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k4lnamja

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Obviously, every shoe maker will have different lasts/styles for each shoe. I recently purchased a pair and when I "shove" my foot in all the way in order to have my toes touch the front part of the shoe, there is a small gap near the heels of my feet. Does this mean my shoe is too large? I'm pretty sure it is but I didnt know if this was normal or not.

Cheers
 

Klobber

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It depends. A small gap should be expected - you want to be comfortable not strangulated. If you are slightly bigger than say a 10.5 but under 11, it is better to size up IMO.

You do not want a shoe that despite repeated wear to break them in, valuable blood enriched with oxygen gets cut off and you feel pins and needles.
 

k4lnamja

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Originally Posted by Klobber
It depends. A small gap should be expected - you want to be comfortable not strangulated. If you are slightly bigger than say a 10.5 but under 11, it is better to size up IMO.

You do not want a shoe that despite repeated wear to break them in, valuable blood enriched with oxygen gets cut off and you feel pins and needles.


Ah. The reason why I was asking is whenever I read the WAYWRN threads I see many people criticize another person's outfit and sometimes their shoes. They will always say "I see a gap between the ankle area" or "it seems the shoes are too big/small by looking at . . ."

confused.gif
 

isshinryu101

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Originally Posted by k4lnamja
Ah. The reason why I was asking is whenever I read the WAYWRN threads I see many people criticize another person's outfit and sometimes their shoes. They will always say "I see a gap between the ankle area" or "it seems the shoes are too big/small by looking at . . ."

confused.gif


Don't worry about all that, friend. The main thing is comfort. If they fit OK they will feel fine to wear. If they are too big, they may well cause some problems (as well as some strange creasing on the uppers).
 

Klobber

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A shoe is too big that when walking, the back of the heel slides up and/or foot slides down. The shoe should just fit comfortably and when you walk, a tiny amount of heel lift should be expected even on well fitted shoes.

The gap you are experiencing is happening when you force your foot downwards, which frankly is not a natural walking motion. All shoes will have a small gap at the back when you force your foot forward and the leather gives way to the force you are applying.

Not the most eloquent way of explaining, ah well, you get my drift.
 

bengal-stripe

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Originally Posted by k4lnamja
.......when I "shove" my foot in all the way in order to have my toes touch the front part of the shoe, there is a small gap near the heels of my feet.

No, that does not mean the shoe is too big. You need an "˜allowance' (spare room) in front of the toes to facilitate walking without your toes touching the front of the shoe. How much allowance there is, depends on the toe shape (more for pointed toes) - allowance can be between 5/8" and 1" (15 - 25 mm).

If you can slide your foot too easily forward inside the shoe, then the shoe might be too wide. The sides should hold your back-foot in a snug grip (not really tight but firm - rather like a good handshake). If your foot slides through the shoe in every direction, then the shoe is too big, you might need a smaller or a narrower shoe.

Whether or not your shoes fit, I wouldn't know. Go to a good footwear store and get measured.
 

Kslim

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My left foot is larger than my right (9.5 and 9 respectively). I like the snug fit of wearing 9s but should I size up for a little breathing room? Both sizes are comfortable to begin with. However, I'm thinking that will probably change as I get some real/proper use out of them in the real world.
 

MyOtherLife

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Your shoes are too big if your feet slide around in them. Most young men today don't understand their size for dress shoes.
I have stated this before on another thread and to recap; Example:
Young guys are (wrongly) convinced (as are their female counterparts) that 'the size of his shoes = the size of his willie.
Though a size 9D may be his actual size in a dress shoe, he will buy a size 11 or 12 in a sneaker,
to impress the girls with ihs alleged 'manhood', and in the process looking like a clown.
Now he needs a dress shoe, and by default of his stupidity, he insists on a size 11 or 12 dress shoe.
His feet are literally swimming in the shoe from excess space, but he will not be deterred.
His mission is to ge laid, more than to make an appropriate business decision.
Surely thicker socks will sove this problem right?
Wrong. Now he's a clown wearing clown shoes with thick clown socks under them.
Study your average sneaker or running shoe. Inside is a removable footbed on most of them.
Remove this footbed and stick your foot in the shoe. Observe how big that shoe cavity really is, and it is not your size at all.
A size 9D dress shoe = a size 11 or 12 running shoe because that size 11 or 12 running shoe has that removeable footbed that reduces the inside cavity of the shoe down to a size 9D.

Before purchasing any dress shoes, you must think about the intended use of the shoes.
If they are for business, wear dress socks and try shoes in the evening when your feet are their largest.
If they are for summer, wear thin socks. If for winter, thicker socks. Think what you are doing.
A dress shoe should accomodate the length, width and arch of your foot with comfort.
You should have some wiggle room and they should never feel tight anywhere.
Neither should they feel too roomy. You want your feet to breathe and not suffocate.
They should feel instantaneously comfortable.
There iare exceptions. Example: the Florsheim Kenmoor. For some reason, and it has always been this way.
This particular model of shoe is so stiff at first, partly because of the double thick soles it takes about 2 weeks of regular wear and that may mean blisters and blood..lol, but after that, they become the most comfortable shoes for as long as you own them.
 

