Why Experts Recommend Buying A Running Shoe Half A Size Bigger

With more and more people caring about health and taking up exercise, running, as the simplest exercise, is prevalent, resulting in more purchase of running shoes. Additionally, the athleisure trend also promotes the population of running shoes. When selecting normal shoes, the just suitable size is the best. However, it's not the same with choosing running shoes. As experts recommend, we'd better purchase running shoes half a size bigger. When we are running, it's significant to have plenty of room in the toebox for our feet swell, or we may have blisters, numbness and general discomfort. So how can we know whether this kind of running shoes is proper for us?  There are nine signs symbolizing our running shoes are the wrong size. 

You can’t get your shoes off without completely loosening the laces

As is advised, we should be able to slide our feet out with our shoes laced up and untied. If we can’t, we’d better buy running shoes half a size bigger.

Your heel slips when you’re walking or running uphill

If it is not because we didn’t lace well, it means our shoes are too big for us.

Your toes graze the front of your shoe after a long run, your toenails are bruised, and/or you’ve developed Hammer Toe

During running our feet swell and lengthen, so our feet get grazes if the size is not bigger than our normal one.

After a long run, your arches ache, your Achilles-tendon is tender, and/or you feel strain in your calves

An improperly aligned flex point and a lack of heel support and flexibility will lead to arche pain and Achilles-tendon or calf strain. 

Numbness or strain on the top of your foot

This means the top of your shoe is either too tight or too loose on your foot.

You have bunions or corns on the side of your toes

If your shoes are narrow, this will emerge.

Your toes burn after a run

This is because the shoes are tight for you.

You feel a stabbing sensation in your knee while running in a new pair of shoes, especially downhill 

Maybe the new running shoes are not fit for you.

If you feel a deep pain in your foot that gets worse when you’re active and doesn’t ease up after a few miles on a run

If your shoes are not suitable, allowing the foot to move too much or not supporting the foot and ankle properly, the bones receive the full pressure of each step resulting in sustaining pain. 

So, after realizing whether our shoes are suitable, how can we choose the right size? Six advices are as followwing.

Shop in the evening

In the evening, our feet are the biggest. So shoes fit for feet in the evening will fit for other time in a day.

Embrace the wiggle room

Your foot can spread ½ an inch when you step, but one shoe size is usually only a difference of ⅓ an inch, so make sure there’s at least a thumb’s width of room between your toes and the shoe.

Size by the insole

When trying shoes, size by the insole since we use it every day. 

Run — don’t walk — in your shoes

Trying makes it clearer whether this pair of shoes is comfortable when running.

Try on more sizes than you think you need

Keep trying different size until you find the fittest one or buying unfit shoes is a waste of time and money.

Fit snug, but not tight

If the shoes are tight, your feet will get grazed easily during exercise.