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Can feet shrink?


Mr. X

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I was just curious if anyone has noticed themselves, or if it was possible for feet to shrink.  I ask because mine seem to be doing just that!  When I first started wearing heels My sizes were as follows.  Men shoes size 8.  Womens shoes size 9.5 or 10 with the ocassional 9.  And my boot size was a 10.  Now I find I can fit comfotably in some size 8.5 heels.  I also purchased a pair of boots today that were marked a size 8.  They looked a little big for their size but be that as it may, they fit perfectly!  I also purchased a pair of male running shoes the other day.  I am normally an 8 but all they had were a 7.  And again they fit perfectly!  And now some of my size 10's feel loose.  Thoughts?

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Mr. X :   I have a similar problem. In warm weather we all have a tendency to swell due to excess water retention.

In colder months our bodies do not retain as much water. Also, Shoe manufactures will vary in shoe sizes. 

I have ordered shoes in size 44 EUR that were a tight fit and the same 44 EUR from another company was a perfect fit.

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Mine have about 1/2 size. I attribute it to constant compression of my toes ove 30 years in heels has permanently contoured my toes. I now have narrow feet as a result. No bunions are even slightly present and I wear my work shoes and sneakers including golfing are as comfortable as ever. 

I'll wear heels to the grave if I can, hate to say it but odds are I have less yrs in heels in front of me than behind. 

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If you have been doing loads of walking, running and then stop, that too will make your fit shrink a bit. People who have hiked the Appalachian trail often report their show size growing by 1 to 1.5 sizes. Sometimes that's permanent other times the foot goes back to what t was before the hike. Likewise with doing lots of running. I used to do marathons and half marathons years ago and when I did my shoe size was always a US men's 14. I stopped and it was quite a while before I realised that I had dropped back to a US men's 12.5.

Also as has been noted above sizes vary widely amongst shoemakers and I have noticed that many seem to be more generous in terms sizing lately. 

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I can say without a doubt feet can shrink . When I was over 400 lbs I wore a 13 wide women's . When my goal of 280 lbs was achieved a size 12 wide women's and today I can wear a size 12 regular women's . The Torrid size 11 wide fits great . 

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On 8/30/2018 at 10:42 PM, HappyinHeels said:

As it is known people can indeed shrink in overall height over several decades it stands to reason that feet are no different.

A person shrinks vertical due to compression from the force of gravity. I know I've already lost an inch, shock the hell out of me last time I was measured. But the same gravity that shrinks a person would in fact make a person's feet enlarge. The volume of your feet is mostly circulation and retention of fliuds.

Edited by Cali
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I also lost an inch these last years. Ageing process! Yes. Plus back problems. BUT! I started to go to the swimming pool one year ago. 3/4 time a week. For one hour minimum. AND! Last time I Checked my height,I gained half an inch back! 

So? 

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I suspected before, but now I am quite sure my feet have shrunk a bit in the last couple of years. I have a pair of Aldo oxfords, which have in the past been my go-to shoes to wear with a men's suit, as the styling is exactly that of a conservative man's (nearly) flat cap-toe oxford, only these have 4 1/4" stiletto heels.

The reason I bring this up is because many of you know that Aldo's sizing scheme was a bit "off" compared to everybody else. These oxfords are European size 40, which should be at least a 9 U.S., which is what I normally wear. These Aldo 40s are small. In fact, for the longest time, I couldn't even squeeze into them. Then I discovered that with trouser socks and a shoehorn, I could get them on. They never really pinched my feet anywhere, but they were an absolute bitch to get on, and nearly impossible without trouser socks or hosiery of some sort. Regular socks were too thick.

Today, I had to go to a funeral. In fact, I had to sing at it, so it wasn't like I was in the back where no one could see me. I decided that these Aldo oxfords were just the ticket, as their styling is quite conservative. I hadn't worn them in quite a while. In fact, they had spider webs in them when I pulled them off the shelf! Like.  .  . old spider webs. A little polishing up, and they were good to go. And guess what? They slipped right on with a minimum of fuss, and I could feel there was a tiny bit of extra room in there that didn't exist before.

I have no idea how or why, but my feet have definitely gotten smaller. Not necessarily better, but smaller for sure!

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While there is no denying those who had shoes that were too tight but now fit, I also believe that shoe sizes as a whole have gotten somewhat larger - what used to be a 9.5 not maybe fits like a 10.  I used to have to really squeeze into a size 11, but most now will allow me to get into them.  Though that is not across the board.  In store yesterday I tried on a couple pairs of size 11 and found one that fit very nice and a couple that were snug.  Then I saw a pair of Nine West pumps in size 11.5 and thought great, these should fit nicely.  I could not even get them on!

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mlroseplant,

Aldo, a shoe company based in Montreal, Quebec, was notoriously small in their sizing until 2015 when they introduced half sizes. Then after it appeared that their size 10 fit like most other size 10 shoes around the industry. While the scientific premise of what Cali says is correct I believe there are many here whose individual experience is different. Water retention certainly plays a factor but the aging process does indeed leave its imprint whether it's those seborrheic keratoses, or non-cancerous skin growths, hair appearing on the inner ear, or our feet changing from our youth. On the other hand, sometimes you get a "senior" discount without asking, more people hold doors open than before, and when asked a question in a comfortable seated position you may say; "Oh, you want me to get up??" Life in the AARP lane I guess. HappyinHeels

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I quit eating bread and avoid gluten.  Not only did my Triglycerides drop from around 500 (for a long time, even with medications) to below 100 but my feet shrunk about a half size.  I now buy most of my boots in 10 instead of 11.  There's a whole lot more selection in that size so I'm thrilled.  I"m sure it won't work for everyone but I know several others where it helped.  

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