The Scenario
So, not too long ago, my absolute favorite pair of patent red high heels died. They were a pair of round-toed comfort-plus moderate height heels from payless.com and were gloriously comfortable for high heels.
They gave me 10 good years, so I'm certainly not complaining; but given how hard it is to find shoes my size, (29cm or roughly 46 EU), I thought this would mean the end of a fashion era for me. Thankfully, by the good will of the fashion gods, I managed to find another similar pair on Amazon almost immediately. Upon ordering them however, I realized, it wasn’t as happy of an ending as I thought.
The previous pair were almost a perfect fit for my size, but these shoes, only being offered in full sizes presented me with a problem. My US sizing is a men’s 12, and with size conversion, I had to choose between an 11.5 or a 12.5. Either too big or too small. Furthermore, while my previous shoes had a smooth rounded toe; these had a pointed toe as well, which also changes the fit.
This begged the question:
Which are worse for your feet? High heels that are too big or high heels that are too small?
Time for research! Additionally, just to be sure, I decided to order a pair in both sizes, try them both on, and then return the ones that were more uncomfortable.
The Catch 22 of High Heel Sizing
The problem is that both shoes that are too big and shoes that are too small create problems for your feet. Even perfectly sized high heels aren't very good for you... but the sizing isn't right, they can be even more damaging. When your high heels are too big, the muscles of your toes end up having to compensate by working extra hard to hold the shoe. This can strain them. Conversely, when your high heels are too small, they can cause blisters, foot deformity, and long term problems that can affect your gait (which ultimately can damage your knees, hips or back).
After getting both pairs of shoes, and trying them on, and completing a bit of research, I decided to go for the larger ones for the following reasons:
3 Reasons why you should buy high heels in a larger size instead of a smaller one
Your feet actually swell over the course of the day- and when do we usually wear casual heels? At night.
Your feet are actually the smallest when you first wake up in the morning and will fit the loosest. What this means is that you should always try on heels in the mid-afternoon or late day to get an accurate sizing.
If you go for a larger size, the shoe will still give you room for the swelling, whereas a tighter shoe will not.
You can’t count on “stretching out” new shoes because only shoes made of a soft leather can actually stretch.
Patent leather or shoes made of a synthetic plastic simply won’t stretch out over time and if they do, it will be after causing all kinds of long term damage to your feet in the process.
If the heels are a larger size, this gives you an opportunity to actually pad out your shoes to make them comfortable!
Going for a larger size in your high heels allows you to pad them out to make them more comfortable. You can get gel inserts to hold your feet in place, toe fillers, gel heel guards and all manner of other things to help fit that slightly larger shoe to your foot. Not to mention the option of being able to wear thick socks or fleece-lined tights in the winter- something you can never do with shoes that are too small.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, when it comes to high heels, if you have to choose between shoes that are too big or shoes that are too small, you are better off going with the ones that are too big. This will allow your feet the room they need as they swell throughout the day;
allow you to dress for legs for warmth in the winter months with thick socks, or fleece-lined tights, and ultimately deck your high heels out with things to make them more comfortable.
Furthermore, yes, before you do all that, your toes may have to work a bit harder to hold the shoe on, but health-wise that is a better option than the long term damage that can come to your feet, hips, knees and back from trying to walk in shoes that are too small.
Do keep in mind however that with very high heels a snug fit will be more necessary for stability.
The lower the heel however the less of an issue that is.
Thus far, my feet are thanking me for my decision to go bigger rather than smaller, and I’m not regretting it ;)
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