How a Professional Shoe Fitting Works: What to Expect at a Baltimore Comfort Shoe Store

A professional shoe fitting starts with measuring both feet on a Brannock device, checks your arch type and gait pattern, measures your width across the ball of the foot, and then puts you in multiple brands and sizes until you find the shoe that matches your foot shape rather than forcing your foot to match the shoe. At Van Dyke & Bacon Shoes, this process takes about 20 minutes and costs nothing. We have been doing it this way in Baltimore since 1938, and the result is shoes that feel supportive on day one, not shoes you hope will stretch out after a few weeks of pain.

Most people have never had a professional shoe fitting. They have stood on a measuring mat at a big-box store, or stepped into a scanner at a running shop, or, most commonly, guessed their size and bought online. None of those methods account for the fact that your feet are two different sizes, your arch height dictates which brands will work for you, and your foot width changes over time. This guide walks through exactly what happens during a fitting at our Baltimore-area stores, so you know what to expect before you walk in.

Key Takeaways

• A professional fitting measures both feet for length, arch length, and width using a Brannock device. Most people have one foot larger than the other, and you always fit to the larger foot.

• Arch type and gait analysis determine which brands and models will actually support your feet. A shoe that fits another person's feet perfectly may give you arch pain if your arch height is different.

• Width fitting is the step most people skip. Roughly 60 percent of adults wear shoes that are too narrow, which causes bunions, hammertoes, and forefoot pain over time.

• At VDB, you try multiple brands and models back to back on a hard floor, not carpet. Hard-floor testing reveals how the shoe absorbs impact in the real world.

• We have a Certified Pedorthist on staff who can fill physician prescriptions for specialized footwear, custom orthotics, and diabetic shoe fittings. This is a medical qualification most shoe stores do not offer.

• If you cannot come to a store, our Mobile Shoe Fitting service brings our inventory and a Shoe Pro to your home, workplace, or retirement community in the Baltimore area.

What happens during the first five minutes of a fitting?

The first five minutes set the foundation for everything that follows. When you sit down at one of our fitting benches, here is what happens.

Step 1: Remove your current shoes and socks. Our Shoe Pros need to see your feet, not guess through a layer of fabric. This lets us check for bunions, hammertoes, swelling, calluses, and any visible signs of how your current shoes are fitting. A callus on the outside of your big toe usually means your shoes are too narrow. A callus on the ball of the foot often means you are not getting enough cushioning under the forefoot. These visible clues tell us which problems the fitting needs to solve.

Step 2: The Brannock measurement. The Brannock device is the metal foot-measuring tool with sliding cants that you have seen in shoe stores. It measures three things at once: heel-to-toe length, arch length (heel-to-ball), and width. We measure both feet because most people have one foot up to a full size larger than the other. You always fit the shoe to the larger foot. The arch-length measurement is the one most people have never heard of, and it often differs from your heel-to-toe size. If your arch is longer than your overall foot length, you may need a larger size to place the shoe's arch support under your actual arch rather than behind it.

Step 3: Width measurement. The Brannock device measures width across the ball of the foot on an alphabetic scale from AAA (very narrow) to EEEEE (very wide). Most shoe stores only stock medium width, so anyone with narrow or wide feet walks out in the wrong size. VDB stocks widths from AA to EEEE across many of our comfort brands, including SAS, New Balance, and Drew. A correct width eliminates heel slip, forefoot pinching, and the feeling that you need to lace your shoes uncomfortably tight to keep them on.

How does arch type and gait analysis work?

After the measurements, the fitting moves to the part that separates a professional fitting from a size check: understanding how your feet actually work when you stand and walk.

Arch type assessment. Your Shoe Pro will look at your feet while you stand and while you sit. When you stand and bear weight, your arch flattens to some degree. The amount of flattening reveals your arch type: high arch (rigid, very little flattening), neutral arch (moderate flattening with a visible arch shape), or flat arch (collapses nearly to the floor under weight). Each arch type pairs with different shoe features. High arches need a shoe with a pronounced built-in arch contour and a cushioned heel to absorb shock, since high arches do not pronate enough to distribute impact naturally. Flat arches need a shoe with a firm, supportive arch that controls overpronation, the inward rolling of the foot that strains the plantar fascia, Achilles tendon, and eventually the knees and lower back.

Gait observation. We ask you to walk across the fitting area, usually 15 to 20 feet of hard flooring. Your Shoe Pro watches for pronation (does your foot roll inward excessively?), supination (does it roll outward?), heel strike pattern (do you land on the outside of the heel first, which is normal, or flat-footed?), and toe-off (does your big toe push off normally or do you compensate because of pain?). This 20-second walk tells us more about what shoe you need than any measurement alone. A person who overpronates needs a stability shoe like the New Balance 880. A person with a neutral gait and high arches does better in a cushioned neutral shoe like the New Balance 1080 or the SAS Free Time.

