# When do your feet stop growing, or, what would make them grow later in life?



## andy b. (Mar 18, 2010)

I've been wearing the same size shoes for probably 20 years. I still weigh about the same as I did 20 years ago, and I think one or two of my sportcoats are that old (and still fit). I noticed recently that several older pairs of shoes I have seem to no longer fit. It really seems like my feet may have grown, or somehow the shoes shrunk. I did some research and the explanations for "growing feet" after your 20s or 30s seems to be water retention (no such problem for me), weight gain (again, no problem in my case), or the feet changing shape for some reason.

For most of my adult life, I have worn sneakers (athletic shoes, basketball shoes, tennis shoes, whatever) or the occasional work boot. All of these seemed to have very good foot support. The only change to my footwear habits in the past two years would be the change to wearing dress shoes much more often. My dress shoes FEEL comfortable, and seem to fit well, but they definitely don't have the arch support of a good pair of running shoes or well-fitting work boots. Could the dress shoes have minimal foot support and that is why my feet may have changed shape? Again, I feel no discomfort, but it seems like some of my footwear has gotten shorter and narrower, or my feet have gotten longer and wider.

Perhaps it is all some grand conspiracy by AE to force everyone into a normal D-width shoe. 

Andy B.


----------



## roman totale XVII (Sep 18, 2009)

It happens. Around the age of 40 my feet went up half a size in length and went from the narrower to the wider side of a D fitting. As you get older they can just splay out...


----------



## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

There is also the possibility of a nasty thyroid condition called acromegaly. It's super rare but if your feet continue to get larger, hie thee to an endocrinologist! Trust me, you don't want this one.


----------



## phyrpowr (Aug 30, 2009)

roman totale XVII said:


> It happens. Around the age of 40 my feet went up half a size in length and went from the narrower to the wider side of a D fitting. As you get older they can just splay out...


Yeah, one of those things I read about and forgot the "whys" but a half size increase is fairly normal


----------



## Taken Aback (Aug 3, 2009)

Oldsarge said:


> There is also the possibility of a nasty thyroid condition called acromegaly. It's super rare but if your feet continue to get larger, hie thee to an endocrinologist! Trust me, you don't want this one.


I'm sure you scared him out of his shoes already.


----------



## andy b. (Mar 18, 2010)

Taken Aback said:


> I'm sure you scared him out of his shoes already.


I already scheduled the appointment with my doctor.

Just kidding. :smile:
I'm kind of thinking it is NOT acromegaly. Since I would be in the "just over 40" range, and two posters have mentioned this, I'm guessing that is probably what it is. If I do notice the rest of my body getting freakishly large, I will consult an endocrinologist.

Andy B.


----------



## Flanderian (Apr 30, 2008)

You get old. Stuff spreads out.


----------



## blue suede shoes (Mar 22, 2010)

I wouldn't worry about it. It happened to me at the age of 48; I guess I was a late bloomer. All my life I had taken a size 12, then overnight I took a size 13; I couldn't get into anything smaller. That was ten years ago and I didn't know about the Ask Andy Sales Forum back then so my local Goodwill was the beneficiary.


----------



## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

The other thing is that various manufacturers don't have the same size models. When I order from Russell's, the shoes come back labeled 9 1/2D but the last pair of sneakers I got were 12's. Mind, I can still fit comfortably into the Russell's I bought over 10 years ago. Go figure . . . .


----------



## Claus (Apr 8, 2010)

You body constantly changes as a reaction on the strains it needs to endure. Some of your body cells are exchanged over the years. Unfortunately, these processes are not perfect.

With age, the supporting tendons and ligaments in your foot lose their elasticity. Consequently, your feet flatten out and become longer. At least, that seems to be the common hypothesis. I doubt, there's any proper empirical study to back this up.

This said, it could also have been the arch support of your previous shoes that has contributed to the development. At least some pediatric orthopedists are rather critical about the benefits of artificial support systems such as shoes (Source). Their ideal is the bare foot, which is designed by millions of years of evolution to do what it does. In their opinion, shoes often inhibit proper functioning of feet.

In other words: Protect a part of your body from working naturally, and it uses the available energy elsewhere.