Klobber

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Originally Posted by Man Of Lint
Your shoes are too big if your feet slide around in them. Most young men today don't understand their size for dress shoes.
I have stated this before on another thread and to recap; Example:
Young guys are (wrongly) convinced (as are their female counterparts) that 'the size of his shoes = the size of his willie.
Though a size 9D may be his actual size in a dress shoe, he will buy a size 11 or 12 in a sneaker,
to impress the girls with ihs alleged 'manhood', and in the process looking like a clown.
Now he needs a dress shoe, and by default of his stupidity, he insists on a size 11 or 12 dress shoe.
His feet are literally swimming in the shoe from excess space, but he will not be deterred.
His mission is to ge laid, more than to make an appropriate business decision.
Surely thicker socks will sove this problem right?
Wrong. Now he's a clown wearing clown shoes with thick clown socks under them.
Study your average sneaker or running shoe. Inside is a removable footbed on most of them.
Remove this footbed and stick your foot in the shoe. Observe how big that shoe cavity really is, and it is not your size at all.
A size 9D dress shoe = a size 11 or 12 running shoe because that size 11 or 12 running shoe has that removeable footbed that reduces the inside cavity of the shoe down to a size 9D.

Before purchasing any dress shoes, you must think about the intended use of the shoes.
If they are for business, wear dress socks and try shoes in the evening when your feet are their largest.
If they are for summer, wear thin socks. If for winter, thicker socks. Think what you are doing.
A dress shoe should accomodate the length, width and arch of your foot with comfort.
You should have some wiggle room and they should never feel tight anywhere.
Neither should they feel too roomy. You want your feet to breathe and not suffocate.
They should feel instantaneously comfortable.
There iare exceptions. Example: the Florsheim Kenmoor. For some reason, and it has always been this way.
This particular model of shoe is so stiff at first, partly because of the double thick soles it takes about 2 weeks of regular wear and that may mean blisters and blood..lol, but after that, they become the most comfortable shoes for as long as you own them.


And that just about sums it up IMO. Good post.

BTW, the winky size and foot size correlation is one of the most stupid notions in society. Guys that want to give ladies the impression they are packing a piece better have the equipment. No use giving a lady the impression you are hung like a donkey and when clothes come off the said guy has a teeny tiny little raisin for a pecker
laugh.gif
.
 

cptjeff

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Originally Posted by Klobber
And that just about sums it up IMO. Good post.

BTW, the winky size and foot size correlation is one of the most stupid notions in society. Guys that want to give ladies the impression they are packing a piece better have the equipment. No use giving a lady the impression you are hung like a donkey and when clothes come off the said guy has a teeny tiny little raisin for a pecker
laugh.gif
.


You are aware that the entire basis for the American economy is guys compensating, right? Big ass houses, big ass SUVs, big ass guns...

Expecting guys to actually back it up is unamerican.
 

pgd3

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Originally Posted by k4lnamja
Obviously, every shoe maker will have different lasts/styles for each shoe. I recently purchased a pair and when I "shove" my foot in all the way in order to have my toes touch the front part of the shoe, there is a small gap near the heels of my feet. Does this mean my shoe is too large? I'm pretty sure it is but I didnt know if this was normal or not.

Cheers


Why would you shove your foot into a shoe to touch at the toe?

A shoe should not touch the tips of your toes, if it does you will get problems (from ingrowns to amputations if you were perhaps diabetic).

Lasts and styles... Some lasts are shaped like your foot, and some aren't, some styles are shaped like your foot, and some aren't.

You may choose to purchase a shoe that is built on a last that looks nothing like your foot. If you do, you may have extremely poor fit. And that is your choice.

Shoe fit, a shoe should fit from the heel to the ball. That is there is a point in the forefoot of the shoe, that is a certain width, and a certain length from the heel. A shoe that fits will be snug but not tight, around the ball of the foot, while the heel is held securely into the rear of the shoe. The shape of the ball and arch, and heel should fit your foot, again comfortably, but securely.

From the ball of the foot forwards can be an issue, it is entirely possible to have a foot that is an 11.5 overall length, and yet the person's toes are short, and the ball is long. Perhaps the heel to ball is that of a size 12.5, this person should wear the size 12.5, even though the toe will be some what too long in the toe, this person would then be best served purchasing shoes that do not have a long pointed toe, since the toe of the 12.5 was going to be too long anyhow, and will bend funny.

If however that same person had a 11.5 overall, with long toes, and a short heel to ball say size 10, they'd be best fit with a shoe that had a longer toe style, so they could purchase a size 10 shoe and not be crammed into the toe of the shoe.

I would only deviate from fitting heel to ball if there was no way to fit the shoe heel to ball and not the toes. If you do not fit heel to ball then the shoe does not fit PERIOD.

I can go on and on with this. Fitting shoes is an art, if you are purchasing a style of shoe that does not match your foot good luck wearing it.
 

JamesX

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If you blister because your shoes are too loose and your feet is moving all over the place, then it is too big
smile.gif
A shoe that is slight big is worse than one that is slightly small. Since slightly big means you have to use insert or other sort of padding, which makes the shoe feel very strange. Slightly small can be taken care of with just a few, possibly fairly painful, wears. This can be alleviated by wearing the shoes only for a few hours at a time. I remember reading somewhere that is what you are suppose to do with new shoes anyways. Don't wear them all day, but only for short trips till they break in.
 

KObalto

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If you can not tell if your shoes fit, I doubt we can tell you over the Interwebz.
 

cfib

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Dear Man of Lint,

I signed up to comment on this blog for the sole purpose of pointing out what a pompous douche you are. You are a pompous douche.

It wasn't until my mid twenties that I discovered that good shoes needn't be painful, and that by sizing up 1/2-1 size from the official brannock measurement gave me blissful relief. Frankly I think it's men with their swollen ankles jutting out of shoes a size too small that look like clowns. Go to the beach some day and you'll see the curled, mangled toes of said people everywhere.

Cheers Loser.
 

SuitedDx

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I actually thought the foot is approximately the length of the forearm. :teach:
 

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