Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
Our website.
Questions about ShoeFit.uk.
About us.
We started operating recently, launching the website in 2021. In terms of the shoe-fitting business, we have been open for over 18 years and have a combined experience in shoe fitting of over 40 years.
Our aim is to change the way people shop online for their footwear. We want to reduce the hassle for customers by eliminating the need to return orders. This can only happen by our conscientious effort in putting together our size assistant and meticulous tag directory, so that you can find your size and style with ease.
Using ShoeFit.uk.
The recommend user experience is to first find out how your feet fit into your footwear. With this information, you will then be able to browse our selection of products to suit your needs. You can use our size assistant to help you get your exact size.
The following are the periods when stock arrives. This is the rough timeframe for buying products made for specific seasons.
Spring: February – April.
Summer and back to school: July – August.
Autumn & Winter: September – October.
We stock products from world renowned brands, technical brands, and small boutique brands to give you as much variance in good quality footwear as possible. We also stock many specialist shoes to help with various medical conditions. To find out about each of them, please see our dedicated brand pages.
All of our direct payments are processed with Braintree. As a Level 1 PCI DSS compliant service provider, their environment meets established industry standards and guidelines. You can find more information about their security on their website.
Shipping.
Please see our delivery information below for all UK orders.
– Royal Mail Tracked 48-hour 2-3 business days: Free
– Royal Mail Tracked 24-hour signed for – next business day: £7.99 (order by 2pm)
– Royal Mail Special Delivery: Guaranteed next day delivery before 1pm: £11.99 (order by 2pm)
For European and International deliveries, please contact us for available options.
We aim to process orders on a daily basis. However, please note that these times are subject to our business hours.
If there is a slight amendment that you wish to make, we may be able to change your order. Orders cannot be cancelled if they have been dispatched. Please contact us in either case and we will be happy to help.
To track your order, please use your Order ID and enter it into our tracking page. This was given to you on your receipt, and in the confirmation e-mail you received.
Returns and exchanges.
If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase for any reason, you may return it to us for a full refund only. Return an item using our portal.
Please see our returns policy for a full overview.
Currently, we process returns by refund only. We advise that in the case of wanting a different colour or size, you should place a new order while we process the returned item separately.
For defective or damaged products, please contact us to arrange a refund or exchange.
After receiving your return and inspecting the condition of the item/s, we will process your return. Please allow at least 10 days from the receipt of your item to process your return. Refunds may take 1 – 2 billing cycles to appear on your credit card statement, depending on your credit card company. We will notify you by e-mail when your return has been processed.
Technical.
There are a number of dedicated brands for athletes. We personally recommend Asics. However, if you have specific needs, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Due to our hand-picked selection, we have footwear available to help with specific conditions. Please see our Health Benefits page to find links to ranges of filtered products catered to individual needs.
This is dependent on several factors, including how often they are worn; the type of activity and surfaces the footwear is being subjected to; gait; to name a few. As a general guideline, we recommend replacing your footwear every 6 months if you wear it on a daily basis.
Flying will cause the feet to swell for 3 or more days. This can affect both the measurements and fits of certain styles. Because of this, we recommend a period of rest for a few days after flying, before getting new shoes.
During pregnancy, not only will the feet be prone to swelling, but the body adjusts. For example, it may make ligaments more elastic.
With the increased mass of carrying a baby and the decreased rigidity in ligaments, there is a greater chance for your feet to change shape and potentially change size.
This change in foot shape happens naturally throughout adult life, however, it is exaggerated by the body’s changes during pregnancy.
Our brands.
Questions about the brands we stock.
Brooks.
GTS stands for Go-To-Support, and is a Brooks technology found in some of their trainers. Styles denoted with this name are supportive, and will benefit those who have stability issues in their lower limbs, such as when your knees move inward, or if your toes point in or out when you walk. As a result, they will help you to keep your natural stride.
Brooks makes four different width options for their footwear.
Men’s:
- Narrow (B).
- Medium (D).
- Wide (2E).
- Extra Wide (4E).
Women’s:
- Narrow (2A).
- Medium (B).
- Wide (D).
- Extra Wide (2E).
Brooks footwear can help with a wide range of foot-related health conditions, depending on the particular style. Common health benefits include Achilles pain, heel spurs, knee pain, lower back pain, plantar fasciitis, Sever’s disease, and standing posture.
For specifics, you can check the “Additional information” tab on the page of the product that you’re looking at.
The majority of the Brooks styles that you see on our website are true to size. However, please double-check by looking at the “Additional information” tab on the page of the product that you’re looking at.
All of the Brooks footwear that we stock are vegan-friendly.
Based on the guidelines from Brooks, the expected lifespan of their trainers is 300-500 miles.
