The Odd-Sized Feet Problem & How To Buy Odd Shoes

Here’s something most people never think about. Your feet aren’t identical. In fact, almost everyone has one foot slightly larger, wider or higher than the other. For some it’s barely noticeable. For others it’s significant enough to make buying ready made shoes a nightmare.

It’s one of the most common issues I see with clients yet hardly anyone talks about it because most people assume it’s “just my weird feet” or “I must be the only one dealing with this”. You’re not. It’s incredibly normal.

I want to explain what odd-sized feet actually are, how they impact your comfort and long-term foot health, why ready made shoes rarely work for people with noticeable size differences, and how a made to order approach can give you footwear that finally feels right.

Most People Have One Foot Bigger Than the Other (You’re Not the Exception)

Let’s normalise something straight away. Almost everyone has asymmetrical feet.

Sometimes the difference is tiny. A few millimetres. Sometimes it’s half a size. Sometimes it’s a full size or more, especially if you’ve had old sports injuries, knee or hip problems, or you naturally favour one side of your body.

I’ve worked with clients who:

• have one foot half a size longer

• have one foot noticeably wider at the forefoot

• have a higher instep on one side

• have different heel shapes left to right

• have arch differences that impact the way the shoe fits

None of this is unusual. Human bodies aren’t perfectly symmetrical and feet are no exception.

The problem isn’t your feet. The problem is the footwear industry pretending everyone has identical ones.

Why Odd-Sized Feet Make Ready-Made Shoes So Uncomfortable

Mass-produced shoes aren’t built for reality. They’re built for averages.

A ready made shoe gives you:

• one size

• one width

• one shape

• one volume

• one heel cup

• one instep allowance

…for two very different feet.

So what do most people do? They buy for the larger foot and hope the smaller one behaves itself.

What actually happens is this:

• The larger foot gets squeezed, pinched and forced into the shoe

• The smaller foot slides around causing blisters, rubbing and instability

• Your gait changes because your feet aren’t equally supported

• Your knees, hips and lower back compensate for the imbalance

• You end up thinking “smart shoes just hurt”

I’ve seen gents walk into the workroom with one shoe visibly creased differently because one foot is being forced to do more work than the other. It’s incredibly common.

And when you buy expensive ready made shoes that still don’t fit properly, you’re not getting luxury. You’re getting discomfort at a high price.

Why Odd-Sized Feet Often Lead to Long-Term Issues

This is the part most people underestimate.

When one foot is consistently treated like it’s the wrong size, the body adapts. Not in a good way.

People with mismatched feet often experience:

• plantar fasciitis (especially on the larger foot)

• ankle instability

• knee strain

• hip misalignment

• lower back tension

• uneven wear on the shoes

• recurring blisters and calluses

• premature breakdown of the shoe on the tighter side

All because one shoe fits and one shoe doesn’t.

You wouldn’t wear a jacket with one sleeve shorter than the other. Yet people tolerate this exact imbalance with their footwear every day.

Why Buying Two Pairs of Shoes Isn’t the Answer

Some people try the “buy two sizes” approach - one pair in the larger size, one pair in the smaller size - and mix the left and right.

Does it technically work? Yes.

Is it practical? Not at all.

You end up:

• spending double

• wasting a pair of shoes

• contributing to unnecessary waste

• storing two boxes you’ll never fully use

• still getting a shoe that may not match your foot shape perfectly

It’s an expensive workaround to a problem that shouldn’t exist in the first place.

There’s a smarter solution!

How Made-to-Order Footwear Helps Men With Odd-Sized Feet

Now to be very clear, our made to order shoes at Roberto Revilla London are not full bespoke. We don’t hand-carve individual wooden lasts or do multiple fittings for each foot.

But what we do offer is a far more accurate approach than ready made.

When you come to us, we:

• measure both feet individually

• assess length, width and volume differences

• look at arch height, instep height and heel proportions

• evaluate your gait and how your feet move

• select the appropriate pattern shaping and adjustments

• build the pair with those differences in mind

The result?

A left shoe that fits the left foot. A right shoe that fits the right foot.

Not a compromise shoe that doesn’t serve either.

And for people with noticeable asymmetry, the improvement in comfort, stability and posture is enormous.

Real Situations Where Made-to-Order Helps

To give you an idea, here are a few real scenarios I see regularly:

• A professional who walks a lot in the City and has one foot significantly wider at the front

• A chap with an old ankle injury who has developed a higher instep on one side

• Someone who wears orthotics on one foot but not the other

• A runner whose dominant leg has built more muscle, affecting foot length

• A client with one narrow heel and one standard heel

Ready made shoes simply can’t accommodate this.

Made to order can.

Who Really Benefits from Made-to-Order in This Situation?

If any of these apply, you’ll feel a huge difference:

• You’ve always struggled with one shoe feeling tighter than the other

• You get blisters on only one foot

• You’ve been told you “just need to break them in”

• You’re constantly adjusting laces on one side

• One shoe always wears down faster

• Smart shoes are uncomfortable but trainers are fine

If that sounds familiar, it’s not your tolerance level. It’s the fit.

Odd-sized feet are completely normal but ready made shoes pretend they don’t exist. If you’ve spent years putting up with uncomfortable dress shoes or you feel like you’ve never had a truly perfect fit, you’re probably dealing with the effects of asymmetry.

When your shoes are made to fit each foot individually everything changes. Your comfort improves, your posture balances out and your shoes last longer because they’re not being strained unevenly.

If you’re ready to experience what shoes should actually feel like when both feet are treated properly, we’d love to help.

Book your shoe appointment at Roberto Revilla London and let’s get you into footwear that finally works for you.