Why Your Shoes Don't Fit (and how to fix it) 

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I want cute shoes with a large toe box! My toes need to spread out not be pushed together like sardines in a can.

I love how Nicole doesn't say 'you shouldn't wear these types of shoes', she says 'these types of shoes might hurt you in these ways, do with that information what you will' which is a nice reframing compared to many other shoe guides

My feet is extremely wide, with really short toes and really high arched, and let me tell yall, finding shoes that fit is a nightmare

I find many of these points super fascinating. I used to do ballet, and noticed that the canvas uppers and leather soles were so much more comfortable than my regular shoes. They were soft (in terms of structure) and moulded to my feet in a way that modern shoes simply don't. I would love to see a video comparing how dance shoes and modern shoes are constructed, and how they differ from more historical shoes

And this is why I hate shoe shopping. Half the shoes don't fit at all and the other half would possibly fit after significant modification (something you can't really do or judge without buying them). Even if the shoes seem okay in the store, they probably will end up killing my feet if I wear them for a few hours. Every once in a while I give in to temptation and get a pair of shoes, because they look nice (and are still reasonably practical), but I always end up wearing the same two pairs of shoes, because I know they fit.

Something that might be helpful for people, you can look up lacing patterns for shoes to make the toebox looser or more compressed or offer more slack in the arch! Obviously this is more useful for runners or boots, not the shoes in the video, but it can help!

The first department store I worked in had a leased space shoe department with sales help who actually knew how to measure and fit. The best advice I got was to go shoe shopping at the END of my work day. Shoes that fit then would stand me in good stead. Eventually got well fitting basic pumps that fit well and could be re-heeled and half-soled. Not the cutest choice, but much much more practical.

Theres always the Cinderella stepsister method if your shoe doesn't fit ;) All jokes aside, this video makes me think we should bring back custom shoe making as a regular thing. I know theres specialty cobblers out there but theyre not always accessible. Id rather have one or two pairs of really good shoes than a closet of pain

This is something everyone needs to understand: ready to wear doesn't mean ready to wear, for most people, without some adjustment. You need to learn what brands, whether it be shoes, bras, pants, etc., what brands suit you. I learned at a young age that my feet were special. I love my feet: love them, but they're shaped like an oblong box, with extremely high arches, short toes, and narrow heels. It's not a joy finding shoes, but at least I know what to look for.

I have “difficult” feet - narrow heels, wide square toes, and Ehlers-Danlos skin (the layers of which can shear away from each other causing huge blisters at the slightest provocation). My childhood was a nightmare every time I needed new shoes. I’ve been a barefooter now for over 20 years and (apart from poor circulation) have healthy, strong and very flexible feet! I only wear footwear when absolutely physically necessary, and I’ve come to the conclusion that if I ever need historically accurate shoes I am likely to need to make them myself!

Lol I’ve always viewed ”breaking in shoes” as just building thicker skin/calluses on the parts that get blisters instead of trying to mold the shoe somehow 😂

My friend needed orthotics some time ago, and thus found out that there are shoe stores that specialise in shoes that need orthotics: the particular one she brought me to can also modify shoes (such as building up a sole for someone whose legs are different lengths), and can make shoes. I am sure that other cities have such stores. So I now have two pairs of shoes for 'everyday', which I actually alternate through so that the shoes can rest and dry out properly - and so that my feet aren't in one pair of shoes all the time. I also have a pretty pair of 'mary-janes' that I can wear when I need to be elegant. They don't support my foot as well as the fully enclosed, ankle supporting everyday shoes do (oh do pretend to look surprised, Nicole), but I can rest my feet when I'm in them.

I have 'male' shaped feet; I discovered that in a high-end shoe shop back in 1973. As soon as I stopped trying to wear women's shoes and went to the boy's section, I found shoes that are comfortable to wear at reasonable prices. They are not 'pretty' but my feet don't hurt, and that is all I care about. I wear Birkenstocks for the same reason. To have comfortable heels, it was advised to find a custom shoe maker. I still haven't won the lottery, so...

my usual joy in watching the BEAUTIFUL and historically informative Nicole vids was AMPLIFIED by the modern useful information. i was reminded that people that are the same measurements can "lace down" to different sizes because some are more "squishy" than others. my "DUH" moment in this vid was Nicole telling us that some FEET are more "squishy" than others!

