When Should You Get Bigger Shoes?

Dr. Rosenstein,

      I have been training for a marathon and the shoes I have are great so far. I've been researching and found that some people tend to buy shoes one size bigger because your feet swell over the distance. How will I know if I need bigger shoes?


Feet usually swell a size or more during walking or running with a full affect after an hour or so. Depending on the distance you run, if your not feeling pain then your shoes maybe the right size.

The problems that you would see from wearing too small of shoes include:

• Bunion Pain
• Blisters
• Black toenails/ losing toenails
• Hammertoes

Your feet will always continue to grow and spread as you age. If you gain or lose weight, so will your feet. You should get properly fit shoes every year.

Make sure your shoes fit! You should be able to wiggle your toes around in the shoes. You should also be able to a finger's width in the toebox when you stand up, before you start walking. Your heel should stay put in the heel cup, your foot should not be sliding forward with every step.

If you wear shoes that are too big you may have similar complications that you would have when wearing too small of shoes. If your foot slides with each step you take, you can get black toenails or even lose your toenails. You may also get blisters from that same effect, or you may irritate your bunnions or hammertoes from the extra friction and impact.

Of course it's always a great idea to see your podiatrists if your not sure or experiencing pain.

For more information or to schedule an appointment please contact Affiliated Podiatrists, Inc. at
440-946-5858 or visit our website www.DrRobertRosenstein.com