My ivory shoes were still white, save for a copper-colored streak. A friend initially thought the blotch was part of the shoe's design. It was dried blood.
Racing in the wrong shoe size is a rite of passage for new runners and a rookie mistake for vets like me.
But hang on-I'm not the only one at fault here. As a Runner's World gear editor, I've noticed fit, length, and width can vary among a single brand's different shoe models, even when the sizes on their boxes are the same. So, what's going on with shoe sizing?
To find out, I spoke with runner and FleetFeet content marketing specialist Caroline Bell-a former FleetFeet sales associate, she's worked on the retail side, too-and podiatrist and performance footwear consultant Simon Bartold.
TRY THIS ON FOR SIZE
"Sizing generally is a nightmare, with no universal system," said Bartold, who was an Asics research consultant. He noted how the three major sizing systems-U.S., U.K., and European-are completely different. A men's U.S. 9, for example, is a U.K. size 8 and European size 42.
"In addition, length and width basically do not talk to each other. So, going by measurement in itself a Pandora's boxyou may be a U.S. 7, but you might need to go to a U.S. 9 or 10 to get satisfactory width fitting," said Bartold. "Likewise, it can go the other way if one has a narrow foot. A measured U.S. 7 might need to go down to a U.S. 5 to stop slippage."
One way to find a secure fit is to try a shoe in different widths. The standard width is D for men and B for women. Some specialty running shops carry other widths to accommodate runners who don't fit the industry standard. FleetFeet stores, for instance, tend to carry wider EE widths for men and D widths for women, but you should call the store beforehand, said Bell, to make sure they have those or other widths in stock.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der Issue 02, 2023-Ausgabe von Runner's World US.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der Issue 02, 2023-Ausgabe von Runner's World US.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
TO RUN 26.2 IS TO FEEL ALIVE
THE SUN IS rising from the east, and the waves of the Pacific crash below to the west.
LEAVE IT UP TO A PIECE OF PAPER TO TEACH YOU TO RUN EASY
BEFORE I FELL for running, I thought the hardest thing about the sport was the fast stuff: the speedwork, the sprints, and the intervals.
WHY-AND HOW-YOU SHOULD RUN DOUBLES
Those are just a few of the titles entered into my training log for the second run of a day.
FIND YOUR RUNNING COMMUNITY, ONLINE OR IN PERSON
I SIGNED UP for my first marathon while sobbing in the back of a rideshare, on my way to the airport to fly to my uncle's funeral.
FUEL WITH WHAT YOU WANT TO EAT
AS AN ULTRARUNNER, I'm all too familiar with the saying that long-distance running is an \"eating contest with a running component.\"
AT THE FERTILITY CLINIC, MY PAST CAUGHT UP WITH ME
I SAT IN the fertility doctor's office white walls, bare wooden desk, opaque window-alone.
THIS IS NOT AN ESCAPE STORY
AT 15, DARLENE STUBBS WALKED AWAY FROM A POLYGAMOUS CULT-THEN DISCOVERED A NEW LIFE AND COMMUNITY THROUGH RUNNING.
RUNNING WITH HANK
How my daughter's rambunctious mutt saved my sanity while she was lost to the darkness.
WHEN I FOUND OUT I HAD MS.I THOUGHT I'D NEVER RUN AGAIN.
I checked the pins on my bib, shimmied my spandex shorts into place, and teed up the stopwatch on my wrist.
A RUNNER'S GUIDE to sleep
Nike rocked the running world in 2018 when it released the Vaporfly 4%, claiming that the shoe could boost a runner's efficiency by that amount.
