what2ask

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Shoes - what to ask before you buy

If you're buying a pair of shoes, know what to ask before you buy so you get the best. Footwear should be comfortable, safe, non-slip and suitable for the purpose.

Click on a question below for more information.

Leather: Are the shoes all-leather?
Mixed: What about shoes that are leather with a synthetic lining?
Fit: How do the shoes fit?
Laces: What about the shoe laces?
Heels: What about the shoe heels?
Flexibility: How flexible are the shoes?
Maintenance: How do I maintain the shoes?

1. Are the shoes all-leather?

All-leather shoes are the best, but they tend to be more expensive too. You may be better off buying a couple of pairs of all-leather shoes rather than several cheaper pairs.

The advantages of all-leather shoes are:

that they 'breathe' which makes them healthier and more comfortable to wear
they also have a bit more 'give' in them so that they tend to mould to the shape of your foot more than synthetics

but don't rely on the leather shoe stretching to fit if you buy them too small!

2. What about shoes that are leather with a synthetic lining?

The synthetic lining is likely to remove much of the advantage of having a leather shoe, as the synthetic lining won't 'breathe' like full leather shoes.

3. How do the shoes fit?

Buy shoes after you've been walking around for a while, or in the afternoon or evening, when your feet tend to swell naturally.
Make sure there's a gap (roughly the length of your thumbnail) between the longest to and the tip of the shoe this is particularly important for kids' shoes as children's feet are still growing.
Don't make the mistake, however, of buying the shoes too large - they are likely to rub the skin and may blister the feet (or the shoes may fall off when the child is running and cause a fall and/or injury).
Try on both shoes of the pair, and walk around in them a bit - most people have one foot slightly larger than the other and you want to know that both shoes are comfortable.
Make sure the shape of the toe of the shoe doesn't constrict the toes when standing with full weight on that foot.
If you wear stilletos, don't walk long distances in them and only wear them for short periods - they focus a lot of pressure on parts of the foot and may cause long term damage. They also increase the likelihood of a fall, or a twisted ankle.
Note that there are 26 bones in each foot, so don't cramp them!

4. What about the shoe laces?

When you tie the laces, the ideal gap between the eyelets is about 1 cm. More than this means the shoe is too narrow - much less and the shoe is probably too big.

For children, or adults in a hurry, choose velcro fastenings instead of laces.

5. What about the shoe heels?

For stability, the ideal height is less than 2.5cm, and a slight flaring will make the shoe even more stable.
Make sure the heel of the foot doesn't slip out of the shoe while you are walking.
If heels are too high, back pain can result from constantly having the body's centre of gravity pushed forward.
Really high heels increase pressure on knees and hips (and women tend to have more knee problems than men).

6. How flexible are the shoes?

For comfort, the shoe should have a flexible sole, but the flexing should be restricted to the area around the ball of the foot. In contrast, the heel and the middle of the sole should be supportive, not flexible.

7. How do I maintain the shoes?

Keeping your leather shoes regularly nourished with a good leather polish will help them last longer.
Giving your shoes a rest will help preserve them too - wearing another pair for a day lets any sweat in the first pair dry out.