This is a general guideline, and will vary based on how they are used, your running stride, and the environmental conditions.
HOKA.
HOKA has designed their footwear to incorporate state-of-the-art technology, in order to make running easier.
With their wide range of colours and styles, their footwear is also suitable for casual wear.
Yes, and we have hand-selected what we think are the best styles for accommodating the different types of feet that we see everyday.
We do not recommend that HOKA products are placed in the washing machine for cleaning as it can affect the construction of the style and the materials used.
To clean your HOKAs we suggest gently wiping them with a damp, warm cloth and leaving to air dry. Please be advised not to leave your shoes in direct sunlight to dry or use washing machine/ chemical products to clean them, as this could caused damage. For more information on cleaning, please click here.
Men’s and women’s widths are separate, and come in two main sub-widths.
Men (D): Standard.
Men (EE): Wide.
Women (B): Standard.
Women (D): Wide.
For specific information, it’s best to give us a call. However, please note that we only advise for the brands that we currently stock.
Joya.
The word “sensorimotor” is made up of two parts, and can be roughly defined as ideal interplay between sensory processes (in the nerves) and motor processes (in the muscles). One key element of sensorimotor exercise is that it is carried out on a soft, moving surface. Sensorimotor exercise in Joya shoes activates the small muscles around the joints more strongly, which can help take the load off your joints and spinal discs. Renowned doctors, orthopaedists and gait specialists recommend Joya.
Joya shoes can be worn by patients with either insulin-dependent (Type 1) or non-insulin-dependent (Type 2) Diabetes. Wearing Joya shoes stimulates the blood flow in the legs and is also a good means of improving your sensorimotor system. That is a preventive advantage for people who develop neurovascular complications.
People have very many different needs and expectations when it comes to their shoes. For some customers, a roll-through shoe is the best concept for their comfort and well-being, while others want comfort and well-being combined with fashion, and others need shoes to solve problems with their locomotor system. All Joya soles have one thing in common: they turn the hard, flat ground into a soft, supple surface, giving wearers comfort, well-being, and a special feeling when walking.
The Joya size range is made to suit its intended target group (EU sizes 35–49 / UK sizes 2–14). Any age group can benefit from Joya technology.
The aim of the study on Joya shoes carried out by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology was to evaluate whether they had a positive mechanical influence on the human gait, and this was indeed proven in the study.
Joya shoes were basically developed as comfort shoes, and it was only thanks to endless positive feedback from customers, and recommendations by doctors for patients with locomotor system problems, that the “health shoe” image came about.
Thanks to their soft soles, Joya shoes lighten the load on your heel, forefoot and midfoot, which can be helpful with various kinds of foot pain.
Joya stimulates the muscles in your foot. Not only this, but the footwear helps you to roll your foot through on the outer side, and can therefore help take the load off the over-taxed structure on the inward side of flat feet.
The soft sole adapts to fit the shape of your foot well. However, if you have extremely high arches, it’s advisable to use an additional soft insole.
Joya can help with Plantar Fasciitis, as the soft sole reduces the pressure on the curve in the foot where the Plantar Fascia is located. If the inflammation has already ossified (as a Heel Spur), the soft sole inside the shoe can have a positive effect on pressure, taking the load off the ailing structure.
Orthopaedic insoles can be worn in Joya shoes, though it is recommended to wear insoles that are as soft as possible, or are designed for sensorimotor exercise, to ensure that the shoes can maintain their function. It’s also recommended that you wear your Joya shoes without insoles at certain times, to give your muscles the exercise they need.
Joya changes the load distribution over the sole of the foot, ensuring that the load is evenly distributed from the moment the heel strikes the ground, to the point when the foot lifts off from the ground at the tips of the toes.
With conventional shoes, most of the pressure is on the heel and forefoot, coming to a peak in the big toe at heel-off. This can lead people to suffer potentially painful problems such as Bunions (Hallux Valgus) or, later, Arthrosis of the main joint of the big toe (Hallux Rigidus).
Joya can help with Metatarsalgia, as the soft sole lightens the load in the forefoot. Some Joya soles feature an additional, ultra-soft forefoot cushion to reduce the load in the case of pain of this kind.
In the case of tendon overuse injuries, a common occurrence when the Achilles tendon is overtaxed is that relief mainly comes from stretching, putting weight on the tendon in a physiologically appropriate manner (pressing down hard on the outer heel without bending inwards), and keeping the blood flowing through the area.
With their soft sole, Joya shoes perfectly cushion impacts on your joints and feet; they are recommended by doctors and physiotherapists to patients recovering from pain in the Achilles tendon. Your feet may need a certain amount of time to get used to the shoes.
Walking on a soft surface in Joya shoes forces your body to make tiny balancing movements, which means more work for the joint-stabilising muscles in your hips. The soft Joya sole also cushions the impact on the hard, flat ground. All these factors can be of advantage, especially at the pre-operative stage.
