Shoe Guide

Choosing Your Correct Shoe Size

Determining your correct shoe size is important to ensure that your shoes are a comfortable fit and support as effectively as possible. The size charts provided are to be used as a guide only as sizes can vary from brand to brand. If you already have a pair of sports shoes that are a comfortable fit, please use that size as your guide. Here are some tips to help you select the right size.

•  All footwear on paulswarehouse.com.au is listed in US size as there is no official Australian Sizing System.
•  The best way to find your size is by a current or previous pair of shoes, but most sports shoes should have the US sizing under the tongue of the shoe
•  Females quite often buy Men's shoes for a wider fit & different colour choice. You can tell if your shoe is a Men's shoe because the UK size and US size is a difference of one size. If the size difference between UK & US sizing is greater than one it is a Women's Shoe.
•  A Men's US size 7.5 is roughly equal to a Women's US size 9, normally about 1.5 size difference.
•  The difference between a full and half size 8 & 8.5 is only in the width, but the length stays the same.
•  The difference between a half & full size 8.5 & 9 is approximately 0.5cm in width and length.
•  Most brands are almost identical in sizing ie; if you are a Men's size 9 in a Nike it is likely you will be a Men's size 9 in most other brands.
•  If you receive an incorrect size, you can exchange your shoes within 14 days.

Shoe Specification
Analyzing the basic foot movement of your foot provides us on the most suitable styles available for you.

People's basic foot movement can be categorized as one of the following types:

1. Overpronated (approx. 65% population)
2. Neutral (approx. 25%population)
3. Underpronated (approx. 10% population)

Pronation is the process, which allows the body to naturally cushion itself from impact while running or during other activities. It involves an inward roll of the foot and the arch in the foot collapsing to a certain degree. The foot ends up in a neutral position balancing the entire body.

An easy and quite effective method of checking what type of foot a person has is to look at the walking motion in bare feet from directly behind and in front. Sole wear is not always a good indicator of a person's foot type. A better indicator is to look at the condition of the heel counter and midsole of your old shoes.

The severity of overpronation or underpronation can often be determined by checking if there is any excessive material compression of the mid sole on the medial (inside) or lateral (outside) side of the shoe. Sole wear is not always a good indicator of a person's foot type.

Diagram shows the right foot as soon from the rear.

Overpronator
Overpronation is a condition that is also often referred to as flat feet. An overpronated foot has a flatter arch and is more flexible. The inner side of the foot is favoured during the pronation movement and the foot appears to roll inwards. Ligaments and tendons in the foot are put under strain, creating instability and greatly increasing the risk of injury. The foot of an Overpronator will benefit from: - Straight or slightly curved last
- Added stability in a shoe eg: a shoe with a dual density mid sole.

Supination/Under Pronation
With this foot type, the foot is high in the arch and has a natural outward roll during the toe off phase of the running gait. This type of foot absorbs shock poorly, because the arch is high and rigid. The foot of a supinator- will benefit from: - A shoe with superior cushioning
- Internal arch support
- Semi curved or curved last

Regular/Neutral
A regular foot has an arch that is neither too flat nor too high and during movement brings the ground and lower leg into perfect alignment

Upper
The upper is designed to wrap around your foot and provide both flexibility and support. The materials used in the upper depend upon the sport the shoe is being used for. As an example court shoes are generally made of leather for durability, while running shoes use a combination of synthetic materials to obtain a lightweight, wellventilated and supportive shoe.

Innersole
The innersole serves the purpose providing comfort and support within the shoe. Some shoes eg Rockport have specially designed innersoles for increased support.

Midsole
The main function of the mid sole is to disperse the forces generated when a person's foot comes in contact with the ground during physical activity. Depending on the sport involved these forces can be up to six times an athlete's body weight. The most common material used in the construction of footwear midsole is a rubber composite called EVA Ethyl Vinyl Acetate. Different brands will also have their own specific designs of cushioning systems and support features incorporated within the midsole. A style of mid sole found frequently in sports shoes is a dual density midsole. This type of midsole combine materials of varying hardness within the same shoe to provide additional stability. A pronation block is the most common example of this technology.

