They should be purchased in the afternoon or after a long walk, when the feet have swelled. A person should stand when being measured, and both feet should be sized, with shoes bought for the larger-sized foot. New shoes should have padding, a flexible sole, and should always feel comfortable right away without requiring a period of breaking-in. Ideally, the shoe would have a removable insole. Elderly people wearing shoes with thick inflexible soles also may be unable to sense the position of their feet relative to the ground, significantly increasing the risk for falling.
Some experts recommend that older people wear thin hard soles.
More research is needed to determine if thick soles are actually responsible for foot injury in younger adults who engage in high impact exercise. If shoes do require breaking-in, moleskin pads should be placed next to areas on the skin where friction will occur. Shoes purchased for exercise should be specifically designed for a person's preferred sport. As soon as the heels show noticeable wear, the shoes or heels should be replaced. People should avoid extreme variation between exercise footwear, street, and dress shoes.