Do feet shrink while losing weight?
 

I'm just curious. I have lost 20 lbs and my shoes are getting big. I was like what!?! Already?

I have wide feet and I've heard that your shoe size can go down when you lose weight, but just after 20 pounds? I'm confused.

I have gone from a size 22 to a size 18 in clothes. I usually wear an 11 in shoes, but they are getting big.

Is this normal? Does this happen?

YES! I went down a shoe size, from a 9 1/2 wide to an 8 1/2 average after I lost 80 lbs. But I don't think my feet shrunk/lost fat until I had already dropped around 65-70lbs. But everyone loses differently, so I think it's totally fine that your shoes are already feeling big on you.

Just one of my totally unresearched, uneducated, unscientific theories here but, I think feet are one of the first places that do get noticably smaller because they usually have less of your total body fat stored there to begin with. I swear my first 20 lbs all came off my face, fingers and feet :lol:

Yep! I was a size 10 1/2 back in 2004. 60 lbs later, I now wear a 9 comfortably with space. Once I lose all this weight, I'll probably be an 8 1/2 or 8 because the running shoes I just bought are kind of loose and I have to pull the laces extra tight for them to feel comfortable.

Sadly, but truly - does it not seem to come off first where you're least hoping it would.

When visiting my parents in Illinois, I was talking about my weight loss, and had to bring out my old drivers' license to show them that there is in fact a difference (I think rather dramatic). My mom say's that she can see it IN MY NECK. I lose 50 lbs and it's only noticeable in my neck - I must look like a bobblehead!?

Yup, my feet shrunk too. I never would have thought that my shoe size would have gone down from losing weight but, I guess it makes sense. Just another excuse to buy more shoes, ha!

Definitely do. I have very small feet as it is but wide so I often buy shoes a half or full size bigger to accommodate the width. When I lose weight my feet become narrower and hence my shoes get too big. I'm currently a UK 4.5 (US 6.5) but expect to drop a further half size as I get closer to goal.

Kitty

Yup, my shoes are getting bigger, too! I think the biggest factor, at least for me, is that I retain less water overall the more weight I lose, and that is especially true for my feet. Before I lost this weight, my feet were always so swollen in the evening, especially in the summer. Now, they only swell minimally in the course of the day and are smaller overall. Yay, I guess - I used to be a size 10 1/2 to 11...

Yah I lost alot of weight in my fingers and feet too! I am hoping When I am finished I will no longer be a wide...but I think my feet are just naturally square lol.
I can't even wear my wedding band anymore because it slips off YIKES. I can't get it cut smaller either because of the engraving on the inside and the design around it. I think they have inserts to make it smaller right? I dunno lol.

Yup same here my shoes fit differently especially my heels!

I've lost ~35 pounds so far and haven't noticed any change in how my shoes fit. Then again, I'm wearing sandals everyday. Maybe by winter, with more loss and some closed shoes, I'll notice. Plus I wore the same size at my high of 197 this spring as I did 10+ years ago at 130.

Sure, when you lose weight you lose weight all over your body. Some of what we lose in our feet could partially be water as well.

I'm with Heffalump in that my feet used to be much puffier. I wore a pair of clogs last night that I hadn't had on in a few months and I've got tons of room around the tops of my feet. The last time I wore them I had indentation lines because of how tight they were. I noticed that when I put on the last 10 or so pounds last year I started getting a lot more swelling in my fingers, feet, and under my eyes and I'm thrilled that it's gone away!

Well, this thread just excites me because I discovered just the other day how my feet were affected by my weight. There are some shoes I couldn't fit in to height-wise, which made me extremely sad as I want to go off leather shoes.

Thanks for posting this :) It gives me even more motivation!

JulieJ08:
I didn't notice weight gain in my feet until I was about 230 or more. That's when issues started with me.

Originally Posted by martiniforme:
JulieJ08: I didn't notice weight gain in my feet until I was about 230 or more. That's when issues started with me.

I did have some swelling in my feet and ankles that caused some marks with some shoes, and that is better. But it's not a different size.

I do, however, wear a whole size larger than in high school. Not sure if shoe sizes have actually changed.

it's funny....i was just looking at my feet today and thinking, "wow, my toes are thinner!"....haha....and come to think of it i used to religiously be a size nine and of late i've been fluctuating between 8 1/2 and 8.......that's so weird....i never really thought of it before....

i want to google this:cool:

Originally Posted by JulieJ08:
I do, however, wear a whole size larger than in high school. Not sure if shoe sizes have actually changed.

