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What to know about shoes

Start with the fact most shoe buying ignores: your size is not a fixed number. Feet swell through the day, so a pair fitted at nine in the morning can be tight by six. The afternoon is the best time to try shoes on. Length is also the easy half. Width and the shape of the toe box decide whether a shoe rubs. Two shoes marked the same size sit differently because each is built around a last, the foot-shaped form the upper is molded over. Measure both feet, since almost nobody is symmetrical, and buy for the larger one.

What is underneath decides how long the pair lasts. A welted shoe stitches the sole to the upper through a strip of leather, so a cobbler can cut it off and fit a new one two or three times. A cemented shoe glues the sole on, which costs less and usually ends the shoe when that sole wears through. The difference is the gap between a decade of wear and a couple of seasons.

Each guide below covers the styles you will meet by name, how that type should fit on your foot, the materials it comes in, and how to keep it alive. Start with a shoe type, or with a single detail like heel height or upper material when that is your question.

Details to check

What matters when you compare

Toe Shape

What shape is the front of the shoe?

Heel Height

How high is the heel, and what can you actually walk in?

Heel Type

What shape is the heel, and how stable will it feel?

Sole Construction

What is under the foot, and how does it change the shoe?

Shaft Height

How far up the leg does the boot reach?

Calf Width

Will the boot shaft actually fit around your calf?

Closure Type

How does the shoe fasten, and how adjustable is the fit?

Upper Material

What is the shoe made of, and how will it wear?

Comfort Features

What has actually been built in to make it comfortable?

Kid's Size Range

Which age and size band is it cut for?

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