HOW TO KNOW IF YOUR SHOES ARE RIGHT FOR YOU, AND HOW TO GET YOU COMFY!

Find your best fit

STEP ONE

What to do when my shoes arrive

Yay, they've arrived!!

Find yourself a comfy chair on soft flooring like carpet or a rug so you don't scuff the soles, just in case you need to return them. Pop on some clean socks and both shoes, then secure firmly. If you have orthotics or a different footbed, be sure to insert into the shoe. Walk around on the carpet for a bit. Wiggle your toes. Check the heel slippage. How do they feel?

If you're a little unsure, please read through this guide thoroughly - we want you comfy and sometimes a few extra steps are needed to find ultra comfort!

One thing we know for sure - an ill fitting pair of shoes will NOT be comfortable and we would prefer you return them (or check with us!) if they're not right for you. Keep in mind, we offer different styles for different foot types, so another one of our styles may be more suited to you. Our team of fit experts are here to help you at any stage.

But, continue reading to see if you've found your perfect sole mate ...

STEP TWO

What to expect

Naturally, there will be some stiffness to a brand spankin’ new pair of kicks, especially when they're made with quality, durable materials like ours are. Consider that shoes will give slightly with wear, particularly over the top of the foot and the ankle area. However, other materials (like the safety toe cap) won’t change - so don’t rely on the fit getting roomier as you'll end up disappointed. No one wants squished toes!
The overall fit should feel snug and firm, with some extra room (but not too much!) around your toes. Have a good foot flex and wiggle your toes - see how it feels.
The heel might slip a little at first because the heel counter is not yet broken in. Tip: A firm heel counter helps lock your heel into your shoes, gives you good stability and helps to alleviate holes in the lining with wear.
It's super important to remember, if the fit feels totally off within the first 5-10 minutes, it potentially is the wrong size or style for your foot. Make sure to contact our fit wizards for expert advice .. we want you comfy and we know shoes!

STEP THREE

Is the shoe length right for you?

With your shoes on .. stand up, wiggle your toes, then make sure there's about a thumb width of space between your longest toe and the end of the shoe.

In safety footwear, this can be hard to gauge - another trick is to push your foot forward inside the shoe, so your toes are touching the top end. You should be able to pop a finger between your heel and the back of the boot.

The length of your shoe will never ever change. So if your foot is feeling cramped or you're hitting the end of the shoe or feeling the sides of the safety cap, your shoe is too small and you just won't get comfy. If there's more than a thumb width of room, it’s probably too big. This means you won't have proper underfoot support and your lower limb alignment will be out of whack - yikes!

You potentially also won't get the longevity out of your shoes, because if they're too big, holes may be created in the lining due to slippage and the soles may wear down quicker due to foot drag.

Pressure points

After trying on your shoes, inspect your feet for red spots, or areas that feel a bit hot - indicators of tight fit areas. These may already be known problem areas for you? So this is the time to get prepared and have some gel spots on hand! We offer these gel comfort pads on our website, but you can purchase gel bandaids from other stores.

Otherwise, it may mean a little breaking in might be required OR you need a different size. The level of un-comfiness will tell you which it is and you can always reach out to us for our expert advice and knowledge.

GETTING YOU COMFY

Feeling a bit tight?

She wear shoes may feel firmer around the heel and the ankle than you're used to - particularly if you've been wearing men's boots or shoes (or even some footwear labelled as "ladies"!). This is actually 100% a great thing! It means you'll have a better fit, extra stability and support plus proper foot and limb alignment.

Shoes should feel quite firm across the top of your foot at first. The upper material will mould to your foot and "give" and soften with wear. Pull on boots may feel firm around the ankle at first try on, especially our dress boots - it will soften quickly with wear (and defo wear longer socks the 1st few wears).
Socks can make a half size difference so experiment with different socks. It’s amazing how the thickness of a sock can affect the fit of your shoes.
If you have a lace up, loosen the laces from the bottom eyelet and ensure it's firm when you re-lace .. but not tight (there's a lacing trick if you have wide feet below). Laces that are too tight can cause foot "tingles" and laces that are too loose can cause a lack of underfoot support.
Wiggle room around your toes is 100% vital in any shoe, but even more important for safety toe caps as the toe area will NEVER change in size. If you can feel the safety cap rubbing on your toes, follow the next instruction (otherwise a change of size or style is needed).
We do have considerable hidden depth in our shoes for our signature bio mechanical footbeds, so it can be as simple as swapping to a thinner inner. This even could just be a temporary measure until the upper material relaxes with wear. We do offer a fantastic alternative premium footbed which is available for separate purchase.
If you've purchased a pair of our shoes with an included Adapt Pack (black bag in the shoe box), read through the clever Adapt Pack hints and tips.

GETTING YOU COMFY

Feeling slippage in your heel area?

The lock lacing method is a FANTASTIC way of locking in your heel to alleviate slippage .. it's kinda magic! Watch this quick vid to learn how. There's also many ways to tie your footwear depending on your foot type. Check out this lacing site.
It's fairly common that your heel might slip a bit at first because the heel counter is not yet broken in. BUT - if your heel is slipping excessively, uh oh – this will cause problems with both discomfort (blisters!) and also may create holes in the lining.

If you’ve gone through the above tips, and the fit still doesn't feel ideal or you're just a little unsure, talk to our shoe wizards who can get you sorted with a click of their heels.

Or you can read through our shoe fitting advice page where we give you our top tips on adjusting and tweaking your shoes to find your ultimate sole-mate comfort!

STEP FOUR

Yep, the size and style feels right

Ok then, let's get you comfy! These are our top tips :

Take your shoes out for a few short stints before the first big all day outing .. and vary the time of day as your feet swell during the day. On the first full day of wear, take back up shoes (just in case!). We really do suggest patience when wearing in new shoes .. particularly if they're shoes you're gonna spend loooooong days in!
Choose a sock thickness that prevents slippage - and make sure the laces are pulled firm. If you have slippage, or extra tightness you'll likely meet a blister or 2.
Sometimes, even if you are doing everything perfectly (right socks, firm laces), pesky blisters may form during the "wear in" process. Just grab some gel pads like these (or gel bandaids). Place one inside the shoe on the problem area (and do it as SOON as you feel the discomfort - quick action is best), and one on your foot until the blister heals.
If you've purchased a pair of our shoes with an included Adapt Pack, read through the clever Adapt Pack hints and tips.
Sometimes when you first start to wear new shoes, the fit and feel will slightly change during that wear in process (sometimes you'll feel your shoes a little big, sometimes a little too small) so follow the tips on our shoe fitting advice page .. cos there's lots of tricks when the shoe is just not feeling 100% right at first.