This video couldn't have come at a better time! I'm finishing up a costume of Violet Evergarden, and as much as I'm excited to show off the big floofy edwardian dress, I've had nothing but problems with the heeled boots I've thrifted. As a transmasc person, my experience with heels is near zero, so I'm learning as I go lol. I tried them on for a day and had to take them off on the walk home. In the rain. And cold. They were that painful! I filled in the empty space under the arch and they're already infinitely better! I'm gonna try some other tips and tricks I've seen, hopefully I won't have to break out my emergency ballet flats too soon into the event 😅

Wish I could go and show this video to shoe salespeople. I've got short and wide feet, with a high bridge. And the amount of times I've been told to "just get a size up" is astounding. Sure, maybe (almost never) the width is better, but now I have the extra length for my foot to slide about in....

I am a toe walker, and that spread out the front part of my feet quite a bit. This video helped me understand why I am always, always slipping forward in my shoes and my little toe hurts. Thank you!

I got to go to the Ferragamo Museum in Italy ages ago and loved to see the wooden shoe molds with famous names on them. 'K. Hepburn' 'A Hepburn' 'Loren' 'Monroe' etc. It really made me want a shoe designer to have molds of my feet so I could have shoes made specifically for me!

Daaaaaamn, that explains my lifelong mystery of why my sneakers always end up with uppers pulled out of the shoe due to hiw tight I have to lace them in the middle. Turns out its not that I dont know how to lace or tie shoes properly, I just have very high arch [which I knew about] with very low instep [which I had no clue of], so I end up with a very small circumference in that area and I have to compensate by lacing so tight, that a victorian fashionista would be impressed.

I have to be honest, I don't do 'shoes' anymore. Just running shoes with lots of cushioning and Birkenstock sandels. And a weird sort of hybrid mountain walking sneaker thing for winter. I'm a very boring shoe girl with large feet.

I am new, so lmk if there is a video on this: I am a ballroom dancer, and it is difficult to tell people that we dance in heels, and that they are comfortable and made to move in. Because the sole is flexible, some take them to a cobbler and replace the suede sole and add something to wear out and about due to concerns addressed in this video. I would love to see a video on ballroom dance shoes, where they came from/what older styles or techniques they borrow from and your opimion of cobblers turning them into everyday wearable shoes.

This puts words to exactly the issues I had with my feet in modern shoes. I have very wide feet, at least an E/EE width, and very short toes. My feet were turned inwards quite severely, and my feet were also very overpronated, where the walking surface on the outside of my foot was pointed sideways. I ended up in the barefoot shoe community, where I found shoes wide enough for my feet and flexible enough that I could feel the ground underneath me. And I found exercises that helped me build my foot muscles back up. It's made such a huge difference in my life. I fall so much less, my back and knees and hips feel so much better, my feet look completely different because the overpronation and turn in has changed. I'll never go back to conventional shoes again

This explains my problem with shoes that seem to be too big and too small at the same time. I slide forward in shoes. When I was a teen my mother and a sales assistant argued whether the heels I was trying on were too small or to big. My toes were hanging over the front of the shoe, but I had plenty of space in the back. I can't wear ballerina flats or pumps that don't have straps and slingbacks don't work at all. I'll take two steps and then I'm barefoot. They just don't stay on my feet. My mother always suggested sizing down (then the shoes are too short) or putting half an insole at the front of the shoes (the part that actually fit), because that works for _her_ feet.😑

