Well, you kind of don't know until you try them. But once you know your correct size, and if you have experience with a certain brand, there is a relative certainty they're going to be comfortable.

I must say I have tricky feet to fit, but have never found that "most shoes are uncomfortable" as you mention. What kind of shoes have you found uncomfortable in particular? You say "most" but that's pretty broad. Johnston & Murphy, Allen Edmonds, Cole Haan, Kenneth Cole? Or do you just mean any dress style shoes?

Are you mostly used to wearing athletic shoes?

 

If you have an odd size foot, (barring being able to afford bespoke) or flat feet, no shoe would probably feel comfortable. (Shoes that don't fit well are awful.)

I wonder if that is what the OP is getting at.

 

If you have an odd size foot, (barring being able to afford bespoke) or flat feet, no shoe would probably feel comfortable. (Shoes that don't fit well are awful.)

I wonder if that is what the OP is getting at.

Perhaps so. I have large flat feet and a set of orthotics really works for me.

 

The only way I know that mail order shoes will be comfortable is to order them custom made from Russell's. I've learned not to order shoes online from anyone else. Try. Them. On. First!

 

It's a crapshoot for me. I buy within my range and hope for the best. Probably half of the shoes end up re-sold on ebay. If I buy new, it's Zappos or Amazon for their amazing return policies.

Why do you find so many shoes uncomfortable?

 

Well, you kind of don't know until you try them. But once you know your correct size, and if you have experience with a certain brand, there is a relative certainty they're going to be comfortable.

I must say I have tricky feet to fit, but have never found that "most shoes are uncomfortable" as you mention. What kind of shoes have you found uncomfortable in particular? You say "most" but that's pretty broad. Johnston & Murphy, Allen Edmonds, Cole Haan, Kenneth Cole? Or do you just mean any dress style shoes?

Are you mostly used to wearing athletic shoes?

Sorry, "most" was a sweeping generalization. Admittedly, I don't have much experience with trying on dress shoes. Beyond the pair of Florsheim I purchased along with a bespoke suit ~7 years ago (but have worn all of thrice because I was always worried about scratching/damaging my "nice" shoes), I don't know that I've ever tried on any of the "higher end" shoes you mentioned.

For the past several years, I've only worn runners when I go out in the evenings (unless I'm coming from work, in which case I'm still wearing dress shoes). I actually wear dress shoes every day. Or, rather, I wear black shoes every day. My default up until recently was a pair of black Rockport walking shoes. As of late, it is a pair of black Dr. Comfort FlexOA; I realize the name is ridiculous, but they're very comfortable on busy days that have me walking/running around the entire time. If I feel like dressing up more, I'll wear my black Rockport dress shoes. But, I only wear them on days I don't expect to be walking around as much; they're comfortable...right up until they're not and I notice that my little toe gets more sore every time it rubs against the side...

I struggle to balance comfort, appearance, and price when it comes to shoes (not to mention how easy it would be to remove blood and other assorted body fluids that may or may not come into contact with the shoes on a daily basis).

ETA: I don't have flat feet, but I don't have a large arch, either. The other part of it is that I also don't have narrow feet. One reason many shoes that should fit me length-wise are uncomfortable is that they are too narrow - either in the area of the arch or toes - or too loose in the heel area.

 

I've had very good luck ordering from the AE Shoebank. First, find out your size, then order. It can be trial and error.

 

Sounds like you actually need some Alden's. They're made on a combination last. So you can buy something that fits wide in the toe box and narrow at the heel. They're pricey, but well worth it.

 

I don't see why you percieve a problem. IF purchased from a site with liberal return policies, such as AE, or Zappos the only difficulty is a trip to the UPS store and a few dollars in shipping. Probably about what you'd spend on gas and parking going to the store. Then there is the time savings and convenience of trying them on at home. Just make sure to stay on the carpeting so you don't mar the soles.
It's no different from ordering other clothes online. The fit between manufacturers and different models is always a crapshoot. With clothes you have the otion of returning them or taking them to the tailor. With shoes you just return them and order the correct size.

BTW Woodlore sells a shoe stretcher that works well for relieving small pressure points.

Also shaving down callouses and corns is a vital but oft overlooked necessity. If diabetic or having neuropathy this should be performed by a Podiatrist on a regular basis.

 

Thank you all for the tips, suggestions, questions, and insight so far .

I measured my foot (length 10.25" and 4" at the widest part of the foot, per this guide: https://askandyaboutclothes.com/community/showthread.php?t=102267) and it says my shoe size is 8.75E (US). Depending on the shoe style and brand, I believe my current shoes are almost all size 9-9.5. Am I measuring incorrectly?

