Dr. Jenny Sanders Shoe Blog

In 1927, Charles Brannock invented a measuring device, which bears his name and is still used today in most retail shoe stores.

According to the Brannock Device, men’s shoe sizes are one size larger than women’s. For example a men’s size 9 shoe would fit a woman’s size 10 foot. The size increments for both are 1/3″ difference between each size. So if you need to go up or down a half size, you’re only changing the size by 1/6″. Not nearly as much as most of us thought.

There is also a nifty conversion chart on the Brannock Device’s website which differentiates different sizing systems, including children and European sizes as well.

Here’s the link http://brannock.com/cgi-bin/start.cgi/brannock/charts.html

If you play a sport which requires wearing cleats (soccer, baseball, football, golf) then you want check your cleat wear regularly.

Here’s a pair of turf soccer cleats, which are about a year old. As this image shows, the heel cleat on the right shoe is still flat, causing a pivot point and a protrusion force upward as compared to the heel cleat on the left shoe, which is evenly worn with the other cleats.

In this case, the cleat on the right shoe actually caused plantar fasciitis - heel pain, which could have been avoided if the shoes had been replaced before the cleats started to wear asymmetrically.

Given a choice between two pair of high heels with the same heel height, one boot and one non-boot, the boot will always win (given the same width).

A boot keeps the foot better aligned with the ankle, which increases stability, reduces wobble and allows for more comfortable walking.

If you’ve got a night out on the town of club hopping and dancing - then a boot will always be a better choice.

Thanks to Bill for bringing in this pair of hiking boot today. This is a great boot if you have a narrow, deep foot. Vasque is for a narrow shallow foot, whereas LaSportiva is for those feet having slightly more volume with a narrow width.

This is a sturdy hiking boot good for variable terrain including lots of hills. It also cinches up tight for narrower ankles.This boot can be found at REI and several other retailers for around $180.

When heel slippage happens, most people intuitively tighten their shoe laces at the ankle, which won’t help with slippage. The laces which need to be laced the tightest are the furthest away from the ankle.

It’s a bit of a pain, but each and every time you lace your shoes, you’ll want to start at the toes and progressively cinch up until you reach the ankle.

When lacing shoes with heel slippage, 9 times out of 10, lacing correctly will ensure a snug fit. You will also want to relace your shoes, when wearing an orthotic for the first time.

If you wear a men’s shoe greater than size 12 or a women’s shoe greater than size 11, you will have difficulty shoe shopping. Why? Because a bigger size means more inconsistency in width, length and depth.

Bigger sizes also usually don’t have half sizes, which makes finding the right fit even more dififcult.

Here are two pair of the same Keen shoes. A size 13 on the left and a size 12 on the right.

Notice how the size 13 is longer and more curved? This is clearly not one size larger, since a full size should only be 1/3″.

Bottom line, if your size falls into this category, you’ve got to pay particular attention to sizing and fit.

This is one of my favorite shoes for shallow (narrow or wide) feet. Added bonus, it’s also very stable, with a firm heel counter (back of heel) and great torsional stability (doesn’t twist).

This shoe is narrower than the 2130 or the Gel Kayano. It’s also works if you have a wide foot or a foot with a bunion.

I recommend this shoe at least once a day. Only problem is, the women’s narrow (2A) size is almost impossible to find and doesn’t work too well with an orthotic because it’s too narrow for an average sport orthotic to fit in. The men’s narrow (B) easily accomodates an orthotic and has fit every narrow, shallow foot I’ve fit, perfectly.

Blog reader Cherilyn asks “I am trying to find a running shoe that accommodates my orthotics; a shoe with a deep foot-bed. Do you have any recommendations?”

Since prescription custom orthotics should match your foot, then if your foot matches your shoe, so too should your orthotic. Also, a custom orthotic made by a sports medicine podiatrist, is never as wide as your foot anyway, so there shouldn’t be any problem fitting it into a running shoe.

If you can’t get your orthotic into your running shoe, then either your shoe fit is wrong (length, width, depth), or your orthotic is wrong. Once made, an orthotic should work in all similar styles of shoes. For example an orthotic which fits into a pair of Asics 2130 should also fit into a pair of Brooks Adrenaline. A sport orthotic on the other hand will usually not fit into a non-athletic shoe, (flats, loafers), because of lack of room.

Most of the running shoes I’ve featured on my blog work great with orthotics. Saucony, Brooks, Asics, New Balance, Adidas and Nike all have lots of styles, which when fit properly will absolutely accommodate an orthotic.

When in San Francisco looking for men’s shoes, look no further than Nordstom San Francisco Center and Steve Brown. Steve is one of those rare career shoe salesman, who is more interested in making sure your shoes fit right than in commission.

Working in men’s shoes for nearly three decades, Steve knows feet and he knows men’s shoes. I trust my family with him. I trust my patient’s with him. What more can I say than that? Call ahead for his hours and days working.