Seeing how flexible the historical shoes are in comparison to what we have on offer now is so illuminating. That bit about how they add padding to make it “feel better” to disguise that the shoe is actually working against you kinda blew my mind. I finally figured out a few years back that I have very long toes and narrow heels but a wide midfoot and that this causes issues with where the arch of my foot lands in the shoe and I gotta say, all that “support” they put in shoes is my nemesis. Foot aches, smashed toes, and heel blisters abound. I know that “better quality” lasts longer and is made with better materials, but I think you just explained to me why that rarely works out for me. The “better quality” shoes usually have quite stiff soles to them unless you go into the stratosphere bracket that I cannot afford. So, in the end, I actually find a lot of my most comfortable shoes at a really cheap fast fashion outlet because the shoes have super flexible soles and the material they are made of is usually so thin it allows my feet to do whatever the heck it is they need to do to work properly. I’m practically barefoot in them as they also, often, have no added support moulding in the footbeds. I also started buying lambs wool with soft leather sole inserts that I wear all year round. The wool keeps my feet (perhaps counterintuitively) cool in the summer (it wicks away moisture wonderfully) and warm in the winter but it also adds some springiness to my shoes so I get the twofold bonus of super flexible, thin, non irritating shoes with the kind of shock absorption you get walking on naturally more pliable surfaces. I hate the gel and memory foam inserts. The wool is much more responsive to my actual foot mechanics. Also, I am an aggressive heel smasher on my shoes lol. They put such stiff material even in lace up ankle boots and I smash that material to bits to get it to give enough that it doesn’t tear my heels to shreds. I keep the medical tape industry in business just with the amount of it I use just to keep blisters at bay 😂 But now I have even more information about my particular shoe requirements. This is so awesome. I can’t thank you enough for this lol ❤❤❤. It’s kinda reassuring to read all the comments and realize that it’s not just me that struggles so mightily with shoes. You’re so right - by manufacturers picking some mythical “median” in terms of foot sizes and shapes they’ve managed to produce shoes that are nearly universally inadequate. It seems profoundly ridiculous that we’re basically forced to become Sherlock Holmes, winkling out the best option that will still require some degree of modification for them to be not horrible. Considering how much money we end up spending on “affordable” inadequate options, we really would, in the long term, save ourselves a bundle to have our shoes made specifically for us. If we can manage the up front cost and have access to a shoe maker.

I was born with flat feet, which was noticed when I started to walk. It was due to a lengthened achilles tendon. I spent years wearing special shoes and going to physiotherapy. I have very narrow feet with a prominent bone on top. I am careful what type of shoes I buy and usually buy them a half size up so I can pad them out with insoles and heel grips to prevent rubbing. I still love pretty shoes and vividly remember the awful shoes I was forced to wear as a child.

I'm so glad that there is an increasing movement towards healthier shoes.

Please bring back those shoemakers from the old times! I felt uncomfortable while wearing most of the modern shoes since I have a very wide toe box. I’ve switched to barefoot shoes, it did become better, but it also means I should spend more money with limited options😢

It would be awesome to see a collaboration between you and Josephine from @ThePointeShop talking about the evolution of shoes into dance slippers! You both have similar ways of talking about how important it is to understand how feet and shoes work

Toe shape and space truly is an interesting thing that shoemakers seem to have forgotten over time. Like, Converse has been making shoes that are basically the exact same shape for decades, and nowadays they're apparently so used to selling to people with narrow, curved toe areas, that they actually say their shoes run large and people should order a half size down.... not for me! They absolutely fit true to size due to the curve and narrowing of the toe area. Outside of them, I always go for much straighter shaped shoes that don't narrow as much. I've never owned a pair of historical straight last shoes, but I'm thinking they may be a nicer fit than most modern ones....

Green is your color, your eyes are so bright ❤

As an individual who stopped counting after three hundred pairs of shoes, you are the soul of practically. Your sage advice, as well as your no-nonsense clear and forthright commentary are not only more than welcomed, but I am grateful and appreciative of it. ❤

"My shoes are too tight. And, I have forgotten how to dance." Londo Mollari. You've convinced me to get rid of those winter boots that are tight

I had the worst time trying to wear Docs because they had a seam attaching the front and the tongue that cut into my high instep. I also once thought I had an injury from my feet going numb, but it was from wearing a specific pair of sandals which had rivets pushing on the nerves around my ankle bones.

