Tip of the month: Give yourself a little more room for a lot more comfort.

Did you know that most people wear shoes that are too small? The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society found that 88% of the women they surveyed needed bigger shoes and most had not had their feet measured in over a decade! Not surprisingly, the majority of the participants experienced foot pain from their daily shoes. Studies show that men don’t fare much better, with about 80% reportedly wearing shoes that fit too tight.

Why do we buy shoes that are too small? There are numerous reasons, including familiarity, vanity and an incorrect belief that tight fitting shoes provide more support (in reality, they damage our feet). More often than not, we see people in shoes that are too tight simply because they didn’t realize that feet continue to change throughout our adult lives. As we age, our arches can weaken and lower, resulting in our feet spreading out slightly in length and/or width. This happens slowly over time and isn’t something most of us notice or associate with foot pain. That said, tight fitting shoes are responsible for many of the ailments that foot specialists address – from calluses and corns, ingrown toenails, metatarsalgia (pain in the ball of the foot), blisters and other foot pain.

There is good news! Getting your feet measured is part of our fitting process for new shoes purchased at Mast Shoes. With over 10,000 pairs in stock, and a team of shoe fitting professionals, our specialty is helping folks find footwear that feels great. If you're feet aren't feeling as good as you'd like, stop in the store soon and we'll measure and match them with footwear that'll give you some relief.

Store hours are Tuesday - Saturday 10AM - 5:30PM.