It is recommended to wait 6–8 weeks after the operation before wearing Joya shoes. However, they can be worn in the post-operative phase under the supervision of your doctor or therapist.
Heel lifts can be worn with Joya shoes when there is an actual difference in length of more than one centimetre (due to a congenital abnormality or a fracture of the thighbone or shinbone). If the difference is less than one centimetre, it is not normally necessary to wear heel lifts.
At foot strike, your foot sinks into the soft Joya sole, causing the pelvis to be lowered on that side. This movement in turn means that the back muscles need to work more, which can have a positive effect on back problems. The soft Joya sole also cushions the impact on the hard, flat ground, which can also be beneficial in the case of back problems.
In the case of acute slipped discs or shortly after an operation on your intervertebral discs, Joya is recommended under the supervision of a doctor, as the additional movement in the pelvis can be counter-productive in such cases. Once the problem has been dealt with, Joya shoes can be worn either during the post-operational stage and as a means of prevention.
Ricosta.
When they can walk properly and start discovering the world. As soon as they can walk on their own, on surfaces that may be unsafe due to sharp objects, debris, or other dangers, such as pavements or playgrounds, shoes are a must. Until then, and even afterwards, they should walk around barefoot as much as possible so that their foot muscles develop to be healthy and strong.
The shoe should provide good support to the foot, as height is not important. The ankle joint does not have to be protected by a high shoe. Children learn to walk best barefoot, without the protection of shoes, as this trains their muscles.
Leather is a natural product that absorbs and emits moisture. New fabrics when combined with membranes also function very well. Whatever the material, it’s essential that the moisture transfer is guaranteed. Ricosta only works with leather and innovative materials that meet this requirement.
Children’s feet do not grow consistently. They grow in phases. Children’s feet can grow up to two millimetres per month. This is the equivalent of three to four shoes sizes per year.
The muscular structure of a child’s foot needs to be trained. An insole is not recommended in a child’s shoe, as it provides unnecessary support and prevents their muscles from fully developing.
Yes, when the shoes do not fit.
98% of children are born with healthy feet, yet 60% of adults suffer from damaged feet. This is often a result of badly fitting shoes in childhood.
Children’s feet are very soft, and so is the bone structure. In fact, children often do not notice when shoes don’t fit because their feet don’t actually hurt, yet they adapt to the shoe.
RICOSTA-TEX® is a 100% watertight, windproof, and breathable membrane that is inserted between the outer material and the lining.
SympaTex is a special membrane that blocks water from getting into the shoe, and wicks away moisture that occurs during wear. It’s watertight and breathable.
The production of children’s shoes is very labour intensive. On average, a pair of shoes has about 80 parts and it takes about 100 work steps to produce them. Also, only high-quality materials are used.
A child’s shoe must be able to withstand in a short period (approx. 6-7 months) what an adult shoe withstands over several years.
No. This is not a good test, as a child’s natural reflex is to pull in their toes away from the thumb pressure.
It’a better to have their feet measured regularly, about every 2 to 3 months, by a child’s shoe sales specialist.
One indicator can be the insole. To check, simply remove it from the shoe and have the child stand on it.
The problem with shoes that have already been worn, is that they are already “moulded” to another child’s foot. This transmits something false to the next child and can potentially steer foot development in the direction of the former wearer.
If the shoe shows no signs of wear and tear, and has not been overly worn or stressed, there is no reason why it can’t be worn by another child. However, should the heels be worn down on one side, then it is best not to pass them on.
The insoles also reveal much about the stress on the shoe: Has the shoe already dug its “own bed”? This is when the imprint of a foot is moulded into the bed of a shoe from being worn extensively. Outfitting the shoe with a new insole does not fully compensate for this.
If a shoe still looks fresh, then it can be passed on to someone else.
Shoelaces and Veclro both have their advantages and disadvantages. Shoelaces work well, but you have to be able to tie them.
Velco is practical because it is easy for children to fasten and unfasten. However, you must ensure that the child tightens the Velcro sufficiently to secure a good hold.
Xsensible.
The “X” simply tells you that the particular product you are looking at has stretch leather.
The Xsensible stretch leather comprises of three layers: leather, latex, and Lycra.
Something is only expensive if the price is inconsistent with the quality. The unique features of Xsensible shoes offer real added value.
The weight of the shoes is functional due to the technology and features of the sole. The high-quality shock-absorbing materials are heavier. This makes the shoes feel somewhat heavier in your hands, but that “extra” weight is not felt when worn.
Lycra is a smooth fabric, ensuring that the wearer is not bothered by irritating seams in the forefoot. In addition, Lycra is breathable and flexible.
