worse.
Use an elastic band to constrict the shoe.
All you need for this is a short elastic band for each shoe, a needle, and thread. Use a fairly strong set of bands if possible. Stretch the elastic band along the inside of the back of the shoe. A good spot for this is the inside of the heel, but any loose area will work.
If you're between sizes, we recommend going up. As you can see, the difference of one whole size is only about a half-inch (less than 1 centimeter). The difference of a half size is—at most—a quarter of an inch. Opting for a larger shoe won't make a huge difference in fit, but it will be more comfortable overall.
Stand in the shoes. Press gently on the top of the shoe to make sure you have about a half-inch of space between your longest toe and the end of the shoe. This provides enough room for your foot to press forward as you walk. Wiggle your toes to make sure there's enough room.
Proper toe fit: You want a thumb's width of space between your toe and the end of the shoe. Midfoot and heel fit: You should have a snug (but not tight) fit at the midfoot and heel.
You should be able to slide your finger between them with little force. If your finger cannot fit, the shoes are too tight. If your finger has too much room, the shoes are too large. Your toes need wiggle room so that you don't get blisters, calluses or damaged toenails.
Shoes will typically stretch all on their own as you wear them. Leather shoes, whether it be men's dress shoes or women's heels, will fit over time. But if they are too tight and uncomfortable to wear in, try some of these easy hacks to stretch your shoes up to half a size or so to accommodate your feet.
The bottom line
Tall men tend to have larger feet than short or average-height men do. In the United States, the average shoe size in men is thought to be around 10.5.
Overall, Nike has a reputation for running small. While the length is generally normal, the smaller fit comes from pairs with stiffer padding or a narrower width. On a proper fitting shoe, there should be a little room around the pinky toe and in front of the big toe, without significant heel slippage.
Length: There is approximately a 1/6" difference between each half-size (e.g., between 9 and 9.5, between a 9.5 and a 10, and so on) For every half size up, the width (across the ball) will increase by 1/8"
Generally speaking, there should be about one finger's width of space between your longest toe and the end of the shoe. Another way to check this is to slip a finger between the heel of your foot and the heel of your shoe. There should be just enough space for your finger to fit nice and snugly.