This weekend I went shoe shopping. I was looking for some slip-on shoes. Something semi-casual and comfortable for the summer I could wear to work, with jeans, and with shorts. Even without socks. We went into Nordstrom’s where they do shoes pretty well except for their lack of sneaker selection. I looked at some top-siders, but those are too 80’s-michael-p-keaton. I checked out a couple things and the salesman measured my feet with that slidey deal (It’s called a Brannock Device). Apparently the staff at Nordstrom’s are certified shoe fitters. That’s what the sign says. Anyway, this guy measured my feet and I learned I’ve been wearing shoes that are too small, and I’ve done this my whole adult life. By length, my feet are longer than I thought anyway, being size 12’s. I guess I haven’t measured in a while. The interesting part is that the toe length is not the important part. You have to measure using the ball of your foot. That’s where the little knob on the Brannock Device comes in handy. Most people have never used that part. Since the ball (where your big toe knuckle sticks out) is the widest part of your foot this is the most important aspect when buying comfortable shoes as shoes tend to narrow at the toe. You want to make sure the widest part of your foot is comfortably situated into the widest part of the shoe. If the ball is forward due to a lack of arch, etc. it will push into the toebox of the shoe where the shoe narrows making your feet feel cramped. Taking the ball into consideration I should have been wearing a size 13 1/2. Anyway, I bought these leather “driving moccasins” that are nice and flat. I’ve been padding around the office all morning.
