It’s not very easy to pick your shoes these days. This is mainly because the considerations for shoe choices seem to be growing by the day. You can’t just pick any pair of shoes simply because you like the way it looks. How do you pick the right shoes?
Occasion and Activity
The most obvious factor to consider is the occasion. Ask yourself what you need your shoes for and be as specific as possible. You may need a new pair for gym exercise, trail hiking, mountain climbing, jogging, industrial work or formal attendance. Knowing the event or activity alone is already a lot of help. Shoes these days are basically categorized according to the activity. Once you know what you need your shoes for, you can just head to the department store shoe section with the corresponding category label. This however is where simplicity stops. Confusion may arise once you are in a particular shoe category.
Shoe Category
There are shoe sub types within categories. Running shoes for example have a lot of different types. There are shoes for indoor use, outdoor use, motion control, speed use and cushioning. Another example would be hiking shoes. There are shoes for wet terrain, trails, off-trails and mountaineering. The key to finding the right sub-type within a shoe category is to be as specific as possible with your shoe needs. Find out exactly the specific condition you will be encountering when running, hiking or working.
Rules
Another way to pick your shoes would be to follow the rules. There are both written and unwritten rules when picking shoes. Black tie formal affairs for example pretty much have set rules. For formal events, you would do well to stick with traditional formality rather than experiment with unusual fashion.
There are also some unwritten rules for other kinds of shoes. Industrial shoes for example almost always need to have steel toes and stiff exteriors. It therefore follows that you always have to pick industrial shoes that are a half size or one size larger than your usual shoes. This unofficial rule is intended to prevent foot pain and maintain movement flexibility.
Foot Concerns
You should always be very considerate of your feet. Always pick shoes that are comfortable to wear and cause the least pain. This may be a little difficult if you are picking formal shoes. The rules of formality may set certain restrictions on design that may make comfort nearly impossible. One tip you can follow though is to simply respect the shape of your feet. If you have wide feet, keep away from narrow tipped shoes.
Running shoes provide greater ease for your feet. Although there are different shoe designs for various preferences, running shoe experts often advise people to consider the foot arch. Finding shoes that support high, low or normal arches will limit the possibility of injury or foot pain and increase movement flexibility.
There may be a lot of other considerations when you pick your shoes. These however are the basic concerns that you should look into. Pick the right shoes that fit both the occasion and your feet.
by Russell Checchin