 

You probably are measuring correctly. Your 'true' size for dress shoes will normally be smaller than what you take for sneaker-sized shoes. If you have a wider foot, which it seems you do, you may also be buying a longer shoe than you need so you can get the width that you need.

 

As I suspected you don't wear a lot of what we would consider dress shoes. I think some of the discomfort you mention is simply that, and proper dress shoes are a different fit than you're used to.

You may also benefit from going to an "E" width. I wore a D width for years, but started getting some slight fit and rubbing issues. I believe there is an Allen Edmonds store in Minneapolis. Go try a shoe in your usual length but an E width and see if that helps. I know they are pricey, but if you splurge for one pair, it might serve your immediate needs. Also be clear, I'm sure the Edmonds people would allow you buy and wear around the house to check for fit over some time. Just stay on carpet and don't scuff the soles at all.

E width shoes are unfortunately hard to find. EEE is much more abundant, but may be way too wide for you...they are for me.
Edmonds and Alden make most all their shoes in an E width (but to be clear, most have to be ordered). The Edmonds store would likely have a handful of E widths in stock in their best selling models (Park Avenue, Strand, Fifth Avenue).

If you find they fit, then you can order shoes on that last with confidence and also use the Shoe Bank.

 

I have difficulty getting a comfortable fit in shoes. This is due to the non-standard shape of my feet. From the description of the difference between the OP's measured size and that with which he has been wearing, it may be that he has the same problem I do - the location of the widest part of the foot is in a nonstandard location.

Whatever the shape of one's foot, it is necessary to measure one's feet. To do this you get your feet measured on a Brannock device, paying particular attention to the size of shoe one should wear based on the location of the widest part of the foot. A competent shoe salesperson can do this, so can an obsessed shoe enthusiast. (I have two Brannocks, US and English.)

With this informatioon and knowledge of the fits of the various brands and their particular shapes, the aforementioned knowledgable shoe seller should be able to suggest shoes that fit well. The main thing to remember is that there is little if any consistency in size or fit between brands of shoes, or between different shapes of shoes from the same manufacturer.

Depending on how much time, effort and money one wants to spend on getting comfortable dress shoes, it is possible to find a brand of shoe with a last (the wooden pattern on which a shoe is built) and size that is just right. It could be Aldens, which as noted, have a combination last, meaning that the width of the heel is a different size (narrower) than the width of the front of the shoe. This has been described as a typically American fit. Or, if one's feet are wide in the heels, Loakes would fit better than Aldens. Allen Edmunds has several lasts and many people find at least one of them to provide a good fit in their proper size.

In my experience none of the above mentioned shoe brands fits me in any of the lasts which they offer. Nor, for that matter, do Lobbs, Churches or most other brands of dress shoes fit comfortably. I have, however, found a size and last combination from Edward Green that fits almost as well as custom made shoes do. I can now mail-order Edward Greens and be certain of getting comfortable shoes. Difficult-to-fit feet are something of a fancy problem. But solving it can be a pleasant diversion.

I hope this helps.

Regards,
Gurdon

 

As a guy who graduated college only a few years ago, I'm still relatively new to wearing good shoes. And as a graduate student, my budget is tight, so I rely heavily on internet sales to afford anything. My solution to figure out what sizes I should look for online was to visit my local Allen Edmonds and get them to fit me. They measured my foot and let me try on a few different styles of shoe. You can ask them to let you try on some different lasts, and this should help you to see if any of their lasts are a particularly good fit. Then you can go home, get on the AE website, and look for all the models of shoe that are made on that same last that fit you well. If you find one of those models on ebay or the thrift exchange here, you'll know it fits you well.

You might feel bad visiting the AE store and getting so much help from them without making a purchase, but if you're anything like me, you'll end up going back later and buying something (I bought a pair of boots in the Rediscover America sale last October from the shoe bank without trying them on, because I'd already been measured and knew they would fit). So don't feel like you're taking advantage of the sales associates - they know that the time they spend helping you figure out your size is an investment in a future customer.

 

You do not!

Even with the benefit of being able to occasionally try on shoes for comparison, you are embarking upon an odyssey of shoe purchases rather than a mere journey. Prepare yourself for being dashed onto the siren rocks of "Just adding three tongue pads to these Lobbs!", stabbing a cyclops over a factory second somewhere along the way, and eventually arriving at the perfect last...whereupon you toss all of the accumulated and incorrectly sized suitors into the gaping maw of Ebay. :devil:

 

You probably are measuring correctly. Your 'true' size for dress shoes will normally be smaller than what you take for sneaker-sized shoes. If you have a wider foot, which it seems you do, you may also be buying a longer shoe than you need so you can get the width that you need.

