Foot size question

[Mitchell612]

Couldn't find a better place for it, so sorry if its in the wrong section but i was just wondering at around what age do your feet stop growing? I'm 15 now almost 16. And i'm in a size 11US. My feet have had that same size for around 2 years now. I'm jsut wondering is that how big they will be or will they grow?

[xaphod]

Digging back in the memory banks, that sounds about right. I had a glorious year secretly wearing my mum's stilettos when I was 14 and a UK size 5 (US 7). Unfortunately I grew another size to my present size 6 UK. Xa

[shrimper]

In women growth tends to vary but on average at 16 most girls are pretty well set in their shoe size, that is until they get pregnant. Most females I know have grown at least a half size during pregnancy. A couple that I know have grown a size and a half.

[hoverfly]

Yeah......you most likely reach the max for growth. Now you will only have to deal with the feet spreading out from wearing flats do to body weight walking on concete all the time....as you get older that is.

[Guy N. Heels]

Well, I hate being the "wet blanket" on the forum, but I must voice some misgivings. In the main, your feet have finished most of their growing by the time yer 17 or 18. But there are exceptions. Some people are still changing the size of their shoes well into their 20's and I personally know one woman who was well into her 30's when she claimed she needed a bigger shoe! As for me, I'm in my mid 60's and haven't had to change my shoe size in 30 years. Personally, I wouldn't invest too much into shoes until you are well into your 20's. By then whatever is going to happen will happen (or at least will have started).

[lorriette]

possibly due to being overweight, I have gone up half a size this year, and i'm 54!

[Guy N. Heels]

possibly due to being overweight, I have gone up half a size this year, and i'm 54!

A brief word of caution. If you are overweight then be on the lookout for fallen arches, as this is a common affliction, and a sudden change in foot size could be a harbinger.

[fastfreddy2]

Anyone here familiar with the term "middle-age spread"? From experience I'd say there is the regular 'teen' growth that has probably stopped by your 20's. After that, weight gain is likely the main effect on shoe size. If you put on weight (age/pregnancy) eventually your frame will enlarge to support the weight. Feet are not exempt. At 8 stone I had size 7's. At 12 stone (and growing less) I have a size 8. I'm eating 2 meals a day, and trying to take regular exercise (walking in heels, what else?) I doubt my feet will get shorter, but they may get even narrower. I'm thinking a lighter me, will allow higher heels with less strain on the balls of my feet. Teens are getting taller, and physics demand bigger feet to sustain this. Hence many stores selling size 9 in their range.

[dressboots]

I grew a shoe size each year from age 12 to 18. I stopped growing at American men's size 10 AAA when I was 17.5 years. I wore American size 12 B Womens shoe at that point. Size 12 as very rare then but my very narrow foot really helped out in fitting what I could find. It really limited what I could wear in men's, however. Today, 35 years later, I wear a size Men's 10.5 B. Still is hard to find men's shoes that narrow. Now I wear a women's size 13 B or C depending on the manufacture. There was a period of several years when I could wear my younger sister's boots very comfortably. She takes a size 8 B so everyone can calculate how long ago that was. Those were the days.

[muddypaws]

:penitent:Hi all, All very good thoughts and observations. There ias no definitive answer. Some grow some don't. You will just have to wait. If you want womens shoes, then by all means get them, but don't go OTT as you could end up spending a lot of hard earned cash, only to find they do not fit soon. Just get a pair that you like a lot, and stay with that choice for a while, getting plenty of practice. You will know when the time is right.....eventually. I wore my Mom's shoes as a teenager, I can't remember how long ago, but I find that I can usually fit a size 41 perfectly, but an 8 or 7 may be OK. You will have to try them for yourself before you know which is the one for you. Different lasts by different makers differenty size. At 73, I still take 41 eu See all our answers in "Do you try on in the shop" for more guidance. Muddypaws.

[EdwardianEra]

Hi Mitchell, (Just as a side note - I haven't posted in about six months. Hi again everyone!). As has been said, everyone is different in how long it takes them to finish growing. I'm 17, and wear a size 10-10.5 men's shoe. Of course I'm one size too large to fit comfortably into all the ladie's boots and shoes I like (which go up to an 11, not a 12), but I digress. If you have been the same size for several years, that could indicate that you are close to, if not finished, growing. How tall are you? I have had the same shoe size for about 5 years, and I reached 5 foot 6 between fifth and sixth grade (I was rather small before then...needless to say I felt rather awkward for a few years). I haven't grown anymore since then, but I don't mind - with heels I'm about average height. I just wish my feet were smaller, even by just one size. I sprained my left big toe a few weeks ago and got an x-ray, just to make sure I hadn't fractured anything. The doctor could see from the x-ray that my growth plates had closed up, so this is my basically permanent shoe size. I suppose you could make an appointment and have an x-ray done, if you really want to know, but I'm fairly sure insurance won't cover it unless the doctor orders one for medical reasons. -EdwardianEra