What happens when you start trying on shoes?

This is the longest part of the fitting, usually 10 to 15 minutes, and the part where most people experience something they have never done before: trying three or four different brands in their actual measured size and width, on a hard floor, with a Shoe Pro checking each one.

Multiple brands, same size. A size 9 medium in one brand is not the same shape as a size 9 medium in another. Brands build their shoes on different lasts, the foot-shaped forms around which the shoe is constructed. Dansko uses a wider, higher-volume last than Ecco. SAS uses a deeper last with more room for orthotics. Naot uses a narrower heel and a wider forefoot, a combination that fits many women's feet better than a uniform-width last. The only way to know which brand's last matches your foot shape is to try them side by side.

Walking on a hard floor. We have hard flooring, not carpet, in our fitting areas. Carpet masks how the shoe's sole absorbs impact. You need to feel the shoe on a surface that resembles the floors you actually walk on, whether that is hardwood at home, concrete at work, or tile at the grocery store. Walk at least 20 steps in each pair. Pay attention to whether your heel stays in place, whether your toes have room to wiggle, and whether the arch of the shoe lines up with the arch of your foot.

The three-point fit check. For each pair you try, your Shoe Pro checks three things. First, heel fit: when you walk, your heel should stay put. A small amount of movement is normal in a new leather shoe that has not molded to your foot yet, but your heel should not lift out of the shoe. Second, toe clearance: you need about a thumb's width, roughly half an inch, between your longest toe and the front of the shoe. Less than that and your toes will hit the front of the shoe on every step, especially going downhill or down stairs. Third, ball width: the widest part of your foot should sit at the widest part of the shoe. If the shoe's widest point is ahead of or behind your foot's widest point, the shoe is the wrong shape for your foot, regardless of size.

What does a Certified Pedorthist do differently?

A Certified Pedorthist is a healthcare professional trained in the design, fit, and modification of footwear and foot orthotics to address medical conditions of the foot and lower limb. This is a certification earned through the American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics & Pedorthotics (ABC), requiring education, supervised clinical hours, and a board examination. Most shoe stores do not have one on staff. Van Dyke & Bacon does.

Our Certified Pedorthist can do several things a standard shoe fitting cannot:

• Fill physician prescriptions for diabetic shoes, post-surgical footwear, and custom orthotics. If your doctor writes a prescription for therapeutic footwear, we can fill it and bill Medicare or your insurance provider directly.

• Perform diabetic foot assessments and fit diabetic shoes that meet Medicare's Therapeutic Shoe Bill requirements. This includes depth-inlay shoes with multi-density inserts designed to reduce pressure points and prevent ulceration in diabetic feet.

• Modify footwear with lifts, rocker soles, metatarsal pads, and other adjustments that address specific gait abnormalities or pressure points.

• Cast for custom orthotics that correct biomechanical issues standard off-the-shelf inserts cannot address.

If you have a foot condition, diabetes, neuropathy, arthritis, bunions, hammertoes, plantar fasciitis, or Charcot foot, a pedorthic fitting is the level of care you need. A standard retail fitting does not address the medical dimension of footwear. Our Certified Pedorthist bridges that gap, and you do not need a referral to schedule a fitting. Just call 410-433-1100 and ask for a pedorthic consultation.

How different fitting methods compare

The table makes the case plainly. A professional fitting costs nothing and takes about 20 minutes. It covers measurements online shopping skips entirely, width, arch type, gait pattern, and most critically, the chance to walk in multiple brands on a hard floor. The difference between a size guessed from memory and a size measured on a Brannock device is often a full size and a full width. That is the difference between a shoe that supports you and a shoe you dread putting on.

How long does a professional fitting take, and what should you bring?

A standard fitting takes about 20 minutes. A pedorthic consultation takes 30 to 45 minutes depending on the complexity of your foot condition and whether you need casting for custom orthotics.

Bring these things to your fitting:

• The socks or hosiery you normally wear with the type of shoe you are buying. The thickness of a work sock versus a dress sock changes the fit by up to a half-size.

• Your current shoes, especially the ones causing pain. The wear pattern on the outsole tells us about your gait. Uneven wear reinforces or corrects what we see during the gait observation.

• Your orthotics or inserts if you wear them. We need to fit the shoe with the insert inside it, not guess the extra volume the insert takes up.

