The shoe should be fitted after being active so that the foot size and shape are typical.
A half-inch should be allowed between the longest toe and the end of the toe box to ensure proper toe-off.
The widest part of the shoe should coincide with the widest part of the forefoot.
The shoe should fit snug along the instep. In order to be certain of this, the length from the heel to the ball of the foot and the shoe instep should be equal.
The shoe should not gap excessively, nor should it allow the toes to wiggle freely.
In order to limit excessive heel motion and slippage, the heel cup should be rigid and should fit snugly around the heel of the foot.
Purchase a shoe that was designed for your foot type and that is immediately comfortable. Do not try to “break-in” you shoes; they will probably break you.
David Tiberio, Ph. D., P.T. and James Robin Hinkebien, P.T., Foot Orthoses and Shoe Design, Philadelphia: D. Placzek and David Boyce, 2001, p. 460.
