Proper Shoe Fitting Tips
Proper fit is essential for maintaining healthy feet. The following are tips to help you determine your customer’s correct shoe size. Some people wear shoes that are the wrong length or width, so never assume that a person is wearing the correct size.
- The Brannock Device is used to measure your customer’s feet. Your customer must have on socks while measurements are being taken.
- The Brannock provides 3 separate measurements. (Illustrated on MRL’s CD)
- Heel-to-Toe Length: Toes need to be pressed flat against the base of the Brannock Device, look straight down over the longest toe (not necessarily the great toe) to read toe length. Be sure the customer’s socks are snug against the toes to provide an accurate measurement.
- Heel-to-Ball Length: Put your thumb on the ball joint of the foot. Move the pointer forward so the inside curve of the pointer fits the ball joint of the foot and the two high ribs come in contact with your thumb. The lower middle rib will be in the center of the ball joint on the side of the foot if the pointer is properly located. This provides the arch measurement.
- Width: Slide the width bar to the edge of the foot. On the sliding width bar, locate the length. To determine length use the middle between the heel-to-toe length and the heel-to-ball length. Find the width measurement that lines up to the shoe length on the width bar. If the shoe size falls between the widths, choose the wider width. If the foot is extremely fleshy or has a very high instep, you may need to provide the customer with 1 width larger than measured.
- Reverse the Brannock Device and measure the other foot. It is common for people to have two different size feet. You will always fit shoes to the larger foot.
- Have the customer try on the Stride Lite shoes nearest the size determined.
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Determine if fit is correct.
- Check to see if the ball of the foot is at the widest part of the shoe.
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Check for toe location. (1/4 to 3/8 room at the toe)
- Help customer select the appropriate shoe.
Q: Your male customer’s feet measure 8 ½ in heel-to-toe length and heel-to-ball length and the width is C. How would you fit the customer?
A: Fit the customer with at 8 ½ W. If you do not have a 8 ½ W, try a 9W. If the 9W has too much space in the toe box, try a 8W. If the 8W is too tight in the toe box, then you may assume that a 8 ½ W is going to be the correct size to order.
Q: A customer with the same size feet as above (8.5) has a very high instep. What size shoe would the customer wear?
A: A customer with very high instep should be fit with a ½-size longer shoe. So for this customer the proper size would be 9W.
Q: Another customer with the same size feet as above (8.5) has a fleshy or thick instep. What size would he wear?
A: The customer with a swollen or fleshy foot should be fitted one size wider or ½ size longer, whichever, would be the best fit. In this case, try a 8 ½ W or a 9W. Remember, the best fit will have the ball of the foot at the widest part of the shoe.
Q:Your customer’s feet measure 7½ heel-to-toe and 8 ½ heel-to-ball. What is the customer’s correct shoe size?
A: It is recommended to start by splitting the difference and try an 8. The shoe size usually is equal to or greater than the heel-to-toe measurement. However, do not go more than one full size larger than the heel-to-toe measurement. When you split the difference to get the shoe length, always use this shoe length to determine the width. In other words, use size 8 on the Brannock to determine shoe width.
- Determine shoe size based on the customers largest foot. However, if the right and left feet vary by more than 1 ½ sizes, consider ordering two different size shoes.
- If the customer’s shoe is slightly too large you can snug it up by adding an insert or pad to the shoe. (see CD
for information)
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