What Size Does He/She Wear?

Tips on Tuesday

The holiday shopping season is upon us and you may be inclined to shop for footwear for a loved one.  This can be tricky when it comes to getting the size right. Below are a few suggestions that may help you be the sole angel you wish to be...

-Ask what size they wear.  Now you may be concerned that this will give your gift intentions  away but you  could  ask for all the sizes they wear: shirts, pants, shoes, hats, dresses etc.  to keep them guessing.

-Peek in their closet.Take a look at least 4-5 pairs to see which size they wear the most or  look at the size of the  type of footwear you wish to buy for them.

-While you are in the closet, snag a pair of insoles out of their shoes to take with you when  you shop.  You can  often remove the insole of the shoe you want to buy and slip in their  insoles to see if it is a fit...Or you can match up the insoles to each other to get a sense if  the length is right.

-If you are willing to take a pair of insoles perhaps you might be brave enough to just take  the whole pair of shoes.  If you are going to a full service shoe store, the staff can help  find you a good size based on the shoes you brought in.  The wear pattern, insoles,  placement of buckles/laces and break point are all clues to help get the best size.

-If this is a gift for a woman...let me level with you...we love the "process" of trying shoes  and buying shoes...so  take the stress off of yourself and get a gift certificate! Be creative  in the wrapping...perhaps put the gift certificate in a shoe box or slip it into the pocket of  a new over-the-door shoe organizer.  

-If your loved one frequents a particular shoe store it is likely that the store will have their  size history on file.  Don't panic if they know your loved one by first name and shoe size  without looking it up:) It just means they really love shoes and you are buying the perfect  gift.

-If aiming for the right size feels too overwhelming but you still want to treat their  tootsies...Find out their  ballpark shoe size and get them a pair of amazing socks.  Think SmartWool, ThorLo or Acorn socks.  Perhaps you might find a handmade pair of Alpaca or Angora hair socks to wow the one you love.  Socks are only a boring  gift if you buy boring socks.

best of sole,

abigail dagmar