Method2Trying on Dress Shoes
1Try on shoes in the afternoon or evening. Your feet swell at least a little bit throughout the day, so don't try on shoes first thing in the morning. If you buy shoes that fit perfectly before your feet have swollen, the shoes may feel tight as the day goes on. A tight fit with slightly swollen feet will be looser with your feet at their normal size.[7]You don't want your feet to be sore and sweaty. Walk just long enough that your feet expand to their slightly larger size.
- 2Wear the type of socks you'd wear with dress shoes. You want your dress shoes to have a snug fit. If you wear thick socks when you're buying the shoes and thin socks later, the shoes will feel loose. When you're choosing dress shoes, wear the socks you will most often wear with those shoes.[8]
It's better to wear slightly thicker socks than socks that are too thin. Trying the shoes on with thicker socks will make sure you leave a bit of extra room.
3Buy a pair of shoes that fit when you first try them on. Leather dress shoes will not stretch much, if at all, so you won't be able to break them in as you wear them. If the shoes feel too tight when you put them on, they will always be too tight. Only select shoes that fit just right when you buy them.[9]Walking around in the shoes will help your feet get used to the way they fit, but if your feet are uncomfortable when you put them on, they may remain uncomfortable.
- 4Walk around in the shoes to see how they feel. When you find a pair you like, put on both shoes and walk around a bit. Pace the floor to get a feel for the shoes. Make a ten foot path back and forth a couple of times. Walk as you normally would. Don't change your stride because of the shoes.[10]
Don't buy shoes if you can't try them on and walk around in them. There's no way to know how the shoes fit you if you don't walk in them.
- 5Buy two sizes when you order online. If you can't make it to a store to try shoes on, it's helpful to buy two different sizes to make sure one of them fits. The difficulty is deciding whether to buy a size bigger than usual or a size smaller. Be sure to know your foot size as closely as possible when you order.[11]
This will obviously cost more money, so take this into consideration when ordering. Unless you are in a pinch, buying dress shoes in store makes it easier to get the right shoes.
