Know Your Feet

Since no two pairs of feet are alike, one woman’s favourite shoe can be another woman’s least favourite, simply because it doesn’t fit her particular foot. So we’ve put together this guide to help you identify the kind of foot you have (there’s more to it than size).

There are three basic foot types: those that roll in (pronators), those that roll out (supinators) and those that are neutral.

The Wet Test

Dip your bare feet into a pan of water, then stand on a piece of brown paper. Repeat until you get a crisp pattern of each foot. Before your prints fade, match them to one of the three types below.

Neutral:

You’ll see a strip of wetness in the arch area that’s about 3 cm.

How you tread:

Your feet are well-balanced and roll, or pronate, almost perfectly. They lengthen and spread out by approximately half a shoe size when you stand, and they’re stable and absorb shock well. But squeeze these nearly perfect puppies into poorly fitted shoes and you could be hobbled by blisters or other foot problems.

How to fit:

Yours is the easiest foot to fit because many styles are designed for your type. Make sure the shoe you buy feels good in the store; it shouldn’t rub or pinch.

MORE: WALK OFF WEIGHT, STARTING TODAY

Rolling Out (supinator):

Your arch is so high that you’ll see little, if any, imprint in the arch area.

How you tread:

Your feet roll inwards only slightly, so you underpronate. This means you tend to walk more on the outsides of your feet. They’re stable, but they don’t absorb shock well because they’re stiff. They tend not to lengthen and spread out much when you stand.

How to fit:

You need shoes that are well-cushioned to absorb shock, and flexible enough to allow your feet to roll a bit more. Go for a roomy upper to accommodate your high arch. Choose the shoe with the highest heel if you have tight calves, which is common for this foot type. Your feet are also likely to curve inwards at the ball (check this by tracing your feet), so look for a shoe that does likewise by matching the tracings of your feet to the soles of the shoes you’re considering.

MORE: YOUR GUIDE TO WALKING SHOES

Rolling In (pronator):

Your foot is flat and has a low arch. It will leave the fullest imprint, with most of the arch area in contact with the paper.

How you tread:

Your feet roll inwards too much (overpronate) when you walk. They’re unstable, but they absorb shock well because they spread out—they will go up a whole size when you stand.

How to fit:

Because your feet tend to flatten, you need a shoe that has less space between the laces and the sole. (To judge the height, move your feet up and down inside the fronts of the shoes while you’re wearing them.) You don’t need a lot of cushioning, but you do need good arch support so your feet don’t completely flatten when you step. Also, compared with other shoes, a lower heeled shoe stabilises your feet while you walk.