How to choose the right shoes that will make you feel comfortable?
You are browsing a wide selection of shoes, but you’re not sure which ones will be the right ones for you? You’d like to try them, but you don’t feel like buying multiple pairs and returning the excess? Don’t despair - in this article, we’ll advise you on how to choose shoes so that you pick the best ones right away.
Guide to Choosing Shoes
- How to recognize the right shoes?
- Are you buying shoes for children or for yourself?
- Where and how will you use the shoes?
- Shoes as health prevention
- What shoe size to choose
- Where to buy shoes?
- You have the shoes… what next?
How to recognize the right shoes?
We understand that you want to put on a shoe and feel maximum comfort. That’s why we’ll share 3 simple tricks with you on how to recognize comfortable shoes at first glance.
- The foot feels most free when it can move all its toes. Choose a shoe size that gives you extra space in length (sufficient allowance), but does not squeeze you from the sides. First, look for shoes with a wider toe box.
- Next, remember dress shoes for balls and how your feet start to hurt after a while. With heels, the foot tilts unnaturally, so as a second step, check whether the shoes have a sole that is level with the ground (so-called “zero drop”).
- And finally, take the shoes in your hands and try to bend them in all directions. If the shoes are heavy, stiff, and difficult to bend, then the same daily effort will be required from your feet. Save yourself the trouble by choosing lightweight and flexible shoes.
And if you’re thinking right now that you can’t tell the weight and flexibility from an e-shop, we have great news for you. We sell barefoot shoes that meet all of these requirements.
Are you buying shoes for children or for yourself?
You already know that the best place to get comfortable shoes is with us, but then you find out that we have thousands of different models in stock. It will help you narrow down your choice if you are clear about who you are buying for and what type of shoe you are looking for. At Little Shoes, we don’t sell only children’s shoes (sizes 16 to 39), but also barefoot shoes for adults (sizes 36 to 47).
Where and how will you use the shoes?
If you associate barefoot footwear only with handmade sandals, you’ll be pleasantly surprised that we have shoes of all types and for every occasion in stock. So you don’t have to worry about wearing thin soles on hard sidewalks - today’s barefoot shoes are suitable for the city, the office, and even a ball. We also think about fashion - stylish boots or ballet flats will delight women of all ages.
To feel safer at first, you can initially wear minimalist shoes only on trips to nature, where the ground is naturally softer. In that case, however, replace city models with proper outdoor shoes that can handle mud and puddles.
Who would want their feet to sweat uncomfortably in hot weather, or conversely have their toes freeze in winter? Therefore, always adapt your footwear to the outdoor conditions. In rain and mud, put children in rubber boots; in summer, let feet breathe in sandals; in autumn, ankle boots will protect you from wind and moisture; winter boots insulated with fur will keep your feet warm even in frost; and in spring, your feet will appreciate the freedom of sneakers.
If you cannot afford enough pairs to rotate, simply get all-season low shoes. They can handle spring, summer, autumn, and mild winter, or you can easily insert insulated insoles. On the other hand, children’s slippers are completely independent of the weather. Comfort is most important for them, because children spend long hours in them.
The breathability of the materials from which the shoes are made also plays a role. Most often you will find leather shoes that withstand outdoor conditions well (especially if you regularly treat them with care products). Artificial leather offers similar properties, while more breathable textiles are better suited for warmer months. If you want shoes that are both breathable and waterproof, look for those with a membrane. 100% waterproof protection is ensured by rubber boots.
Shoes as health prevention
Do your knees, hips, back, or spine hurt? It may not be obvious at first glance, but many musculoskeletal problems can stem from inappropriate footwear. All muscles, bones, and tendons form an interconnected system, so misalignment at one end affects the rest of the body in its effort to maintain balance.
Physiotherapists confirm that barefoot shoes strive to respect the natural development of the foot. Rather than treating diseases later, it is better to prevent them in time. That is why more and more parents choose barefoot shoes for their children from their first steps and stick with a healthy foundation until puberty. However, when it comes to adult health, many people unfortunately neglect themselves, thereby setting themselves up for problems in old age.
They often suffer from a bunion (hallux valgus) or little toe deformities from too narrow a toe box. High heels or sneakers with a raised toe collapse the arch and contribute to flat feet. Stiff shoes transfer movement load to the ankle, increasing the risk of sprains. Instead of reflecting on their walking style, stopping stomping, and preventing heel spurs, people prefer to reduce pain with cushioned soles, in which the foot only passively lazes and weakens.
We are not saying that barefoot shoes are a cure-all. They simply help the foot strengthen naturally and eliminate negative movement patterns that cause problems. As a result, the condition may not immediately begin to improve, but at least it will no longer worsen. Of course, you should consult suitable footwear with your doctor (especially if you already suffer from health problems), but in general, we recommend that all adults and seniors try barefoot shoes.
What shoe size to choose
Did you know that people often choose the wrong shoe size? That’s because they are used to taking the same size their whole life. However, each manufacturer sizes footwear slightly differently, and feet can swell during the day and with age. Fortunately, we have a reliable solution for choosing perfectly fitting shoes without trying them on. Just measure your foot size (ideally in the evening). Read the simple instructions we have prepared for you.
