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The Shoes You're Wearing Are Probably The Wrong Size

Your Shoes Are Probably The Wrong Size
Sergei Popov via Getty Images

Those shoes you're wearing on your feet right now? Chances are, they're probably the wrong size.

According to the British College of Podiatry, unless you've had your size checked in the past year (because everyone does that), your shoes probably don't fit.

The study, which polled 2,000 people, revealed that a third of men and more than half of women have worn shoes that don't fit properly.

Although common wisdom says that the size of your feet doesn't change during your life once you finish puberty, in reality, your feet can change its shape for a number reasons ranging from pregnancy to injury. (And let's not forget all the damage that squeezing our toes into beautiful but painful heels can do.) All of these factors, although subtle, can give your feet a new shoe size.

"I must say I find it interesting because we do only measure our feet as a child and then don't once we are grown - and just assume we are always the same size," Natalia Barbieri, co-founder and designer of Bionda Castana told UK Vogue. "Comfort is key. Women's feet have become wider and longer over current years - we now produce up to a size 42 - and as a woman designing for women, I know how important 'happy feet' are in my life, so I can assume it is that way in every other women's life too."

"It's the client's responsibility, for sure, that they get the right size," Barbieri added. "They live with the consequences. Regardless of what size you usually take, make sure you try all possible sizes - half size up or down - to make sure you find the perfect fit."

Even when you do find shoes that are the right size, you may not realize that they are harmful in other ways. Take the ballet flat, which many women swear by: these shoes actually hurt you because they don't support your foot arch and they can cause shin splints and shuffling.

We all know the harmful effects of wearing heels, right? Back pain, excess pressure on the knees and pressure on the balls of the feet are all side effects of wearing those pricey stilettos.

But if you're still set on wearing heels, check out some comfortable options here.

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