Dallas Fashion Consultant, Julie Bartlett of Colour IQ, wants to improve your Shoe IQ with tips to make your next shoe purchase perfect.
Do you ever feel like Goldilocks while you are shoe shopping? Some are too large, some are too small, and it’s, ohhh, so difficult to find that perfect pair. Shoes are, without doubt, the most important part of any professional uniform or social outing. We want our shoes to be attractive, functional, long wearing, protective and comfortable. Such shoes are especially difficult for women to find, so in this multi-part series we will focus on what to look for as you shoe shop. Consider this Shoeology 101.
Fit and Comfort:
While “fit and comfort” may be the last concern for some, women and men who are on their feet long hours, days on end, have a much different outlook. Improper fitting footwear can cause back pain, corns, bunions, in-grown toenails, edema or swelling of the feet, misshapen and even broken bones in the foot.
From MedicineNet.com comes advice on how to fit a shoe:
- Always measure both feet when selecting a shoe size. Your feet grow as you get older, and sometimes during pregnancy.
- If one foot is longer or wider than the other, select size based on the larger foot.
- Measure to the end of longest toe, and measure your foot at the end of your work day when your foot is at it’s largest size.
- Once you find a pair of shoes to try, keep the space between your longest toe and the toe of the shoe to 3/8″ to 1/2″.
- Bring additional support. Nooo, I’m not talking about bringing girlfriends along! In your shoes, nothing supports an Arch like inserts, so bring them when you are trying shoes on.
- Don’t expect shoes to stretch to fit.
- The heel of the shoe should not ride up and down. If the wrong size shoe is necessary to eliminate the problem this is the wrong shoe for you.
- Leather shoes reduce the possibility of skin irritation.
What’s up next? Time and Task. Every shoe has it’s comfort time table and a task to perform: keep yours feet friendly at work.
As your Dallas Fashion Consultant, it is my mission to help my clients always look fabulous, without being a slave to the whimsical ways of fashion trends. I am passionately committed to making sure my clients always look their very best in order to help them achieve their personal and business goals. If you have any questions or are interested in a personal consultation, please give me a call at 214-223-2200.