You may think you would be creating unnecessary work for yourself. In fact, you will save time, worries, and money because you won’t have to carry a return package to a pick-up point. When you trace your bare foot on paper and measure its length and width, you can compare your foot dimensions with the internal length and width of the shoe.
We provide a size chart with internal dimensions for every pair we sell, and to be sure, we personally measure all models. When you take your foot size (and add the allowance), you can easily verify whether your foot will fit in the shoe (and with how much space). For faster filtering, you will find a tool in the top menu for easy shoe selection, which performs the calculation for you and immediately offers all suitable shoes. You can also easily save your foot dimensions in your customer account for next time, even for all family members.
Size for children’s shoes
Which parent doesn’t know the feeling of buying shoes for their children yesterday, only to find that their feet have already grown and they need a size bigger? Even so, you might be surprised how quickly children’s feet grow. And that is exactly what you must consider when choosing children’s shoes and count on at least a half-centimeter allowance for growth. When you also add free space for toe movement, you usually reach an allowance of around 12 millimeters.
The only exception for children is small babies. If you hesitate about when to give a child their first shoes, it should be only when independent walking without support makes up most of their waking time (let them walk completely barefoot at home for as long as possible, ideally even without socks). For first steps, choose shoes with a smaller allowance (5 to 9 mm) so that beginner walkers do not trip over the toe of the shoe. Some manufacturers (e.g., Be Lenka or Bobux) distinguish children’s model series by age, but the decisive word should always be the current foot measurement.
Do not forget to check foot dimensions regularly, even once a month, but also always at the beginning of the season (for example with slippers). A child will not tell you that shoes are tight, or they may curl their toes in the shoe and keep running. Likewise, they will not recognize during trying on whether the shoes fit well. The thumb press test or inserting a finger behind the heel can be misleading - only measuring the foot will bring reliable results.
3 most common mistakes when choosing the right size
- Anyone who pays attention to foot length but neglects width may end up with squeezed toes. You might break in tight shoes over time, but at the cost of sore and damaged feet - so choose wider ones right away.
- You would certainly like to save some money, but do not look for barefoot shoes within the family or in second-hand stores. Worn shoes have already been shaped by someone else, which can disrupt your natural foot alignment and whole body movement. Instead, check out our hundreds of discounted shoes or register for free in our loyalty program for a 2% discount on all purchases (which can increase up to 6% with repeated purchases).
- Be careful about buying shoes “for stock”. With children, it is difficult to estimate the correct size in advance. And if you plan to wear shoes years later, keep in mind that they are often held together with glue that does not last forever. In the meantime, they may also go out of fashion. Moreover, material technologies and processing are constantly evolving, so today’s shoes will be functionally behind compared to future ones.
How to decide when you hesitate?
Sometimes you will find that your required dimensions fall exactly between two shoe sizes, and then what to do… We recommend choosing the larger one rather than buying another pair sooner than necessary. Choose the smaller size only for seasonal shoes (e.g., sandals or snow boots) that a child will use for a month or two and then switch to another pair anyway. Or you can try another shoe brand to see if you fit better there.
Each brand fits a different foot shape. To recognize yours, read the article about foot types, where you will learn about different toe shapes, overall foot shapes, heel widths, or instep height. In the description of all shoes, we state which foot type they are likely to fit. And to help you navigate between different manufacturers more quickly, we regularly update comparative shoe reviews for you.
If you now feel lost under the flood of information, we will solve everything for you. Just call our customer line on weekdays, where trained product specialists will advise you with your selection. Or write us a message with your foot dimensions, even send photos, and we will reply as soon as possible. We have been helping people find the right shoes for over 11 years, so you can rely on us.
Where to buy shoes?
Definitely with us at Little Shoes, because comfortable shopping for comfortable shoes is our highest priority. The quality of our services is guaranteed by your reviews, which have long been close to 100%. Customers especially appreciate the wide selection of barefoot shoes for children and adults, next-day delivery, an extended 21-day period for easy returns of ill-fitting goods, and excellent care from customer support.
You have the shoes… what next?
Try on the shoes at home, on a clean floor and while standing (weight spreads the foot). Take a few steps and even try a light jog to see if you trip in them. The shoes should not press anywhere, but at the same time your heel must not slip. A good sign with children is when they happily romp in the shoes instead of walking cautiously.
Inside barefoot shoes, the toes have plenty of freedom, which may feel unusual at first when you put them on. That’s fine, but the foot should not flop inside the shoe - it should be held firmly at the ankle. Any feeling of pain signals that you should return the shoes and choose a different pair.
You will receive even more care from us in our stores, where the staff will personally remeasure your feet, immediately bring suitable models to try on, and provide feedback on whether they fit well. We have our own barefoot shoe store in Prague in SmĂchov, but those from South Bohemia will have it closer to our headquarters in PĂsek.
The largest selection, convenience, and 24/7 opening hours are, of course, offered by our e-shop. We hope you now have all the necessary information to find the right shoes with us. If you think of anything else, we will be happy to answer you individually. We wish you a pleasant shopping experience.