Maybe it's just like with clothing sizes? They're all different depending on the store you go to. I'd hate to think the fashion industry is attacking our self esteem through our shoes now! LOL

I dropped dramatically at the feet (my first noticeable change size) because I went from UK size 7 to UK size 5 1/2. I was 0.0 with surprise!

I went from a 9 to an 8. And my toes got thinner, too :)

hah. as a size 12, I can pretty safely say I'm not sure my feet are going to do any shrinking anytime soon. Imagine how scared I was that they were going to grow when I was pregnant?! I seem to recall one emotional night where I sobbed to my husband that I didn't want to be like peggy hill. So while it would be great to even be a size 10? I'm sincerely doubting it in my case.

yeah i have a size 12 but hoping that i will even go to an 11 i just started my weight loss so only time will tell.

I'd be happy to go from an 11 wide to a plain old 11.
But I don't that's going to happen, because the reason I wear a wide in the first place is because my foot is not shaped the way these crazy shoes are made.
I have narrow heels and wide toes - the opposite of how must shoes are made.

I used to be a size 9-9.5 and now can wear an 8-8.5..I'm wondering if I had a lot of fluid on my feet...its amazing!!!

Sure do I went from 8-9 to 7-71/2.

I've noticed this too! :)

I bought some cute heels before I started loosing weight. They were a bit too tight, but I got them anyway because I liked them so much and they were on sale. Now they are starting to fit better. :carrot:

Count me in with the 12's. I wear a 12W and I've always been afraid that when I have kids they'll get even bigger. :yikes:

They do look smaller, since I've been losing weight. I'd be thrilled to get down to an 11.

my feet already seem pretty boney (always have) so I don't think I'll be back to the 11 club anytime soon.

I currently wear a size 11 i hope I'm atleast a comfortable 10 when I reach my goal

I was surprised, too! I also lost a size, from 10 to 9. I mean, I was pleased. ;)

Originally Posted by leighish:
my feet already seem pretty boney (always have) so I don't think I'll be back to the 11 club anytime soon.

me too!! keeping my fingers crossed that my feet might magically become less wide, it's so hard to find wide shoes!!

I used to wear 8-8.5 wide, now I am wearing 7.5 pretty consistently. I can't wear some of my old shoes at all anymore. I think a lot of it is lack of water retention; i used to get huge ankles on hot days, but have had minimal puffiness this year. I've also gone down ~2 ring sizes. yay!

My feet have shrunk slightly as well. Not quite sure how, as they've always been the boniest part of me. My shoes still fit, but sandals are a bit looser.

My feet too have gotten smaller...sad part is that I am now unable to wear some of my heels because they're too big; but its a great excuse for shoe shopping :)) I went from 8.5-9 to an 8 so far

Please help
 

Originally Posted by KLK:
YES! I went down a shoe size, from a 9 1/2 wide to an 8 1/2 average after I lost 80 lbs. But I don't think my feet shrunk/lost fat until I had already dropped around 65-70lbs. But everyone loses differently, so I think it's totally fine that your shoes are already feeling big on you.

Hello I am also trying to lose 80, pounds
Do you by any chance think you can help me with some tips and stuff I just don't know where to start!

It is plausibly that feet could shrink while losing weight. The reason for this is that when we lose fat, our bodies release water and toxins stored in our adipose tissue. This release of water and toxins can lead to dehydration, which can cause our bodies to lose electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium, etc.). electrolyte imbalances can lead to muscle cramping, weakness, and paralysis - including in the foot muscles. As the foot muscles weaken, the bones and joints in the feet can start to collapse in on themselves, leading to a smaller overall footprint.

Absolutely, they do! I remember when I dropped a bunch of weight a couple years ago—like 40 lbs—and one of the weirdest surprises was my shoes getting loose. I’d always been a solid size 9, and suddenly I was floating in my favorite sneakers. It’s not like your bones shrink, but the fat around your feet, especially in the arch and heel, definitely goes down.

From my experience, feet can shrink a little as you lose weight, especially if there’s less fat around the arch and ankles, but it usually happens gradually. I’ve had similar issues with my shoes feeling loose and had to contact kicks crew customer service a few times to exchange for smaller sizes. So yes, it’s normal, and keeping an eye on shoe fit as your weight changes is definitely worth it.