I had unmanageable plantar fasciitis when I lived in DC - hard walking surfaces outdoors and concrete under-floors in mid-20th century buildings indoors. I got HUGE relief when I moved back to the Boston area with all the 100+ years old housing and its springy floor boards. So much better!

Ahhhh, yes. Shoe conundrums are very familiar to me. Thanks for talking to people about how feet are all different! Until my late 20s I had very narrow feet (AAAA) with ridiculously high arches, which made shoe shopping a nightmare. Since I've, ah, matured the ball of my foot now comfortably fits into B width shoes and my arch is flatter, but my heel is still narrow. So, if I don't have some sort of buckle (Mary Janes are my friend) or lace front I'm going to walk right out of any shoe that fits my forefoot. I also have spaghetti ankles--I've had more than one round of crutches and finally just had to have the ligaments totally rebuilt in one ankle. I saved up an bought my dream oxfords from A Certain Historical Shoemaker and am coming to the very sad conclusion that they probably are just not going to work for my feet no matter how I pad them out because of that my higher arch and narrow heel problem. Such are the small annoyances of life!

I design hand knitting patterns for socks. It’s really useful that knitted fabric stretches, but there are standard sizes that assume if you have this circumference you also have this length or vice versa. So they’ll say knit x many inches then do this this many inches of this, and it assumes that the length and circumference are always statistically related for us all. Some people have very asymmetrical feet so they make a right sock and left sock. My second toe is longest and so I really do better without right and left socks. It’s like my foot is pointed in the middle. The downside to a right and left sock is that they wear out faster because you always wear them the same side and that doesn’t spread out the wear.

I would love to wear heels again, but alas, a back injury prevents me from even wearing kitten heels. I've decided to start making my own flats with orthodic supports to match the dresses I'm sewing. At this point, I'll take what I can get.

As somebody with "tall toes," learning about the type of materials used to make the toe boxes of shoes was so helpful and fascinating! I have cracked toenails because the synthetic materials used in the shoe toe box were so hard!

I tend to live exclusively in flip-flops, flipflop style sandals (theyre flip-flops, but it said sandal on the box) and round toed boots. I never considered why, but this actually makes sense. I used to wear trainers near exclusively in winter till I first bought myself and tried on this nice looking pair of wool lined suede boots that have a relatively flat and wide sole and less of a point than most trainers. They've been kinda life changing tbh.

I have Ugly Stepsister feet! I am sick of not being able to find reasonably priced wide shoes- that also have room for toes, and arch.

Really love how you presented this topic, as it doesn't get a lot of attention in a mass manufactured world. I personally learned a lot about foot shapes when I learned to knit socks, because every pair has been a lesson in what fits my particular feet best. I have a slightly narrow heel, a high instep, and hard feet that don't spread much. Knowing these things helps me adapt the patterns I try so I don't end up with baggy socks or a cuff that doesn't go over my heel.

"you don't want one perfect pair, you want a lot of pairs." Yes! Is there a thing as too many shoes?

huh, today I learned I have a very high arch (which I did know), a very low instep, a wide ball, a very narrow heel, and long toes (which I also knew). it's no wonder I walk around bare foot! hugely interesting Nicole, and very informative.

Comming from the running community, we talk about shoe fit a lot! (The algorithm knew) This explains a lot of the issues people experience, & perhaps some solutions. I realized I suffer a bit with pressure on the top of my foot (high instep) but avoiding lace up styles isn't really an option!

My mom says that we have "strong peasant feet" (very wide with short toes)

I haven't tried on many, but every single ballet style flat I've tried on or worn has hurt. The top part of the shoe, the kind that covers the toes always seems to lay directly across the widest part of my foot, so it digs in on the sides, but more importantly, I have very bony feet so that is directly pressing onto the bone beside my big toes. Also the one opposite it. I mean I don't love ballet flats anyways, but it would be nice to have a fancier shoe that isn't heeled as I can't wear heels anymore. Ankle issues.

