Did you know your feet continue to grow throughout your life – even into your senior years?!
“Just like your ears and nose, your feet can grow and elongate throughout your whole life,” says Wide Shoes Only owner Dominic Ahn. “Some women will even see changes in their feet during pregnancy.”
At Wide Shoes Only in Renton and Edmonds, they have the experience and expertise to help you find the perfect shoes for your feet, based on their shape, volume and actual size.
“Most people will simply ask to try on a pair of shoes in the same size they have been for many years,” Ahn says. “I recommend asking one of our trained fitters to check the length of your feet using a Brannock Device – a tool that’s been used in the industry for nearly 100 years – to give an accurate measure of your feet size today.”
Even with measuring, Ahn points out that there is no standardization of shoe sizes, and that shoes can also vary in width and volume based on style.
“You can compare it to buying jeans,” Ahn says. “You can’t make skinny jeans into baggy jeans by increasing the size – the shape is different.
“Shoe shape is more important than size and width.”
For example, slip-on shoes or ballet flats are usually worn smaller or shorter to hold them on the foot, and athletic shoes – which put no pressure on the ball of the foot – can be worn a half size to two sizes larger.
Several other factors also make proper shoe sizing with experienced fitters a must.
“A person’s feet can look normal – not wide – but they can have short toes or a high instep, which makes the volume of the shoe important,” Ahn says. “There are also other conditions such as neuropathy or diabetes that can make finding the right fit essential.
“If your feet tend to swell throughout the day, it’s not recommended to wear slip-on shoes because they’ll tighten as the day goes on. In this case, you need lace-up or velcro shoes you can adjust as needed.”
At Wide Shoes Only, their friendly staff is committed to helping you find the right shoes, not only for comfort, but for the health of your feet as well.
“I often hear customers saying that they have in-grown toenails, which is the result of wearing tight slip-ons or ill-fitting shoes,” Ahn says. “We want you to have shoes that will keep your feet healthy and happy!”
Learn more at wideshoesonly.net or Facebook and Instagram.
READ MORE: Local shoe store owner knows his business – like riding a bike!
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