Nowadays, finding killer style, whole quality, and total comfort in men’s shoes section isn’t so uncommon. This is particularly true for some of us who wear more popular shoe sizes.
As you may have already noted, the men’s section of a shoe store features more alternatives and sometimes more promising options. That keeps most ladies thinking if women could count on men’s shoes.
Picture this: You are strolling around a shoe store, and by chance, you land on a perfect pair of shoes only to find that they are purposely designed for men, and you’re a woman. Shopping for a good pair of shoes can be daunting enough.
However, there isn’t much contrast between men’s and women’s shoes other than the sizing. In most shoe brands, men’s shoes tend to be wider than women’s and children’s shoes. A size 7 of a men’s shoe is not equal to size 7 in women’s shoes.
Men’s shoes are mostly more extensive, and you won’t find customary women styles, for instance, in the men’s section. Yet, that doesn’t mean you’re consigned to just shopping in the ladies’ part. Knowing your companion size can grant you more options, especially if you have narrow feet for a man or wide feet for a woman.
Difference Between Men’s and Women’s Shoes
There’s a small difference between shoes for both genders. In most cases, style, color, and sizing are subjectively chosen by manufacturers. They tend to assume men want black grey, and ladies just want pink, shimmering purple or such. But putting the color selection aside, only a few contrasts among women and men’s feet exist. It’s not so uncommon to come across women with wide feet and men with narrow feet. Maybe if footwear manufacturers stopped gendering shoes, it would make shoe shopping a lot easier for such individuals.
The Shape/Design of the Shoe
Perhaps this is the most notable difference between shoes for both genders. In comparison, women’s shoes are typically built wider in the toe section and narrower around the heel, creating the gender variations in foot shape.
Moreover, men’s shoes are generally wider and larger than corresponding women’s shoes. Despite being marketed as the same model for different genders, other shoes have distinctive midsole materials and heel support, influencing the fit, comfort, and overall item weight.
Well, there are significant physical differences between shoes for men and women that footwear companies should consider, most of which they can manage without gendering the shoes. Essentially, the differences fall in various categories such as wide/narrow, thin/extra padding, and so on.
Below are some of the considerable differences among men’s and women’s shoes that the footwear industry needs to focus on. Remember, the points are geared towards average. Your feet might fall outside the taxonomy, which is still very okay.
- Men tend to have wider feet, longer than women.
- Women’s feet are narrow, usually moving toward the heel.
- Women are more vulnerable to heel pain than men, mostly due to ill-fitting shoes.
- Women may get more gluteus pain due to improper fitting shoes.
- Women require more shock absorption and padding than men because of minimal knee flexion.
There are various favorable arguments for gender-specific footwear, as a good number of men tend to experience the same issues and complications.
Additionally, unisex shoes are promptly available in the market. You can choose to stick to certain gender-specific shoes as the stores would expect of you, yet most of us would be perfectly comfortable with a unisex shoe. Unisex shoes do exist and are increasingly becoming more popular with time.
Brands such as Adidas and Nike have recently presented unisex shoes, while the Converse hits the market with their Chuck Taylor All-stars. Converse models, for instance, were presented way back in 1917 as athletic shoes.
Also Read: Should My Toes Touch The End Of My Shoes?
Is it a Good Idea To Wear Men’s Shoes?
Fortunately yes. But first off, it would be best if you establish whether you actually want to wear men’s shoes. Otherwise, there isn’t any solid point in gendering shoes. It all comes down to your foot size, personal preferences and taste, and the issues you may have.
For instance, if you happen to experience the ill effect of flat feet, your footwear needs will be different from someone suffering from hammertoes or bad corns. If you’re okay with swapping your shoes, go ahead to the men’s section and try a couple of selections of their shoes. It’s not a surprise that the most comfortable pair of your choice will show up in the men’s section.
Here are the indicators that you may want to try men’s sneakers:
- Most of the women’s shoes don’t fit comfortably in your feet.
- Your toes have consistent contact with the shoe’s end, but loose in other parts.
- You have larger heels, making the shoes hurt your ankles.
- You have wide toes that don’t feel comfortable even with the widest women’s shoes.
- You’re not satisfied with the color selections in the women’s section.
- You simply want to try a pair in the men’s section.
The need for wearing men’s shoes can be attributed to individual needs. If you want to wear men’s shoes, hop over to the men’s section and check it out. You may be amazed by what you find. After all, the ultimate choice will be highly influenced by whether the shoe is comfortable and pleasant to your feet.
Bottom Line
Trying as many pairs of shoes as necessary while in the store is probably the ideal approach to find a perfect fit, irrespective of the shoe type. You may not have such luxury if you’re shopping online, but you can always measure your feet and then match that with the size chart presented on the website.
That said, it’s not all about length. Men’s shoes are generally wider than women’s. For instance, women whose men’s shoe size is 6.5 might find that they need to go a half size down (or even full size) to get an ideal fit. Else, be sure to have thorough research concerning the retailer’s return policy, should the size run otherwise.