Nordstrom San Francisco Centre
865 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 243-8500

At least once a month, someone brings in a shoe that is so fine, it needs it’s own shoe review.

This months shoe was brought in by Randolph and is so gorgeous, that everyone in the office had to stop and admire. It’s perfect for a narrow foot and comes in brown too.

A spectator style from the 30’s, this shoe is also part of Allen Edmonds, Custom Program. Which means you may order any current style in any color or leather in their line. You may decide to substitute one type of sole for another. They will also customize footwear for individuals with feet of two different sizes.

Allen Edmonds - what a great Company!

I ordered a pair of Asics 2130 running shoes from Zappos.com which turned out to be slightly short. Since I do more outdoor walking than running, I decided to order the Asics 2130 trail shoes instead, and was surprised to discover they are not the same shoe. The running 2130 is on the left, whereas the trail running 2130 is on the right.

The 2130 trail shoes are much wider than the Asics 2130 running shoes. The Asics 2130 trail shoes are much deeper than the running shoe version.

And the Asics 2130 running shoe is shorter than the same length 2130 trail running shoe.

Once again even though both shoes have the same name and outsole design, they are entirely different shoes. Make sure you thoroughly check the different version of the same shoe, because more and more, they will not be the same.

I had a runner come it today with 3 different pair of running shoes.

The first pair were Brooks Adrenaline - which were much too narrow for her wide, deep foot. The next pair she tried were Saucony Pro Grid Omni which were better than the Adrenaline, but still too narrow in the waist (center arch) of the shoe. The shoes which fit the best are the Brooks Dyad, which as you can see, barely hourglass in.

Now look at the upper. Although both shoes are made by Brooks - they are different widths. The Dyad is wide, whereas the Adrenaline has a narrower upper.

When buying shoes, always check the outsole of your shoe, because just like Goldilocks, eventually, you’ll find an outsole which will be “just right”.

If your legs swim in the shaft (top part) part of boots, you can always have them taken in. An old school shoe repair person can do this for you. The process is similar to tailoring clothes.

The above pair of boots were modified to narrow the shaft by Gino at Anthony’s Shoe Service, Union Square, San Francisco. Well worth the $80 cost of getting a perfect boot, calf fit.

If you have trouble finding boots that fit snug, a talented shoe repair person, can be your new best friend. Ask around, chances are there is just such a person in your City or Town.

Special thanks to patient, reader and author Dan for asking me to highlight common “Shoe Fallacies”. I usually only think about these when I hear them, which isn’t every day, so I am going to outline them in lists as they arise. Here’s shoe fallacy post #1.

1. There is one brand of shoe that will always work for you each and every time. No. No. No. Is there one manufacture of clothing that works for every body type? No. No. No. The same goes for shoes. If one pair of Nike doesn’t fit right, that doesn’t mean that every pair of Nike won’t fit right. Conversely, If you have one pair of New Balance running shoes that fit perfectly, it doesn’t mean that every pair of New Balance shoes will fit perfectly.
2. Non-career shoe salespeople care about your feet. Usually, what they care about is their commission, which in San Francisco hovers around 6%. So, be your own best advocate. Buy with minimal help from a salesperson. Sale racks (Nordstrom to Bloomingdales), big box stores (Costco) and those help yourself shoe stores (Payless, Shoe Pavilion, DSW). I’m not saying that all shoe salespeople are in it for the money, but c’mon, 6%, what does that tell you?
3. I wear down the outsides of my heels - What’s wrong with me? Rest assured, everyone, wears down the outside of their heels. This is normal. This is why taps are usually placed on the outside of the heels. What isn’t normal is when one heel wears faster than the other creating asymmetrical wear.
4. Listed shoe width and Length mean something. This fallacy goes with #1. There is no universal size when it comes to lasting shoes. Two size 9’s will be entirely different lengths, even within the same manufactures line. I’ve seen a size 14 narrow New Balance, 1″ longer than a 14 wide, which was narrower than the 14 narrow, New Balance running shoes. Take home message - Shoe size is an approximation only and you should always try the shoes on. http://drshoe.wordpress.com/2008/03/18/nike-air-zoom-katana-cage-ii-vs-nike-air-refresh/
5. The more expensive the shoe, the better fitting or longer lasting it will be. I’ve seen $15 dollar shoes from K-Mart fit better and last longer than exclusive boutique $400 pair of shoes. The adage you get what you pay for, doesn’t always apply, especially when it comes to shoes.
6. Making sure you have enough room at the end of the toe in a shoe, is how you determine fit. This only works if your heel to toe measurement is longer than your heel to ball measurement. http://drshoe.wordpress.com/2007/12/05/size-matters-heel-to-ball-vs-heel-to-toe/
7. A shoe sized narrow width will always be narrower than a shoe sized medium width. Many shoes that come only in one width (medium) will be much narrower than similar shoes, lasted as narrow. When in doubt, look at the outsole (bottom) of the shoe and visually check the width this way instead. This will be a better measure of what a shoes width is than the width that’s listed on the box. http://drshoe.wordpress.com/2007/12/19/narrow-feet-need-a-narrow-outsole/
8. Buying shoes online is a bad way to purchase shoes. Online shoe shopping and purchase can be a great way to find shoes. Especially if you have to hard to fit feet. The harder your foot is to fit, the more trouble you’ll have finding a shoe in a brick and mortar store. With online retailers, you can find every color, size and style, which offers much more choices, than in a regular shoe store. Free shipping also makes it easy to exchange shoes, so let your fingers do the shopping - online. http://drshoe.wordpress.com/2007/12/15/zapposcom/

