What are the things to consider when buying new shoes? Some people believe that choosing a pair of shoes is as important as choosing someone to become his girlfriend. Not without reason, shoes that don’t fit well will definitely feel annoying to wear all day. Furthermore, instead of protecting the foot, wearing improper shoes will hurt the foot itself. No matter how beautiful or expensive the shoes are.
Since the spread of online stores and marketplaces, consumer behavior has also changed. No exceptions when they decide to buy shoes. Just take the phone, click on it, then sit patiently waiting for the shoe packet to arrive.
It’s true, this way of shopping is very practical, fast, and easy. However, many people are disappointed when the shoes that have been awaited are already in front of their eyes. It is not a matter of the dissimilarity of the item with the photograph, but rather the size and comfort level of the shoe when in use.
Therefore, it would actually be wiser to buy shoes directly in an offline store. At least, shopping alternatives like this will minimize disappointment with the goods to be purchased. Nevertheless, it does not mean that we are spared the mistake of buying shoes directly, you know! In fact, there are still many people who commit several mistakes when buying shoes even though it is done directly at the store or shopping center.
Mistakes of Buying Shoe: #1 Lack of understanding of own foot shape
One aspect of things to consider when buying new shoes is of course the size of one’s feet. However, it turns out that it is not enough. Other factors need to be considered besides the length of the legs, namely the shape of the legs. In addition to the asymmetry of the right and left parts of a person’s body, in fact, the shape of people’s legs varies. In general, the shape of the foot can be classified into three, namely the shape of a normal foot, a flat foot, and a cavus foot.
How to Indentify it?
How identify a person’s leg is pretty easy. First, evenly wet the entire sole all the way to the toes. Then, stand on a piece of cardboard. From there we can see footprints that can be used as consideration for buying footwear.
If the printed footprint is fully visible, it means that someone has a flat foot shape. If there is a distance in the middle of the foot between the heel and the base of the toe, it means that a person has the shape of a cavus foot where the middle tends to protrude upwards so that it does not leave wet traces. Whereas normal feet will print a wet tread with the middle of the tread slightly cut off on the inside.
By understanding the shape of the foot itself, the chances of getting the right footwear will be even greater. Owners of flat foot shapes should avoid shoes with an insole that slides down to prevent pain when used for long periods of wear. For the owner of a cavus shape, shoes with footwear that provide cushioning in the midsole of the sole are the most appropriate option. On the other hand, the normal shape of the foot is not too much of a problem in determining the right insole, but it is also possible to insert an additional insole for added comfort when stepping.
Mistakes of Buying Shoe: #2 Putting aside the sole material
Model and shoe materials are usually the main focus when buying footwear. In fact, the sole also has an important role in determining the degree of comfort of wearing shoes. Unfortunately, people still rarely look at the sole material used in making shoes.
For example, rubber-based shoe soles, which are commonly used as materials for making sports shoe soles, look comfortable when worn on regular days. However, the rubber sole will harden as soon as the weather turns cold. On the other hand, sports shoes must have the flexibility and impact damping ability. In other words, rubber-soled shoes are not intended for sports activities in cold conditions.
How to distinguish the base material of the sole is actually not very difficult. For example, a leather sole can be guessed by tapping it where it will make quite a loud sound. In addition, invisibly, the leather sole appears soft and shiny. While the rubber sole has a matte or doffs color that will not reflect light.
Furthermore, as its function is to dampen impact, the rubber sole hardly makes a sound when tapped. When looking for a flexible, bendable, and non-slip sole, the position of the polyurethane sole is irreplaceable.
Mistakes of Buying Shoe: #3 Lack of assessment of heels
Try to give an assessment between women’s shoes with kitten heels and 3 cm heels compared to stiletto models with at least 12 cm heels, which is more comfortable to wear when walking all day? Equally, entitled shoes, ordinary people would think that low-heeled shoes would be much more comfortable than high-heeled shoes. In fact, this kind of judgment is not necessarily true.
It’s not about heels’ height that makes a pair of shoes comfortable or not to wear. High-heeled shoes will still be good to wear all day as long as they have a thick sole or foot bed. For example, a 15 cm heeled shoe can be painless because the front of the shoe is given an additional 5 cm high platform. The outsole or shoe sole will provide cushioning that reduces direct pressure when walking. On the other hand, a 3 cm heel can feel like hell when worn standing long enough if the sole is thin. Now, I’ve already explained 3 things to consider when buying new shoes. What is the last one?
Mistakes of Buying Shoe: #4 Buy shoes in the morning
Yes, it turns out that time is also one of the variables that determine the comfort of the shoes to be worn, you know! In the morning it is not recommended for someone to buy shoes. It is not because malls and shops are not yet open, this reasoning leads more to scientific explanations. In short, the size of the legs can be different between morning and afternoon. In the morning, the size of the feet tends to be smaller than in the afternoon and evening.
Thus, the recommended time to buy shoes is in the afternoon or evening. Because, in that time frame, the size of the sole is close to the maximum. After doing a lot of activities and walking all day, the legs will swell up. According to a study, the legs will grow about 5% at the end of the day from their original size. Therefore, be sure to shop for shoes at the right time so that you won’t regret it another day, yes.
Those are four things to consider when buying new shoes that usually go unnoticed. The price and brand are not a guarantee that a pair of shoes will be good, durable, and good to wear. However, there are times when investing in something a little more expensive such as shoes that combine technological sophistication and the anatomy of the sole is a good choice. If in one day it turns out that our work demands pacing with high intensity, it is certainly not fun if the foot is in pain because the shoes used are not comfortable, right?