Outsole
The outer sole is the striking surface of a shoe. It is designed to provide traction and durability as well as flexibility depending on the shoes design. There are 3 main types of material used in out soles: -Rubber, which is used in basketball, tennis and cross trainers to provide non-marking traction and external durability -Gum rubber, which is used with indoor court shoes eg: squash or indoor soccer. A non marking compound designed to offer maximum traction on a wooden playing surface -Carbon Rubber, which is a compound used mainly in running shoes due to its hard wearing properties. However, although being a more durable compound, these outer soles have the disadvantage of being a marking sole, and are not advised for surfaces such as tennis courts, where they will leave marks on the court.

Last Shapes
There are 3 basic last shapes:

Last Construction
Last construction determines a shoes flexibility and overall motion control. There are 3 types of last construction:

Shoes for Different Sports
There are a number of different styes of footwear varying in style, price and design.

Running Shoes
Running shoes are designed for one movement of the foot, the running action. A good running shoe should have some or all of the following characteristics:

- Reasonably lightweight
- Good cushioning in the heel, which is the main point of impact. Some models will also have cushioning in the forefoot
- Mesh/nylon uppers to make the shoes lighter and more breathable
- Stability at the heel and through the rearfoot and flexibility in the forefoot.
- A dual density midsole to assist in the correction of supination or overpronation.
- Carbon rubber outsole. This increases the durability of the sole, but also means that the sole will be marking and should not be used on surfaces suck as tennis courts.

Basketball Shoes
Basketball is a multi-directional sport involving not only running and jumping but also a great deal of sideward movement. This is a very strenuous sport on the foot and the right type of shoe is critical. The most important feature of the basketball shoe is its ability to support the foot. Good basketball shoes will have:

- A firm heel counter combined with a rigid midsole
- A mid or high cut at the ankle &a wide base for additional side support
- Synthetic or leather uppers, which are both breathable and durable
- Although often black in colour, basketball shoes do not have carbon added to their outer soles and will be non-marking.

Tennis Shoes
Tennis is a multi-directional sport similar to basketball, but also involves a lot more sudden changes in direction. A good tennis shoe will have:

- A rigid midsole like a basketball shoe with slightly more flexibility in the middle of the foot. This is because tennis players spend so much time on their forefoot.
- Durable, non marking out soles with a zig zag tread pattern known as a herringbone grip, which provides the best traction on both grass and hard court surfaces.
- Usually leather uppers and sometimes-additional fabric above the toe to prevent against wear when players drag their feet when serving.

Cross Training Shoes
Cross trainers are one of the most popular styles of footwear and continue to increase in popularity. A cross training shoe is very versatile and is designed for somebody who does a variety of sports. Cross trainers have both synthetic and leather uppers, and also tend to have mesh tongues or sides for better breathe ability. A good cross trainer will have:

- A firm heel and some form of rear foot cushioning
- A partly flexible forefoot and additional side support
- There are a number of different and generally non-marking sole patterns available including, court sole, turf soles and hybrid soles.

Walking Shoes
There are a few key difference between a walking shoe and a runner, but sometimes power walkers or people of a reasonable fitness level will be likely to find a running shoe appropriate for their needs and possibly more comfortable. Walking shoes have a heel, which is closer to the ground than a runner. Walking shoes are usually made on a board last, which makes them very stable but less flexible in the forefoot compared to a runner. A good walking shoe will have:

- Uppers made from leather or synthetic materials, which tend to be more durable and better looking for casual wear than running shoes.
- Some models, like the Rockport range, also have orthopaedic innersoles in their shoes for additional support.
- A firm heel and some form of rear foot cushioning

Netball Shoes
Netball is the most high impact sport on the foot. It combines all the movements of both basketball and tennis, but also involves frequent abrupt stopping. It is very important that somebody playing netball is recommended this style of shoe, particularly over something like a runner. Netball shoes are similar in most aspects to a tennis shoe (uppers, outer sole, grip, heel) but tend to also have additional side support. A good netball shoe will have:

- Additional cushioning
- A padded, reinforced heel to give additional ankle support.