+1

I wear a 10D sneaker but a 9D dress shoe and an 8.5D Indy boot. When in doubt I generally ask around on AAAC or SF about how lasts fit for different makers. It's worked for me so far

Sent from my tinfoil hat

 

I suppose it's fair to say ordering shoes online can be a bit of a crap shoot, when it comes to achieving a proper fit. However, your odds can be improved considerably if you have prior experience with a particular brands sizing through brick and mortar store purchases, have an opportunity to discuss and resolve your fit concerns with a knowledgeable sales associate, prior to making the purchase (check out Allen Edmonds, The Shoemart, LeatherSoul...), or can deal with vendors who have liberal return policies. For those of us who live out in the hinterlands, online vendors frequently provide our only access to the better made shoes!

 

When in Budapest recently, I bought a pair of Buday shoes but also stopped by the Vass store so I could determine which of their lasts would best suit my foot for future purchases. The key to buying shoes from a given supplier is to know the proper size and last for your foot. If either one is wrong, you won't be comfortable.

The only reason I felt comfortable buying a pair of shoes from Tyrwhitt last week is their terrific return policy. I have no idea whether this shoe will be comfy or not without trying it on. I look forward to trying on some Meermins the next time I'm in Europe just so I know which of their lasts (if any) will be right for me.

 

^^^ so which Vass last fit you best?

 

^^^ so which Vass last fit you best?

The New Peter. Felt great!

Just for comparison, I wear the 5 last (65 last) in AE and the Mako last in Buday.

 

I do this online. I already know the size and type of shoe I will buy, for example: New Balance Black Sneakers 626, I shop for it, check it out online then I head on the bus to take a ride there, get it, find the shoes I saw online. Cause when you know the size and shoes you want, it becomes easier to shop for yourself so you don't waste time.

 

The New Peter. Felt great!

Just for comparison, I wear the 5 last (65 last) in AE and the Mako last in Buday.

That's one I haven't tried as the instep fits lower that U,K and F from what I've read.

 

Uncharacteristically, I got very lucky (in a sense) and managed to finish work early this afternoon. So, I popped by the very nearby AE store and the store manager was kind enough to measure me and talk about shoes and other random interesting stuff. Very nice guy. Well, he measured me as a 7.5E. So, I tried on the 7.5E Black Hills (on sale/clearance for ~$195 from $295), but it was too loose near the heel and too tight near the toes. So, I tried on a 7E in the Black Hills (he said the last is "65-ish") and it fit quite well! They didn't have the color I wanted, so they have ordered it for me so that I can try it on; it should get to the store later this week. Should I bite? This is the first time I've bought *nice*, resolable shoes like this and definitely the first time I have even considered spending this much on a pair of shoes (the only more expensive piece of clothing I own is my bespoke suit that I got almost a decade ago). I'm not averse to spending that much on a pair if they are comfortable I'll get long-term (years-decades) use out of them (including resoling). But, I don't know how to tell if wearing them all day would be comfortable vs just wearing them in the store for a little while. Help!

 

If they are uncomfortable in the store forget about them. If they are comfortable for a few minutes in the store they still may feel tight after a day in them, but should break in. Wear them at home strictly on the carpet for an hour or more so as to not mar the soles. Then they can be exchanged if needed for a better fitting pair. AE themselves recommend this on their website. Having an AE store nearby takes all the guesswork out of it.

Help us out. What is the color of your bespoke suit, and do you intend to wear the shoes with that primarily or for mostly other purposes? What color did you choose?

 

If they are uncomfortable in the store forget about them. If they are comfortable for a few minutes in the store they still may feel tight after a day in them, but should break in. Wear them at home strictly on the carpet for an hour or more so as to not mar the soles. Then they can be exchanged if needed for a better fitting pair. AE themselves recommend this on their website. Having an AE store nearby takes all the guesswork out of it.

Help us out. What is the color of your bespoke suit, and do you intend to wear the shoes with that primarily or for mostly other purposes? What color did you choose?

The suit is out of state, at the family home, not with me. Sadly, I've been too worried about damaging it (food, in transit, etc) to cart it off and wear it in different places. The shoes are a plain black color and it was my intention to wear them as my daily work shoe for when I'm wearing clothes (dress shirt, dress pants, +/- white coat). I opted for the rubber soles because they would be easier to care for with all the cr*p that could get onto them. The gentleman mentioned that these shoes would also be more forgiving than others when it came to having blood spilled on them (no, he didn't volunteer that information up front, but he did tell me when I asked).