• Any physician prescriptions for therapeutic footwear, diabetic shoes, or custom orthotics.

• Your insurance card if you have coverage for diabetic shoes or therapeutic footwear. Many Medicare and private insurance plans cover one pair of diabetic shoes and inserts per year.

If you are buying work shoes, come at the end of your workday or after a similar amount of time on your feet. Feet swell throughout the day, peaking in the late afternoon. A shoe that fits perfectly at 10 a.m. may feel tight at 6 p.m. A fitting at the end of the day reflects what your feet will actually experience during a long shift.

What happens after the fitting?

After you have found the right shoe, your Shoe Pro writes down your size, width, and the model that fit you best. We keep these records so that on your next visit, even if you see a different Shoe Pro, we can pull your size and start from where you left off rather than starting over from scratch.

We also recommend:

• Wear the shoes indoors for short sessions before taking them on a full day out. Even a perfectly fitted shoe needs a short adaptation period, 20 to 30 minutes around the house for two or three days, so the footbed begins to mold to your foot and any minor hot spots can be addressed.

• Rotate your shoes if you wear them daily. Two pairs worn on alternating days last more than twice as long as one pair worn every day, because the foam and leather have 24 hours to dry and recover between wears.

• Check your fit annually. Foot size and shape change with age, weight changes, pregnancy, and medical conditions. A fitting that was correct three years ago may not be correct today. Annual fittings catch these changes before they cause pain.

If a shoe does not feel right after a few days of indoor wear, bring it back. We stand behind our fittings, and if the shoe needs a different size, width, or model, we will make it right.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a professional shoe fitting free?

Yes. Shoe fittings at Van Dyke & Bacon are free. There is no charge and no obligation to buy. The fitting is a service we provide because we believe the right fit is the foundation of foot comfort, and we would rather spend 20 minutes finding your correct size than sell you the wrong size and have you unhappy with the shoes.

Do I need an appointment for a fitting?

Walk-ins are welcome at all four of our Baltimore-area locations during store hours. For pedorthic consultations or Mobile Shoe Fitting service visits, we recommend calling ahead at 410-433-1100 to confirm availability. You can also schedule a Mobile Fitting by phone.

Can I get a fitting if I have a foot condition like bunions or plantar fasciitis?

Yes. Foot conditions are one of the main reasons people seek a professional fitting in the first place. Our Shoe Pros are trained to fit around bunions, hammertoes, and other foot deformities. Our Certified Pedorthist can also modify footwear and fit diabetic shoes for more serious conditions. Tell the Shoe Pro about your condition at the start of the fitting so they can factor it into every measurement and recommendation.

What is the difference between a shoe fitting and a pedorthic consultation?

A shoe fitting focuses on measuring your feet and matching you to the right size, width, and model among our in-stock comfort brands. A pedorthic consultation adds a medical dimension: evaluating foot conditions, filling physician prescriptions, modifying footwear, casting for custom orthotics, and fitting diabetic shoes to Medicare standards. Schedule a fitting for general comfort and fit. Schedule a pedorthic consultation if you have a diagnosed foot condition and a prescription from your doctor.

Do you fit children's shoes?

Yes. We stock children's comfort brands including New Balance, Stride Rite, and Tsukihoshi. Children's feet grow rapidly and benefit from professional measurement at least twice a year. We measure children's feet the same way we measure adults, on a Brannock device with the child standing, and we always check for adequate toe room since children often cannot articulate that their shoes feel tight.

Can my caregiver or family member come with me to the fitting?

Yes. Many of our customers bring a spouse, adult child, or caregiver. In fact, we encourage it for older adults, people with mobility challenges, or anyone who wants a second opinion. Our fitting benches have space for a companion to sit nearby, and our Shoe Pros are happy to explain the fitting process to family members so they understand what to look for in shoes going forward.

What if my feet are two different sizes?

This is extremely common. We always fit to the larger foot. If the difference is significant, more than a full size or width, we can explore split-sizing with certain brands or use inserts and pads to compensate. The Certified Pedorthist can also modify footwear to address significant left-right size differences.

Do I have to buy shoes at the fitting?

No. You are welcome to get measured and fitted with no purchase. Many people come in for a fitting early in their shoe search so they know their correct size and width before shopping elsewhere. But most customers find that the combination of a correct measurement, multiple brands to try, and a hard-floor walking test results in a better outcome than buying online with a guessed size.

By the VDB Shoe Pros, the fitting team at Van Dyke & Bacon Shoes, serving Baltimore since 1938. Call 410-433-1100 or visit our Baltimore-area stores to schedule a fitting.