I’m always on the lookout for men’s narrow running shoes. Searching through Zappos.com I found the New Balance 645 running shoes and the Brooks Infiniti running shoes for a patient of mine. Both have narrow outsoles with the New Balance being slightly narrower overall than the the Brooks.

Next comes the upper. The New Balance toebox is deep, whereas the Brooks toebox is shallow which was exactly what I was looking for.

I also like the Brooks Infiniti because it has a firm medial (grey) outsole. The Brooks Adrenaline (not shown) is similar in upper design, but will be much less long lasting because of its softer the outsole.

The only downside with the Infiniti? The price tag. $124 on Zappos. com. I usually prefer a more affordable running shoes (Asics 2130), but if this is your foot, then it’s probably worth it to you. Especially given how difficult shopping for a well fitting running shoe can be.

I was helping a runner find a new running shoe for her narrow shallow feet. Her old running shoes were Nike Air Zoom and fit her to a “T”.

The problem? Her perfectly fitting running shoes were discontinued and she was forced to buy the men’s version, which were similar, but much too wide for her narrow foot.

Armed with Zappos.com multi-view feature, I found two pair of potential replacement running shoes, both in a size 10.

Once again, even though both shoes were made by Nike and both shoes were sized 10, they were not the same length. The Katana Cage was easily 2 sizes shorter in the toe box and one size shorter in heel to ball measurement than the Air Refresh+. The Air Refresh+ on the other hand was proportional and fit perfectly, just like the original Air Zoom’s.

If you’ve got a very narrow, shallow foot, the Air Refresh+ is a great shoe for you. It’s also got the + technology, so grab your iPod Nano and go for a refreshing run!

Running shoes are made shock absorptive by the use of ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA). Outsole EVA and midsole EVA can range from firm to soft. This shoe came it today where the firm EVA outsole wore through to the softer EVA outsole underneath.

Firm EVA on the outsole is a great way to prolong the life of shoe, however if applied thinly, it won’t withstand wear for very long.

Once you wear through into the soft EVA in the outsole, the structure of the heel will quickly deteriorate.

If you ever wear running shoes, be sure to monitor your shoes outsole wear.

Reader Dave asks “Would you happen to know of any type of shoe for a street dancer? Right now I wear Pumas because they’re light and there are great styles but these Pumas are a bit tight on me.”

Dave’s right, Puma’s are lightweight but they are very narrow and shallow.

These images show two similarly designed shoes. Saucony are the deepest and widest, but the Asics are still better than the very shallow, narrow Puma, both in depth and outsole width. Just like the Puma, Saucony and Asics are also affordable.

Fortunately, most designers make similar styles, so if you’ve got your heart set on a certain style don’t despair, just try another manufacturer.

Reader Becky writes:

I’m a female with a small, narrow foot. I have to wear boots at work, and many of the authorized boots I have found are too wide in the heel for me. I have no problems with day-to-day wear, but outdoors, I have to use a lot of moleskin on my heels to minimize blisters. Sometimes I get them anyway (once so bad I bled through my boots). Are there any inserts that I can buy to create a better fit in the heel? Do you know of any specific boots made with a narrow heel?

First of all - Thanks Becky, your question is great and lots of people who walk into my office have this very problem.

With respect to inserts, Superfeet (Green) may help, especially since they take up some of the excess space in the shoe. Also, wearing two pair of socks may help. However, if your heels still slip, then you’ll need to find a narrow, shallow boot.

Vasque hiking boots are made for both men and women and are one of the few brands of hiking boots which will give the narrow foot a snug fit. The top boot is the Switchback style and the bottom shoe is the Blur style.

Another outdoor boot I’ve found that works for this foot type is the Ecco Urban Flexor GTX. Although less hard core than a backpacking hiking boot, this lighter weight hi-top will also fit the narrow, shallow foot.

Both Vasque and Ecco brands are available at Zappos.com

It’s usually difficult to find a snug fitting running shoe if you have a narrow foot. Even harder if you have a narrow, shallow foot. Nearly impossible if you have a narrow, shallow foot with a bunion.

I was pleased when a patient brought this shoe in today, especially because it fits the narrow, shallow foot perfectly. The Asics 2130 comes in a 2A (narrow), B (medium) and D (width), and all work for a shallow (flat) foot type.

The Asics Gel Kayano also works for a narrow foot, but the 2130 actually is slightly more shallow and narrow and significantly lower in price.