For me, shoes are part of my fashion style and I really love to collect different shoes. Shoes play an important part in our lives and their main goal is mainly to protect our feet from injuries and keep us comfortable in every way. But, what really makes good shoes?
Good shoes should possess these qualities: stability, comfort feel, enough space, and good quality construction. If your shoes don’t have these specific qualities, you might have encounter problems with your shoes. Good shoes will make you feel comfortable and often last long.
If you ever had an experience where you think that your shoes don’t seem right and make you uncomfortable, you’re not alone. I also have many experiences ending up buying the wrong shoes.
In this article, I’ll be stressing out some points on what makes good shoes. This will be helpful especially if you are buying a new pair of shoes.
How To Tell If You Have Good Shoes Or Not?
Fortunately, distinguishing between a good shoe and a bad shoe is somehow easy. Among the easiest way to figure is simply by how we feel when we are wearing our pair of shoes. There are other factors on what makes a good shoe worth wearing and I’ll be discussing them in a bit.
I have at least 10 pairs of good shoes for now. I know for a fact that they are good shoes because they last longer, they have amazing design, and it perfectly fits for me. My other shoes have been worn out, I donated some pairs due to the wrong size, and others are short-lived because of the quality.
I will share some of my insights about the difference between a good shoe and a bad shoe. I think that if you know the clear distinction between the two, you will not end up buying the wrong pair of shoes.
Wrong shoes will make you hurt and feel uncomfortable but will give you enough support and comfort while wearing them. But for good shoes? Here are some simple characteristics of a good shoe when buying.
Shoes Should Be Comfortable To Wear
One of the easiest ways to tell if the pair of shoes is meant for you is to make you feel comfortable. I think that is a no-brainer. Comfortable shoes will provide you the best experience when walking, running; or even doing some strenuous activities such as hiking, trekking, camping, or others.
Your feet will just instinctively look for a good pair of shoes that’s comfortable and doesn’t feel off when you are just testing it. When selecting a pair of shoes, just make sure it has the right feel for you.
Your feet will just tell you if it’s the right one or the wrong one. So, trust your feet and how you feel and I think that you will get a good pair of shoes that’s comfortable for you.
Good Shoes Have Overall Good Construction Quality
Some clothing accessories that are low quality can still look good and can last a long time, while others like shoes, more specifically, dress shoes or sports shoes are definitely not among those.
I think that every people should invest in good quality shoes much better if it’s high quality especially if you are using them frequently. Sometimes, it doesn’t have to be expensive although selecting the best pair of shoes is a matter of personal preference.
But there are times shoes with higher price points tend to have good construction quality. They may be expensive upfront cost; however, they will actually save you money over time.
Also, it doesn’t mean that you need to buy only expensive and branded shoes. What makes good shoes is that the construction quality should be sturdy and will make sure it will last long.
Good Sole Construction Makes Shoe Good
I previously pointed out the overall construction quality that makes a good pair of shoes. This time, I would like to specifically point out that good shoes have good sole construction. Lower quality shoes have shoddy quality and are made of low-grade materials and the soles are glued often.
On the other hand, good shoes have overall solid sole construction. Meaning they are properly layered and the stitchings are well made which provides full support and offers durability for prolonged longevity.
If you are going to buy a dress shoe, it’s important that you should thoroughly inspect the construction and it should be stitched properly. However, if you don’t know how to spot if the stitched is fake you can refer to the video below.
Good Shoes Have Enough Space
If you’re about to buy a good pair of shoes, be sure it has enough space for your feet. It doesn’t need to be loose or tight. What you need is to find a shoe that has enough space for your feet to move a little bit.
I think there should be adequate space for your toe to wiggle but not loose enough that your feet will slide. Also, it should not be too tight to the point your toe is hurting and your ankle is having blisters.
Good shoes will not make your feet feel constricted or loose but have enough space just like a comfortable fit. Although there are some shoes that are close to your typical size but may seem smaller in the store due to the design and material used. You will encounter this case when you are ordering online.
Good Shoes Have Better Support
Good shoes are often stable and ensure good support on your feet. Meaning that the shoes’ heel cup or heel support should be stable and soft which prevents horizontal heel or preventing vertical movement. I feel that this factor is more needed if you are looking for running shoes.
Besides stability, running shoes should be flexible enough so that your feet can maximize the power coming from the lower body.
If you want to know more about the anatomy of running shoes, I recommend you to check this article Anatomy of A Running Shoe.
What Makes Good Shoes? The Perfect Fit
Good shoes will make sure it’s perfectly fit for you. But how do you find the perfect fit? I have listed some useful tips on finding the perfect fit when buying a good pair of shoes.
Get the Measurement of your Feet — There’s no better way in making sure in getting the perfect pair of shoes when you know the measurement of your feet. Knowing your feet measurements accurately will make sure that you will get a comfortable, snug fit size.
Also, every time you are going to get a new pair of shoes, make sure to get your measurement first because you can’t rely on a fixed size given that your foot shape and size can change in the long run.
Always Try the Shoes in the Store — Even though you fully know the measurement of your feet and you might think that all shoes have the same fitting, well, you are wrong.
Again, every shoe company has its own sizing and distinctive cutting and they will vary from shoe to shoe. There will be an instance that your shoe size is 10 but on the other shoe is 9.5.
The best thing to do is always try the shoes first before purchasing them just to make sure you won’t have any regrets later on.
Wear the Right Socks when Trying A Shoe — For example, if you are buying a pair of winter boots, make sure that you are wearing thick socks. And if you are considering dress shoes, better to wear dress socks.
So, you should consider wearing the right socks when buying a new pair of shoes this is to make sure that your ideal shoes won’t be tighter or looser but snug and comfortable fit.
This also makes a huge difference in ensuring that your chosen pair of shoes is a perfect fit.
Go with the Bigger Foot — It might not be noticeable to others but there are people who have a larger right foot than their left and vice versa.
That’s why it’s best to measure both feet. Also, you can’t rely on the shoe size itself which is the same with clothes. The size of the shoe is just a start in finding the right size for you.
Make to Walk and Stand Around in the Shoes — Because trying out just by wearing won’t do any good. You need to stand and walk around with your preferred shoes in order to know if it’s a comfortable feel and don’t rub or chafe anywhere.
Final Thoughts
Buying a pair of shoes can be overwhelming at times especially if you don’t know how to look and distinguish between good shoes and bad shoes. But, I think figuring it out is fairly easy.
In my experience of buying good shoes, I always look for these qualities which are stable, comfortable, enough space, and good quality construction.
Although there will be a time where you will end up buying the wrong shoes, I feel that it’s sometimes beneficial because you need to commit some mistakes in order to get the good shoes you’ve been wanting.
Also, it’s not just about good qualities that make a good shoe, if you want to make sure your shoe will be good for a long time, you need to take care properly of your shoes especially if it’s leather shoes.
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