Measure your shoe size
To find your true shoe size, use the Bannock shoe measuring device usually available at the shoe store. The Bannock foot measuring device is designed to indicate your correct shoe size by measuring the heel-to-toe, arch, and width of your feet. With these measurements, you will be able to find a properly fitted shoes.
Some people find that after measuring their feet, they have one foot longer or wider than the other. If you have this feat, don't worry as this is normal and there is nothing to worry about. This is usually because of the formation of bunions and tailor bunions that have a genetic predisposition and will change the anatomical alignment of the foot; thus making it wider or longer than your other foot.
The rule of the thumb
The rule of the thumb when buying a pair of shoes is there should be a thumb's spacing between the tip of the longest toe in your foot to the end of the shoe. Use the first, second, or third toes as landmarks as they are usually the longest toes in your foot.
Try shoes in the afternoon
Your feet swell during the day because walking slightly increases your blood flow. If you must shop in the morning, don't buy shoes that are snug.
Buy shoes that fit the bigger foot
Never force your foot into a shoe that is either too small or too tight. Wearing shoes that don't fit can cause foot, ankle, knee and back problems. It can even throw you off-balance and make you walk funny. If it is too narrow, you can develop ingrown nails, corns, and your skin will be irritated causing blister formation.
Wear the type of socks you would wear for the shoe you are buying
Don't wear your basketball socks nor even try to wear ski socks if you are buying leather shoes for work. Don't fit your shoes without socks either. The goal here is not just to make it fit, but also to provide overall comfort especially when wearing socks.
Walk around your shoes before buying them
Walk around the store and see how it fits before buying them. Once you have the shoes at home, try walking around and wear them for a few hours. This should give you a better feel for the shoes than trying them on briefly at the store. Make sure that when trying it on, you shouldn't scuff the shoes, as the store won't accept it if you need to replace the one you just bought.
Shoes just expand, not get longer
Usually, leather shoes expand and widen with wear, but only by a bit. However, shoes don't get longer. If your toes are crunched at their tips, don't expect it to be better with wear. Either go up a half-size, or find another shoe that is a perfect fit.
UK, US, and European sizes are different
You may find that in some shoe store, you are sized 6, in other stores you are sized 39, and in some you are sized 5.5. This is because the shoe manufacturers use different sizes and they usually base it on where the shoe was manufactured. Thankfully, shoe stores have shoe conversion tables you can use as a guide. Also, shoes nowadays have shoe sizes converted to UK, US, and European sizes.
