Because I’ve been fitting wear-testers and staff for How We Fuel on Long Runs When We Cant Stomach Gel for so many years, I know that many runners wear a shoe that’s too small for their foot. But, they insist it fits because the number on the box matches what size they typically wear.
My advice: Ignore the number on the box. I trick our wear-testers by giving them just the shoe, not the box, when I think they may benefit from going up a half size. You can find the right fit by visiting your local running shop and trying on multiple pairs—or by taking advantage of generous return policies from internet sellers.
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RW+ Membership Benefits Runner’s World and the director of product testing. He has tested and reviewed running shoes, GPS watches, headphones, apparel, and more for nearly two decades. He regularly tests more than 100 pairs of shoes each year, and once had a 257-day streak running in different models. Jeff can usually be found on the roads, racing anything from the mile to a marathon, but he also enjoys racing up mountains and on snowshoes. When he’s not running, you’ll probably find him hanging from a ladder making repairs and renovations to his house (he’s also director of product testing for Popular Mechanics).