Narrow feet with long toes! I'm in my Keds phase since they are the only mid range brand I can find with a slim option. Reeboks run pretty narrow as well. My best fitting shoes are from the clearance rack since they don't fit average people, and a few lucky finds from thrifting because those shoes (if used) are already be worn in ✌️ My most comfortable heels are both vintage which is devastating.

This has been a long awaited video for me. In all my 50 plus years, I have always found any shoe, except a slip on comfort shoe exttemely painful. I have a very prominent medial malleolus, making boots a problem and heels and Oxfords just a no go zone. I also have a very high pointy instep. Which was totally devastating when your beautiful Am Duch 18th C shoes, (altho the "right size"), were sadly unbearable to wear. I do have a stereotypical toe profile, that pretty slope of evenly graduating size toes, but rather slim heels. But as a result of a life suffering with shoes, even with sneakers or trainers as you call them, always make my feet hot and swell, i now have severe sessamoiditis under both big toes, and morton neuromas with bursitis - 3 in each foot. Every doc has blamed everything from my height, to my spine to my weight, or the fact thhat my feet are diff sizes, not enough for a diff shoe, but enough for one foot to always be sore. Also the choice of shoe for a size 11 C has always been limited. So now im going to try too invest in tailor made retro style shoes because we do a lot of history bounding and i just cant do this commercial shoe thing anymore. Thankyou for explaining how and why shoes do or dont fit. I now understand why I have such a tiny selection of shoes available to me.

Man, this helps explain why I kept rubbing through the lining on the edges of the heel of athletic shoes and flats! really any shoe with a closed back. I would rub through the lining completely before the soles gave out on every pair of closed-back shoes I own.

I am currently wearing out what I consider to be my perfect pair of shoes. I broke my left ankle at the age of 10 and have had problems with it ever since. But when bought a pair of shoes in my actual size (size 3 UK) and in a more Victorian child style, suddenly the issues I was having with my ankle dropped dramatically. I can now actually work 5 hour shifts on my feet two days in a row and not die from pain! And I think it's partly the rubber sole is quite thin and only slightly raised, and they're quite narrow, so they actually hold my feet properly rather than let them slip around. They're also a boot, so go the full way round my foot and ankle. My doctor always said to wear trainers with an insole to raise my heel up, which were very painful, and it was only when I bought these flatter and better fitting, light-weight boots that I noticed a real positive change!

Sadly, my feet def have problems cause they aren't normal sizes. For other women with high arches and wide feet, it's a LOT easier to buy men's shoes then try to find a pair that fits normally. Those are sized assuming your feet aren't ruler thin. General rule is size down around 2 sizes for men's shoes, so an 11 women's / 41 euro = men's 9. 8 women's / 28 euro / men's or boys 6, women's 6 / 36 euro / men's or boys 4... Obviously you can't exactly get heels, but with so many lower costs footwear places closing and the swap to online only no returns you gotta wear whatever fits.

Hi! This is such a great idea for a video, and I myself often struggle finding a decent pair of shoes due to a fair number of factors, from my feet being about one size too small for the sizes most men’s shoes are made in, to my sunken arches and weirdly shaped toes. A lot of me seems to exist in these weird places where all my measurements are almost-but-not-quite whatever the standard measurements are deemed to be. It makes finding decently fitting clothes much more difficult, for a start. One of the strangest things to me is that the sizing numbers of shoes differ in width between men’s and women’s shoes when the numbers are the same. I do t get why we still have this, why not just use the same measurements and then divide those into numbers or words like “small, medium, large” if we want to? This should also apply to clothes, it’s so strange that a men’s Medium and a woman’s Medium can be extremely different in size when you take the measurements of both garments.

