Celebrate National Measure Your Feet Day in Style
If you don’t have “National Measure Your Feet Day” marked on your calendar, you’re missing out on an important event! Okay, it may not be a mainstream holiday, but it’s still worth noting and maybe even having some fun with.
National Measure Your Feet Day is an opportunity to demonstrate to your whole family that foot size matters – and so does shoe size. So, on January 23, gather your family members – even the little ones – and measure your feet. Here’s how:
- Use a Brannock device. If possible, purchase one ahead of time. It’s an investment in proper foot care – a helpful tool you’ll keep for many years. If you can’t buy one for home use, go to your favorite shoe store. Most will have a Brannock device you can help yourself or a salesperson who can help you. To use it, place your heel firmly at one end of the metal footbed, paying careful attention to position your left foot on the end marked “left heel.” Use the other end to measure your right foot – imprinted with the words “right heel.” Use the instructions here to get accurate shoe size based on your foot’s length, width, and arch.
- You may also use an at-home measuring method as described in this Wiki article.
Why is measuring your feet so important?
For children, the answer is obvious. Their feet can grow at an astounding rate. Measuring your kids’ feet regularly will help keep them in appropriate, comfortable shoes. Measuring your feet is a good practice for adults because feet don’t always stay the same size throughout your adult life. Over time, your arches can flatten out, necessitating shoes in a wider width. Toe deformities like hammertoes and bunions will also affect your shoe size.
The bottom line
Consider National Measure Your Feet Day a chance to check in with your feet and make sure you’re housing them in the proper size coverings – boots, shoes, or slippers. Many foot problems trace back to shoes that don’t fit well. If you check in with your feet and problems jump out at you – fungal toenails, lack of feeling, or pain anywhere from your toes to your ankles, make an appointment with board-certified podiatrist Dr. Kenneth R. Wilhelm Clifton Foot & Ankle Center. We welcome patients from northern Virginia and the greater D.C. area at our office in Centreville. Call (703) 996-3000 or schedule an appointment online.
