If The Shoe Fits

Today we're going to talk about shoes, boots, and all things footwear. If, as in most cases, we assume that the taller man is in possession of a longer foot (which is certainly here), it can often be a bit difficult to find the right shoe in the right size, so let's take a look at what can be done.

The first and arguably most important thing to remember is that when it comes to size, not all regions are created equally. It's paramount that you understand what your size in the UK translates to, especially when shopping online or abroad. For that, you'll often find that most stores have a conversion chart on their website, but to save you a little time we've put together a quick one for you here too.

You can see how the sizes rise in relation to one another should you have to go beyond size 14s, but one of the key things to note is that you always, always, always size up for the US. It's handy to keep this knowledge intact as not only can many products often be cheaper online from the US (even after adding shipping, in many cases) but if you're anything like me you'll have found that larger sizes are often in short supply here in the UK, and the US does do a fine line in catering for all things, well, bigger.

You'll almost always find that specialist shoe stores are your best bet when it comes to picking the perfect pair, and in quite a few infuriating instances you'll notice that some of your favourite clothes retailers may actually only size as high as an 11 when it comes to their shoes. Reiss, Mango, and Zara to name but three are all guilty of this. Thankfully, more and more shops are wising up to the fact that 6-11 just doesn't cut it anymore, and we're even seeing a move to more wider fit shoes becoming available, with ASOS really playing a lead part in this. Just be warned with them, many of their formal shoes are plastic masquerading as leather, but this tends to be well signposted.

One last thing to consider is that, and you've probably come across yourself at some point, different stores and brands can actually size differently from each other. On average, I take a 12, but the lovely pair of burgundy brogues I own are closer to an 11.5, where as my running shoes are a 13. This can be further exacerbated by the style of the shoe you're after. Pointed Chelsea boots, for example, may require a size up as obviously your foot only fills about four-fifths of the shoe and doesn't end up being compressed into the toe, whereas a trainer with a much more rounded toe might have a truer fit.

Ultimately it's all about making sure you're comfortable in the shoes you're wearing, in every sense, and shopping around for the right fit should be your first priority. If you take the time to check out the entries in our 'On The Height Street' section you'll find every entry comes with a section dedicated to that store's shoes, giving you greater insight into the options available.