Myth Running Shoe Size – Should You Buy Running Shoes One Size Larger?

For the perfect running experience, we need the perfect running shoe. Not only the wearing comfort plays an important role, but especially the correct shoe size. In most cases, however, it is not identical with the size we wear in our everyday shoes.

In addition, while we wear casual shoes all day long, we often have a set running routine. Some of us love to go for a run around the neighborhood in the morning before work – simply to start the day wide awake. Others, on the other hand, simply need to relax after a hard day at the office. For them, their running round is on the evening agenda. As a result, we often only wear our running shoes at certain times of the day. But that’s exactly what affects how we find our correct running shoe size.

No matter whether we are already runners or just starting to run: if you’re looking for the perfect running shoe, you’ve found it when it feels good after you slip it on. Nevertheless, there are a few tips that can help us when buying running shoes.

Beginning runners have one disadvantage when they buy their first running shoe: they haven’t worn a running shoe yet – or at least not for a while. However, every individual is different – and so are everyone’s very personal preferences. Nevertheless, before buying your first running shoe, it can be helpful to do some research on the Internet, in specialist magazines and also to ask friends. After that, we can enter into specific discussions with the specialist retailers. Questions we could ask ourselves to this end are, for example:

• What exactly do I need running shoes for?

• What distances do I want to run?

• How many times a week do I want to run?

• How fast, i.e., at what pace, do I want to run?

• On which surfaces will I mainly run?

Before buying new running shoes, we can therefore find answers to some questions, which will give us a good chance of finding the running shoe for our best possible running experience at specialist retailers. Because as a recreational runner, we usually find out about new brands and models in advance – and talk to our running partners about their favorite shoes or running injuries.

Especially those who experience discomfort while running ask themselves where this is coming from. Often mistakes during training or running shoes that do not fit properly are to blame for the fact that we injure ourselves while running. Before we visit the nearest specialist retailer, we could ask ourselves the following questions:

Anyone looking for the right running shoe is being told to buy running shoes one size bigger. But what is the truth behind this myth? The fact is, finding the right size is not that easy. Often, size specifications and fits of the various running shoes differ quite a bit from brand to brand and even from model to model.

Therefore, when runners buy new running shoes, they should not buy them in the size they are used to from their casual shoes. If we try on running shoes in our usual size, they initially seem to fit perfectly. However, our feet need more space when we run than when we take a casual walk around town. As a guideline, there should be about a thumb’s width of space between the tip of the toes and the front end of the running shoe. It is important to note that the big toe is not always the longest.

When we try on our new running shoe, we should make sure that the shoe encloses the foot firmly at the midfoot and the heel. However, it should not squeeze the foot. The best way to check whether the shoes really fit perfectly is to go to a specialist retailer.

It makes sense, especially for beginning runners, to get advice in the running shoe store. Usually, they don’t know yet what their personal running technique looks like. Experts can work with them to define their specific running style. For choosing certain running shoe models, it can be important whether we land on our forefoot, midfoot, or heel. Body size and weight can also determine which running shoe is the right one.

To find the perfect running shoe, we should also be aware of where we want to run with it. The surface and the environment can determine how strong the tread of the sole and how waterproof the upper of the running shoe should be. It really does make a difference whether we run on roads, forest floors, or off-road (outdoor running), or on treadmills and in gyms (indoor running).

What some runners don’t know: our shoe size changes throughout the day. In the evening, the human foot is larger than in the morning. Why is that? During the night, the foot muscles have time to relax. As a result, the foot bones are relatively close together in the morning. As a result, the foot is smaller overall in the morning than the night before.

However, since we humans move quite a lot on our feet during the day, the body circulates blood through them particularly strongly. The resulting heat expands the foot muscles – the foot grows. If we now put even more strain on our feet than usual, for example during a marathon, they become even bigger. During a marathon, our feet need even more space in the running shoe than during a light jog.

However, these sports socks should not be our daily sneaker socks in the best case. These already slip back and forth in our shoes in everyday life. If we go running with our sneaker socks slipping down, blisters can develop on our feet. In addition, we have less support and fewer pressure points in the running shoe.

In order not to overload the foot, but also the fibers, muscles, and joints in the body during running, the running shoe must leave enough space for the most natural transitioning motion possible. Running shoes that are too small, or significantly too large, literally get in the way of this natural movement. The same applies to running shoes with built-in supports that interfere with our musculoskeletal system. Biomechanically developed running shoes, on the other hand, respect our natural movement.

To make matters worse, choosing the right running shoe size becomes even more complicated when we want to differentiate between models for men and women. Again and again, different size specifications serve as a basis here. As a rule, running shoes can be compared using the US size. Size tables of the manufacturers can also help to find the right running shoe size.

To find the right size of True Motion running shoes at home, the True Motion size finder helps. Specialty retailers also answer further questions in individual consultations. Because one thing is certain: once you’ve found the right running shoe in the right size, you’ll have fun running.