I have feet that are very wide in front with short toes, a high instep, and high arches. And to top it all off, my feet underpronate/supinate. About the only shoes that I can find that are comfortable are the ones that take orthotics and look like they're for old ladies. I would love to find some cute flats or sandals or something other than lace up granny shoes. But they just don't seem to be out there, unless they're custom, which is prohibitively expensive. Maybe I can use this information to try finding more styles that might work.

Weight changes can also change how one's shoes fit - trying to wear my pre-2020 work shoes has been torture because I gained weight, so the front of my foot spreads more. That infernal supersensitive bone at the instep - that's what that is? I have so much trouble with that (I have high arches too) in anything outside of sneakers (when Ariat still did clogs those were great, alas those seem to have stopped). I am not able to afford new shoes at the moment, but definitely bookmarking this before I get new work shoes. Thank you for the info!

Watching this while recovering from surgery on my broken foot has been quite the journey! Thank you as always, Nicole!

This video made me realise I really want a Cinderella video from Nicole! Personally I have terribly sensitive feet, most shoes WILL give me a lot of blisters. I had episodes of people warning me that my feet were bleeding when I was a teenager, because I was USED to the pain already. I really need to avoid any hard details on the inside and I indeed work better with more flexible shoes and I don't wear heels. I like to wear ballet flats since they really go with my style but they can be really evil shoes sometimes. I wish I had more sturdy feet, it's really annoying lol (My feet are also extremely straight with no inward curve at all so I learned today I gotta watch out for those inward tilted shoes)

You didn't discuss weight - I used to be hooked on processed foods and was very overweight, feet and ankles were swollen, now I'm a normal weight (thanks to the Physicians Committee's channel) and shoes feel more comfortable. I am 58 and when I became 40 my foot size went from 4 (UK size) to 5. I was told this is very common as the arches fall and to expect it might even go up more to a 5 and a half or even a 6. I still have some Italian size 4 shoes that fit me fine because they're wider, in the UK shoes seem to be narrower and i was told that American women have narrower feet so American shoes might be even narrower. I have quite wide feet, I try to walk on grass in my garden as much as I can and also wear comfortable slippers with a slight heel when I'm at home. I don't think completely flat shoes are either healthy or comfortable, a little heel (preferably block heel) is better for me. I have recently started to wear heels again after years of discounting them. I actually found some amazingly comfortable medium heel boots (e.g. Hobbs Imogen in the UK, Dune, Carvela), I feel so much better now I look a couple of inches taller! You didn't discuss heels very much and I would love you to do so in greater depth. Very interesting video, thank you. Generally I feel sorry for my bunioned feet but losing weight and investing in elegant but comfortable shoes/boots has been very worthwhile. It's so sad to see frumpy comfort shoes, usually with plastic/rubber heels, it doesn't have to be this way, it's just poor design. Just because our feet are a bit wider, etc. we shouldn't have to settle for ugly shoes. We need good designers as there's a lot of us and we want to be both chic and pain-free.

nice to have an explanation of what might be causing my pinky toes to always try to escape even in wide shoes

I had a pair of docs I was breaking in, and they decided to crease horizontally, inwards, exactly over my Achilles tendon... they eventually softened up but until they did, yeowch!

This will be a fun watch

I shoe shop on QVC because they carry more Wide width sizes than the same brands carry in stores. I like the Spenco, Vionic and Ryka brands for arch support. Propet also carries WW and WWW options. Knee pain is reduced when I wear arch supported shoes or use arch support inserts. I have a high instep that is proportionally farther forward because arthritis has pushed my heels farther back. Mary Jane straps and Teva straps are just too short to accommodate my foot shape. I do much better with lace up shoes and skip using the top laces. I really appreciate the extra padding that manufacturers are putting inside heels. As I get older, circulation is not as good. Swelling is an issue. I was wearing Men's slippers and flipflops to fit my instep and width. When I found wide sizes on QVC, I threw those out and now own wide women's designs. When I do find a style and size that is comfortable I tend to panic and buy multiples. It's a problem as I age and my feet keep changing. I wind up donating unworn pairs that no longer fit. Quality is always worth the investment in shoes.