----------



## Apatheticviews (Mar 21, 2010)

I gained a foot size when I started running again. After 8 years of inactivity, and then returning to a pretty "active" marathon schedule the jump was huge. I lost 40 pounds, but my foot size went up.


----------



## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

Oldsarge said:


> The other thing is that various manufacturers don't have the same size models. When I order from Russell's, the shoes come back labeled 9 1/2D but the last pair of sneakers I got were 12's. Mind, I can still fit comfortably into the Russell's I bought over 10 years ago. Go figure . . . .


There is a whole lot of variation in sneaker sizing, not only going from brand to brand, but also as you try on sneakers of the same brand from one year to the next! The sizing of your Russell boots and well made dress shoes is much more consistent/reliable.


----------



## a tailor (May 16, 2005)

all of those answers make sense but...
my right foot got a half size longer, all by itself. the left just sits there smugly. 
any ideas why?


----------



## JLibourel (Jun 13, 2004)

My experience parallels that of some of the other men here. From my mid-teens to my mid-40s I normally wore a 13B or C. However, in my mid-40s the width expanded to D (which is probably just as well). I had been doing a tremendous amount of hiking and long distance running in the years preceding this, so I have always assumed the extensive activity was the cause.


----------



## hoede (Aug 5, 2011)

I was a size 7 up until I was 25 (1998), then it change over the years and I am currently a AE 9D size, some AE 8.5E fist me well. I hoped that it will stop cause shoes are very expensive and one does not want to start all over again !


----------



## DocD (Jun 2, 2007)

There are a plethora of reasons and theories why feet tend to get "larger" as we age. Acromegaly is rarely the first sign of that change and I highly doubt that is your cause. There are many other symptoms associated with acromegaly in addition to changes in limb size, including significant facial feature changes.

Soft tissue structures/ligaments/tendons can become attenuated, which is a fancy medical term for stretching out a little. Some of the structures lose some of their integrity, and as a result the foot can become slightly elongated or wider or "splayed" as previously mentioned. There are also theories regarding wearing supportive shoes vs. the new minimalistic movement (aka barefoot running).

Some believe that by consistently wearing supportive shoes and sneakers and/or orthoses, it allows those soft tissue structures to be supported and prevents the "stretching out" with the subsequent lack of support. Others are now theorizing that by going barefoot, it allows the muscles to build up on their own and strengthen, not becoming dependent on exogenous sources of support.

Naturally, there are other causes that you have already ruled out such as fluid retention, weight gain, etc. Any previous trauma can also result in a change of shoe size and certain medications can cause lower extremity swelling (i.e. Norvasc).

It is unusual for only one foot to increase in size, though it can happen if for some reason that foot was subject to trauma. It can also occur if one limb has a significantly greater blood flow than the contralateral limb, but that is rare. Or it can be that's just "your body", since the left and right side of our bodies are not mirror images.

And of course there are serious medical conditions that can cause bilateral limbs or one limb to increase in size such as blood clots, masses, neurological disorders (Charcot-Marie-Toothes disease/CMT causes a change in shoe size due to an increasing arch height, etc.). However, over my 25 years of treating conditions of the foot and ankle medically and surgically, I can probably count on one hand the number of times that there was any true concern or pathology, especially in your age group.

A medical work up is NEVER a bad idea, but your concern is not uncommon.


----------



## cdavant (Aug 28, 2005)

I've gone from an 8.5B to 8.5EEE over 40 years of running. As for the difference in lenght between two feet, half a size isn't all that much and might be accounted for by a quarter size difference starting out being rounded up or down. Leg lengths from an orthopedic standpoint can vary half an inch and be considered normal. Feet are rarely exactly the same size.

Then there is the use factor. I remember being struck by the huge difference in Rod Laver's arm sizes. The one he hit the ball with was huge.

If you are married, you are probably placing one foot flat on the floor and bending the other when you are down on your knee begging....

That could easily account for more than half a size.


