Shoe sizing problem

Traildoggie

Cathlete
Has something happened to athletic shoe sizing in the last year or two? I have always worn a size 7 or 7.5. I have Rykas, Addidas. Salomon. same with hiking boots, ski boots. I have a closet full of relatively worn out shoes that still fit just fine.

so I was trying to mail order new shoes and I've tried 3 pair, different brands, and all are ridiculously small. I ordered 7.5. the toe box area is so narrow and FLAT I can't begin to get my toes into it. so now I will go to a store and find out what size my feet, which are still the same size, require now. Anyone else having problems?
 
I've had the same problem about a year or so ago when buying new ryka shoes. I always took a 6 1/2 and have old ones that still fit perfect. Then I bought a pair and my heel didn't sit right and it was too tight on the ball of my foot. I sent it back and went to a local store to buy and tried on a size 7. I fits be perfect. So I would say that shoe sizing has changed. Same with my nine west flats I buy. I used to be a 7 and now I'm an 8. Then I ordered a different pair from nine west a few months later in size 8, and they were way to big. I wish they would just stick with the same styles and sizes because this return shipping is killing me.

Kim
 
I have ordered from roadrunnersports.com for decades. they say size up a half a size in most shoes.
not every shoe I've ever ordered fit, but up/down half a size. sometimes 7, sometimes 7.5. these last shoes were visibly smaller when I hold them against my current shoes, notably the toe area. I'm guessing to save weight and cut materials, makers are using less fabric. I have relatively normal feet and find it very weird that size standards are so far off. these are major brands, adidas, succony, and mizuna. I know they are all made over seas somewhere but it is unfortunate that I can't buy the same brand ( Adidas supernova) and model shoe and have it be even similar in size.
these shoes were so small and narrow in the toe that I'd have to size WAY up but then I'd have as bunch of extra "pointy toe " flapping at the end to trip over.

Mostly I guess I'm venting.... but with so many of us doing mail order, some size consistency is needed.
 
I have the same issue. I went from getting running shoes in a 9.5 to 10.5. I don't understand why athletic shoes have narrow toes. My foot doesn't have a pointy end to it. I'm lucky that I live close to Holabird Sports, so I can go try on lots of different shoes, and then still not find any.
 
I think I've become a professional returner! If people are serious about footwear.......companies should take notice!!! I get surveys all the time for make-up, gadgets, clothing, on line shopping experience etc etc. Never about fitness, footwear, workout wear!:mad:
 
Shoe/boot sizing is a problem because manfacturers do not make footwear to match the branick device to measure the foot. We used to own a boot shop and found at least 75% of our customers wore incorrect size. For example, a person who measured a 5 C or D wore a 6 or 61/2B or if they had a narrow foot say 10B they wore a 9 or 91/2D. Your shoe/boot should be sized according to your arch length when your foot is at rest in the branick. Many shoe sales people do not even know this and are not trained in measuring the arch and width of the foot. If you buy a shoe that fits your arch at rest it will support your foot.
 
I usually add a blue Superfeet arch support to running shoes after taking out the liner they come with. I have several in hiking boots, running shoes, anything I do mileage in.

My complaint is inconsistency.... like there's no standard measure for a particular size, or if there is, it's not being followed.

I've been happy with mail order. it was reliable. if they said order half size up I did, but it's not working now. this must be a huge problem for mail order companies and maybe that's why free shipping. I tried 3 shoes, 3 brands, and they all fit differently, all were too small and tight in the front. If I go longer, my problem was the arch ( thank you Katie lee for explaining that) was in the wrong place and the heel slips causing blisters.
so I will head to an actual store and see what I can find.
I originally went to mail order because so often actual stores don't have a big selection of any one shoe.. they'll have a 6 and an 8 in one style, and a 5 and a 9 in another, or be "out" of anything between 6 and 10. there'd be one or two in my size that maybe weren't what I needed... need a neutral shoe, not motion control. mail order, I have my choice from dozens but if sizing is so far off it's a waste of everyone's time.
so I guess I'm going to be a "professional returner" like tlc93.
 
I am having that problem I went from a 6 1/2 to a 7 1/2 And now 8th appears I need and 8 in Asia's because they are causing bruising on my toe so I think the sizing has changed.
 
I, too, am having issues with sneakers - I went to the Nike store to see if it was me or not. I had 10 different pair around me, all of different sizes, none consistent. The one that they called 'fly wire' I had to go up a whole size in, and they were uberlight. I only wear them as a fashion sneaker :) not an 'activity sneaker'. Some of the Rykas are inconsistent with sizing as well. I really read the comments before ordering, you can see how much of a size difference there is by doing that. It may save a little on return costs :)
 

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