Hello! Thank you so much! I am new here, but I find out so much about my feet and why no shoes ever fit my feet no matter how many years I wear them. In the end, I became so frustrated that I started to write on my shoe boxes where should I cover my feet with the band-aid once I wear a particular pair of shoes. I have a lot of shoes. At some point, I worked in the shoe store selling them. I spend a lot of money on shoes chasing that "perfect pair," which magically will not hurt my feet anywhere from day one. Believe it or not it actually happened once or twice in my life. 😅 I actually have a similar shape of the foot as you do and my little toe always suffers... I always thought that the round shape of shoes is the best for my foot. My foot is a bit on the flat side, so I need an arch support which does not exist in modern shoes anymore as it's too expensive to make that, so I have been told by a sales person. I think that I will look for someone who can make shoes just for me so it will fit perfectly. ❤ That's my dream! Could you please make a video about what height of the heel is the best for each of us? Thank you in advance! 😊 Love from Sweden! 🎉

This is honestly a super helpful guide explaining how in *some* cases the "bere feet" shoe works for some people but other times it doesn't work for different. sure the bere feet is flexiable, but not everyone's foot is shaped the same as how the shoe is built. The whole toe area tilt section is a perfect example how that wouldn't work for everyone. I don't think I woud do well with the bere feet because I struggle with toe socks as is as my feet aren't made for them. it also explains how I still struggle with the shafing in the back of my heel with my renfair boots a little because I do slide back and fourth smidge in the shoe and have to double the socks and make sure I'm wearing thicker socks on top of that. apparently my feet are smaller than most people my height and when they see my feet they're like "How come you have the cute feet?" Which I never really thought of my feet that way? considering that I'm fustrated with my shoe size mostly. (I think my big toe is the longest as the rest of my toes curl under but the ball of the foot is wide and making it more semetrical and doesn't tilt all that much. though weirdly enough the pointed toe shoes felt more comfortable for a while?) and I don't do good with rigid shoes as much. The sneakers that I bought for one of my temp jobs, I had to literally step on the top of them and the back of the heel just so they could move with my foot. Is it not ideal? No, bit it works for my personally and now my sneakers are the most comfortable they could be and I can handle longer hours in them since sometimes I have trouble with my feet (I've fractured acrossed the the toe area almost all the way across of the foot in the 3rd grade and I also spranged that same foot due to standing on concrete on extreamly old degrated shoes for 6 hours straight in College.)

This is such a wonderful video! I (AFAB) have wide feet, after watching this, I'm pretty sure I have a "Man's wide foot " instead of a "Woman's wide foot". My brother has double-wide feet! And my grandfather had extremely high arches. I, also, have a connective tissue disorder, so all those bones you were talking about move around! I feel so seen! Thank you! ETA: Oh! And that connective tissue disorder also causes sensitive skin and get blisters super easy.

Thank you for good advices. I learnt how to choose comfy shoes hard way, but some of your advices could me help to choose next time more wisely.

Many, many moons ago I was a child when consumers began to buy shoes made outside the USA. I remember seeing ads advising against these shoes saying they were narrower and not suited for the general foot. I also recall coming across a box of shoes as a child made in the1940-1950’s or so. Im guessing they were made in the US as they were vintage at the time. I’m guessing here about when the shoes were made given what I was told at the time. The shoes were so sturdy and beautifully made and all had high heels. Some heels were lower than others. But they were all comfortable, stylish, and supportive (we played with them because the original owner had really, really small feet). Even back then “modern” shoe quality had changed.

I would love to see a conversation between you and Josephine Lee. Even though you're in two different industries, I see so much overlap in your knowledge. I feel like the two of you could talk about feet and shoes for hours.

I have a B size shoe, but a narrow heel, with a high arch. I have found that with heels, the only ones I can wear are sling backs. I can adjust the strap to my size.

Thank you Nicole! Great explanation of a lot of the various shoe fitting issues and how to help you help your feet.

