38 percent of women have wide feet and should be wearing wide width shoes. However, not all of these women realize that they need wide shoes. Their foot may have changed as they aged, and they have continued to wear their old size, or they may have never been sized correctly to begin with. If you are unsure of whether you need wide width shoes, you may have some questions about the topic. Here are a few frequently asked questions about wide width shoes for women and the answers.

Do You Really Need to Have Your Foot Remeasured?

Up to 40 percent of women haven't had their feet sized in 10 years or more. This is a huge problem because women's feet change. They can grow, flatten or widen due to age, pregnancy and hormones. As such, if you wore one size at one point in your life, you may not realize that you now need a different size. You should have your foot resized yearly to ensure you are wearing the right size and width of shoe.

Are There Benefits to Wearing the Correct-Sized Shoe?

If you are busy, you may be wondering if there are benefits to wearing the correct-sized shoe. After all, if it feels like one size fits you, what do you have to gain by changing to a different size? Many women don't realize they are wearing the wrong shoe size and may not realize how comfortable their feet can feel after walking all day when they switch to the correct size. Additionally, you are less likely to suffer from corns and bunions by wearing the right-sized shoe.

How Do You Know if You Need a Wide Shoe?

The easiest way to determine what size and width you need in a shoe is to trace your foot on a piece of paper. Then measure the height and width of your foot in inches, taking off about 1/4 inch to account for the diameter of the pencil. Once you have the measurements, compare them to a foot chart that will tell you what shoe size and width your foot is. Additionally, many shoe employees are trained to measure your foot length and width. Ask a professional at a shoe store to size your foot to determine what your shoe size is and whether you should be shopping for wide width shoes.

Wearing the shoe size that best fits your foot can make standing, walking or wearing shoes all day more comfortable. Unfortunately, many women are not wearing the right size in their footwear. Getting answers to the questions you have will help you to understand whether you are wearing the right size or whether you should be looking for wide width shoes.

For more information, contact Butterfly Footwear or a similar company.