The Perfect Fit: Shoes

Here is part two of the evolution of the sneaker and some tips of how your shoes should fit comfortably.


THE RIGHT SIZE:

Shoes are a fashion item. So it's easy to get distracted by the chiseled toes or points instead of paying attention to boring details like size and----more importantly---width of your foot. Your feet are not the exact same size, so, unless you want to go the whole hog at a custom shoemaker, you need a strategy.

Think of shoes the same way you think of suits. Find one or two manufacturers with fits that suit your feet. You can even see if they'll order you a specific pair if your feet are especially wide or narrow.

FYI: over 90% of people have feet that are mismatched sizes.

THE EVOLUTION OF THE SNEAKER:

1935: Champion badminton player Jack Purcell designs a dependable court shoe for Converse that will eventually become a classic.

1936: Jesse Owens wins four gold medals at the Berlin Olympic Games wearing shoes made by the German Dassler brothers, who will later form PUMA and Adidas.

1964: Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight each contribute $500 to start up Blue Ribbon Sports, which eventually become Nike.

More on this topic later.