I have struggled with fitting shoes my whole life - and now I know why pointed toes work best for me, my little toe does the same thing!

Wide feet and high arches here. Shoes are always too narrow and too short. 😭

I only wear ballet pumps with a strap or elastic, Mary Jane style, to hold my foot in, this way I can wear an extra size or half a size up

This video was so helpful! Thank you!

No wonder I can't seem to keep pumps on my feet! From what I can tell, I have long-ish toes and a very narrow heel and ankle, so all my shoes need something to hold them onto my foot because they're not gonna stay on their own. I had never bought shoes without first trying, so it was a huge gamble for me to buy the american duchess's gibsons, but my god, what a win!

Thank you for covering this, it was very helpful!

Yay! I’ve been hoping you’d one day do this type of video!

Happy to drop by… My Great Grandfather sailed from Ireland in 1851 all sons became cobblers .. your channel is quite interesting…🫶🏼

I learned so much!❤️

So many excellent tips! Thank you! I’m really starting to realize that non-leather shoes are not worth the money.

Wow Nicole what a treasure trove of information! Thank you so much

Thank you RU-vid recommendations. Oh my gosh I never knew I needed a video on this topic. Thank you so much for this superbly done video, I learned SO MUCH!

WOW! Huge amount of information! Very good to know

Your hair is perfect! Absolutely love it!

Ever since I learned about extra wide shoes, it’s been a game changer. I wear 4E shoes. Options are painfully limited, but my feet don’t hurt anymore!

Such a great and informative video, thanks Nicole! Will use the gained knowledge for future purchases and hopefully be comfier 😊

Thank you for this wonderful video and your sage advice! I need to get rid of a lot of inexpensive, uncomfortable styles that I've held onto for too long. Having key areas to look out for (especially flexibility) when testing and walking around in shoes is so invaluable.

Thank you!!! This was so helpful! I'm going to save and share this. ❤

Absolutely well done, informative video. I enjoyed watching and learning.

Thank you Nicole for being so thorough and informative. It never occurred to me before that the reason I can't or don't want to wear high heels is something about them not being made for my feet. I thought women who wear them were putting up with really uncomfortable shoes but maybe they don't even feel the same. Open shoes that cut across the top of my foot the wrong way can be quite a problem too. .Fortunately standard sneakers and other flat shoes with arch support generally work for my feet quite well. It seems I must have "squishy feet" so I will avoid the styles I don't really like anyway and stick with my sneakers!

Thank you. This was very helpful. 😊

Thank you for this incredibly informative video. Enjoyed seeing the different types of historical shoes 👞 as well. 👏♥️

Thank you for this very interesting video! Plus I enjoyed the rich colors of your clothing, hair, and background.

There is so much useful information available in this video! Thank you soooo much! We're losing information, craft and knowledge of both as to the quality of the things we use. I wish that this kind of information was more readily available. I will watch this quite a number of times to see what kind of shoe shape I require. Priceless!!

So, so interesting and educational!!! It will be a great help in choosing right footwear from now on!. Thank you!!!

Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom! I had never thought about the ankle point or stiffness affecting the heel. Since starting dancing as an adult a couple of years ago, my demands for shoes have changed drastically, and I can now see how that has addressed several of the points you mention - particularly the stiffness! For example, for everyday shoes that I will be walking a lot in, I always check the for sole flexibility. I don't even bother buying high heels anywhere else anymore than at stores that sell dancing shoes. The strong arch support, ability to point my toes and ability to adjust the part that wraps around the foot means that I can dance in these for hours while I suffer in normal heels after a brief period. I had a pair resoled with rubber at the front so that I can wear them to parties (latin shoes - which I mostly wear generally have a suede sole, that cannot be worn outside).

Thank you!

that coined term reflected of knowledgeable array would be a rural disputing term not continued CORRECT

This video was great, and also hilarious timing for me. I just bought some boots and even though I bought the same size and all, one pair is narrower than the other, so I've been spending the last couple of weeks stretching them.

This video is so helpful. Thank you😊