Who in Boston can help me figure out how shoes should fit?

July 31, 2009 7:44 AM

Is there anyone in the Boston area who can help a girl with shoe fitting and shopping? I'm tired of getting blisters all the time and feeling like not even my sneakers are the right fit. I want to get advice on how shoes should fit my feet and what to look for when shopping.

I haven't had good times with shoes. I wind up with blisters on heels and toes from almost anything beyond sneakers, and now my sneakers are wearing out and even all the replacement sneaks I've tried on don't feel like they fit right.

I'd love to talk to someone who can tell me how shoes should fit and who could show me whether the shoes I'm trying on are appropriate (right size, right width, how to prevent blisters, etc.).

Is there anyone like this in the Boston area? I'm open to anything - shoe shops, cobblers, some random guy at Foot Locker who knows his stuff. Would a podiatrist help?

posted by cadge to clothing, beauty, & fashion (10 comments total)

Marathon Sports has several locations in the area. The ones I've been to are on Boylston St. in the Back Bay and Mass Ave. in Cambridge. They go far and beyond the usual Foot Locker's for running shoes... and even let you 'test run' your sneakers around the block or on their treadmill for fitting.
posted by spoons at 7:51 AM on July 31

Only half answering your question: I recently got a new pair of running shoes from Marathon Sports on Boylston. They obviously wouldn't be able to help you with anything non-running, but they watch you walk and were really good about answering questions and making sure the shoes fit right and whatnot.
posted by Plutor at 7:52 AM on July 31

Well, dang.
posted by Plutor at 7:52 AM on July 31

I don't know anyone in Boston, but the person you're looking for is a Pedorthist. They look at your foot and tell you the best kind of shoes for it. Typically they work in good shoe stores. I found this on Google, maybe it will help your Boston search.
posted by Kimberly at 7:53 AM on July 31

Second Marathon Sports. A few years ago I was having serious problems with sneakers that felt fine for the first couple of miles and then killed me. I was visiting a cousin in Boston who took me there and they figured out the problem.
posted by mareli at 7:53 AM on July 31

Panza Shoes in Framingham specializes in difficult-to-fit feet. You could definitely find something comfortable there, but they cater more toward the geriatric set, so I can't promise you'll find something super stylish.

A lot of shoes are just uncomfortable at first. Are you wearing these long enough that you get blisters, brave it through the blisters, and end up with calluses/thicker skin where the blisters were? Kind of nasty and a little painful at first, but your feet can get used to most shoes provided they fit correctly.
posted by oinopaponton at 7:54 AM on July 31

Wow, thanks for the responses so far! I'd never heard of a pedorthist. I'll definitely give Boston Pedorthic a call!

Blisters on my toes, I can get used to (I usually strap up with lots of Band-Aids, and maybe I don't wear the sandals/shoes often enough to break in properly).

It's the chafing on the back of my heel that's the worst; it gets scraped down to bleeding very easily. I usually stick to sneakers because of all the padding around the heel, but now the new sneakers I'm trying on have me asking other questions like "Should they be that snug at the side of the big toe? WTF, these are the wide shoes."
posted by cadge at 8:07 AM on July 31

Regarding the back of the heel problem (which I also have with some but not all shoes), Target (and I'm sure other similar stores) sells cushioned inserts which adhere to the inside of the back of the shoe to prevent just such an incident.

I think you'll probably have more luck with these kinds of solutions (inserts, moleskin, etc) than searching for the Holy Grail Perfect Fit Shoe. Given the variations in foot shape and size, it's kind of amazing to me that people ever find shoes that truly fit.
posted by telegraph at 8:41 AM on July 31

Michaelson's Shoes (Lexington and Needham) used to be quite good at giving that sort of guidance. I'd calltehm first though.

(Also, I have been fairly happy with foot petals.)
posted by Amizu at 11:39 AM on July 31

I have a similar issue with the back of my heel--don't know if I have a weird bump there, or what, but anything other than tennis shoes scrapes it to bleeding within a 10-minute walk. But recently I read a tip to put medical tape--the kind doctors use to hold on a gauze bandage--on problem spots to prevent rubbing. The tape sticks securely to your skin, better than moleskin, preventing blisters and all the messiness and pain that follows. This works like a charm for me and is now my go-to method anytime I have to wear dress shoes. 3 weddings attended so far this summer, and I have been blister-free! Maybe that will help in the meantime?
posted by Ms. Informed at 2:32 PM on July 31