----------



## JerseyJohn (Oct 26, 2007)

I've worn the same size shoes for over 40 years, since I was 20. I have some 15 year old J&Ms and they still fit fine and are the same size as my newer AE shoes, so I don't think manufacturers are shrinking their shoes. I suppose large amounts of running over decades could affect size as cdavant suggests, but I'd check first to make sure your feet aren't swelling. This can be caused by a lot of things such as bad leg veins, cardiac issues, blood sugar problems, kidney problems and high blood pressure. When you go for a physical, mention it to your doctor.


----------



## Dr S (Jan 9, 2010)

If you want a second opinion, I agree with my esteemed colleague DocD. This is not acromegaly (a pituitary disorder, not thyroid), but is the likely the result of ligamentous stretching, bone spurs and joint widening, etc.


----------



## indylion (Feb 28, 2005)

Check with baseball's Bobby Bonds


----------



## greene (Dec 23, 2011)

The body does weird things, doesn't it? Now I am no doctor, but from looking at all these theories, it just looks like your feet are getting bigger as opposed to your bones growing. Whether it be from water retention, blood circulation, hormones - it could be anything!

You said that you have started to wear dress shoes more. This also could also spark a change? Although they may seem comfortable, they certainly are not manufactured the same way as sports shoes. Because sports shoes are made with a more functional use (to support the feet during physical activity), dress shoes serve a more aesthetic approach. I doubt that many designers take into consideration the way the foot sits in a shoe and if it is safe (stillettos are a good example of this).

You don't mention anything about your feet hurting, but (if you can be bothered) I would suggest putting insoles in your dress shoes to retain the natural arch of your foot?

Also agree with Flanderian...when you get old, things spread out


----------



## WouldaShoulda (Aug 5, 2009)

a tailor said:


> all of those answers make sense but...
> my right foot got a half size longer, all by itself. the left just sits there smugly.
> any ideas why?


My right foot has always been larger, but now it is also flatter than the left!!


----------



## DocD (Jun 2, 2007)

WouldaShoulda said:


> My right foot has always been larger, but now it is also flatter than the left!!


One of the most common reasons for one foot to become "flatter" than the opposite side is dysfunction of a tendon named the tibialis posterior tendon. One of it's functions is to maintain and support the arch. The tendon becomes degenerated and/or attenuated (stretched) and loses it's mechanical advantagle. As a result, the arch begins to appear to flatten which can also result in the foot elongating.

This condition can range from being asymptomatic to debiliating, and can require no treatment, conservative care such as orthoses or supportive shoes or in extreme cases, surgical intervention.

One simple way to test the integrity of this tendon is to stand without shoes and hold onto something for stability. Take the opposite foot off the ground and attempt to raise on your toes with the "bad" foot. If there is a problem with the posteior tibial tendon, there will either be pain, or an inability/weakness to raise on your toes.


----------



## andy b. (Mar 18, 2010)

greene said:


> You don't mention anything about your feet hurting, but (if you can be bothered) I would suggest putting insoles in your dress shoes to retain the natural arch of your foot?


No problem with hurting feet, but there is no way I'd have enough room to put any inserts in my dress shoes. I would have to go up at least one size in width, and possibly a half in length.

And DocD, I have no problem standing on one foot and curling my toes upwards, so I'd say the tibial tendon isn't the issue.

I do believe it is just getting older and things flattening out. I will certainly keep an eye on things though.

Andy B.


----------



## JackKelly (Dec 20, 2011)

I wore size 8.5 from my teens until I approached 50, but since then I can't fit into anything under a size 9 and sometimes 9.5. It's weird but it definitely happens. I'm glad to see it's not uncommon.


----------



## ColdIron (Jun 19, 2009)

Oldsarge said:


> The other thing is that various manufacturers don't have the same size models. When I order from Russell's, the shoes come back labeled 9 1/2D but the last pair of sneakers I got were 12's. Mind, I can still fit comfortably into the Russell's I bought over 10 years ago. Go figure . . . .


My Russell boots are stamped 9 1/2C but when I got measured he warned me they would. That is stamped so when they rebuild them they will know which last it is on. Or pretty sure that was what he said, it was back a few years ago. I actually measured out at a 10 D. From my teens until early 40's I was a 9 1/2C.


----------

