Ten tips to spot a comfortable shoe before you try it on

We all love shoes, yes we do!  Some people are known to be so obsessed with shoes to the extent that they have countless number of them. Shoes can be deceiving, the most beautiful laced-up sandals or brogues can give you the ugliest blisters a few hours in. Those seemingly modest heels can leave you hobbling in pain. Buying the right shoes is an investment in foot health. But how do you find ones that fit properly and provide adequate support? What is it that you as a man or woman always look for when buying or trying on a shoe? Do you just go for it once you behold the beauty of the shoe and you will be like wow this shoe is cool Or it is because the shoe is in vogue? Then you really have to reconsider all these things. Here are five easy ways to spot a comfy shoe that won’t betray you when rocking it. 

1. Look for a stacked heel:  The thicker the heel, the more evenly spread the pressure will be on your feet, and the more supported you will feel. 

2. Always choose natural materials: Suede and leathers will mod your feet, which helps prevent any slipping around or injury caused by friction. Synthetics, on the other hand, have less give and airflow- the biggest culprits of blisters. 

3. Check the stability: Prop the shoe on a flat surface and give it a gentle nudge with your finger. If it wobbles or tips over easily, it’s probably not sturdy enough to keep you balanced. 

4. Try to find wider straps: They will literally strap your feet into the shoe so you will have more stability while walking.  

5. Go for padded sole: Turn the shoes over and examine the soles. Are they sturdy enough to provide protection from sharp objects? Do they provide any cushioning? Also, take the sole test as you walk around the shoe store: do the soles cushion against impact? Try to walk on hard surfaces as well as carpet to see how the shoes feel. For heeled shoes, padding relieves some of the pressure you typically feel on the balls of your feet. And for flats, it helps absorb shock and provides some much needed arch support.

6. Feel the inside of the shoes to see if they have any tags, seams, or other material that might irritate your feet or cause blisters. 

7. Trust your own comfort level rather than a shoe’s size or description. Sizes vary from one manufacturer to another. And no matter how comfortable an advertisement claims those shoes are, you are the real judge. 

8. Stand in the shoes. Make sure you have at least a quarter- to a half-inch of space between your longest toe and the end of the shoe.

9. Take a tracing of your foot with you: Place any shoe you think you might buy on top of the tracing. If the shoe is narrower or shorter than the tracing, don’t even try it on.

10. Don’t Depend On “Breaking Them In: We are all guilty of having bought a pair of shoes that are either too small, too big, too tight, or just generally uncomfortable. They say that beauty is pain, right? But when you are in the market for a new pair of shoes that you want to actually wear — be honest with yourself. Are you really going to put up with the pain of breaking them in? It’s true that most shoes stretch and become more comfortable, but this can take months of usage .