What to Do When Between Sneakers Sizes

Use is the first tiebreaker

Use decides most between sizes choices. Running calls for the larger size, because feet swell during a run and slide forward with each landing, and a pair that fits at the start of a run can feel tight by the end. A half size of extra room protects your toenails and keeps the toe box comfortable when your feet are warm. If you run in the pair at all, even for short runs, lean toward the larger size.

Everyday wear is more forgiving, because you walk at a steady pace and your feet stay fairly settled. A close everyday fit can feel neat and secure, as long as your toes still have a little room and your heel stays held. If the pair is only for walking, errands and standing, the smaller size may be the better choice, especially if your foot is narrow. For the general between sizes method, see what to do when between shoe sizes.

Width is the second tiebreaker

Width often decides a between sizes choice more than length does. If your foot is wide, take the larger size, because the extra length usually brings a little extra width with it, and a wide foot in the smaller size will pinch across the forefoot. If your foot is narrow, take the smaller size, because the larger size will leave your heel loose and your foot sliding side to side.

Check the width by looking at how the upper sits across the forefoot in each size. In the smaller size, the upper should lie flat without bulging over the midsole. In the larger size, the upper should not have loose folds across the forefoot. If the smaller size pinches and the larger size feels loose at the heel, the answer is not a different length but a wide fit in the smaller length, if the model offers one.

Try both sizes with your real socks

The only reliable way to choose between two sizes is to try both, wearing the socks you plan to use. Lace each pair evenly, stand up, and walk around the room. Then jog in place or up and down a hallway in each pair. Your toes should never touch the front, your heel should stay held, and the midfoot should feel locked down without pressure on the top of your foot.

Pay attention to how each size feels after a few minutes, not just in the first seconds. A size that feels snug at first may feel fine once the upper warms up, while a size that feels roomy at first may feel sloppy once your feet settle. Sock thickness matters here too: a thick running sock can turn the larger size into the right fit, while a thin sock can leave the larger size feeling loose. For the effect of socks on fit, see how socks affect shoe fit.

Fine tuning with lacing and insoles

Once you have picked the nearer size, lacing and insoles can fine tune the fit. A heel lock lace pattern holds the heel in a slightly roomy shoe, while skipping an eyelet over the forefoot relieves pressure on a high instep. A thinner insole can add a little room in a snug shoe, and a thicker insole can take up a little space in a roomy shoe. These tricks adjust the fit by a small amount, roughly a quarter of a size in feel.

Do not use lacing or insoles to fix a full size error. A shoe that is a full size too small will still pinch your toes no matter how you lace it, and a shoe that is a full size too large will still let your heel slip. Use the fine tuning only after the length is right, and treat it as a way to make a good fit better, not as a way to rescue a wrong size.

When to order both sizes

When you fall between sizes and the return policy is free, ordering both sizes is often the fastest way to decide. Try both indoors on a clean floor, walk and jog in each, and return the one that fits worse. Keep the box and the receipt for the pair you return, and do not wear the pair outside until you have decided, because outdoor wear can void a return.

When returns cost money or take a long time, spend the extra time on the decision instead. Use the use and width tiebreakers above, read the brand fit note and the review pattern, and order the size that fits your main use. If you run in the pair, that means the larger size in almost every case, and the cost of a return is usually less than the cost of sore feet and bruised toenails from a pair that is too small.