Aetrex Helena Arch Support Slip-On

Because these are built on European lasts, where one EU size covers two US sizes, and Aetrex doesn't explain that anywhere. A band is one size written as two.

So pick the band your size falls in. A 7.5 takes the 7.5 - 8. A 9 takes the 9 - 9.5. You aren't choosing between two sizes.

The single sizes in between, the 7 and the 8.5 and the 10, are exactly what they say. Order your normal size.

If you're a 5 or a 5.5, the Dana and the Annie go that small. The Katie and the Helena start at a 6.

Yes. Aetrex lists this style as Removable Insole: Yes, and a dress-casual leather shoe that will take a prescribed orthotic is not a long list.

Take the factory insole out first, then put yours in its place. Don't stack them. Stacking an orthotic on the insole already in the shoe is the single most common reason a shoe that fit in the store feels too tight at home.

If you're not sure your orthotic will sit right in this one, bring it in. We'll drop it in and you can walk on it before you decide. That goes for a device your podiatrist made as much as for anything we sell.

This is the question worth spending a minute on, because the four are near-identical underneath and the closure is what you live with.

Laces give you the most control. You can ease them across a wide forefoot or snug them over a low instep. They also mean bending down and gripping a lace.

A monk strap or a hook-and-loop closure sets once and stays. Best if grip is limited, or if your foot changes size through the day and you want to adjust without re-tying.

A side zip opens the shoe up wide to get in, then closes flat. This is usually the answer for a stiff ankle or a foot that's awkward to get into a shoe.

Stretch gore, no fastening is the fastest on and off, and the least adjustable. Good on a foot that doesn't swell much.

If more than one of those describes you, call us. This is exactly the sort of thing we sort out in two minutes on the phone.

No. Aetrex builds one fit and says their shoes are constructed to accommodate all widths, which describes the last rather than offering width sizes.

Be a bit careful with that on a leather shoe. Leather softens and takes the shape of your foot, but it won't give you an extra width. If you normally buy wide, tell us before you order and we'll tell you honestly whether this one will do it.

Aetrex designs the built-in support to help relieve plantar fasciitis, arch pain and heel pain, and a shaped arch with a cupped heel is the standard first thing to try.

Note the wording, which is theirs and ours both: help relieve, not treat. A shoe isn't a treatment. If your heel pain is new, severe, or getting worse, get it looked at rather than buying a shoe and hoping.

The advantage of this style over a sandal is that if the built-in support isn't enough, there's somewhere to go: pull the insole and put a proper orthotic in. Worth knowing before you spend twice.

The leather wants a few days to settle across the forefoot, the way any leather shoe does. Wear them around the house first.

Your foot is the other half of it. If you've been in flat unsupported shoes, a shaped footbed will feel like something is pushing up under your arch, because something is. A few hours a day for the first week usually settles that. If it still feels wrong after that, bring them back. That's information, not stubbornness.

These are leather, so not in a machine. Wipe them with a soft damp cloth for everyday marks. For anything worse, Aetrex's own instruction is three parts water to one part mild detergent, applied in gentle circles, and a leather cleaner for stubborn spots.

Let them air dry at room temperature, away from a radiator. Heat is what kills a footbed. Take the insole out to dry it separately if they've got wet.

Yes, and it's what most of the people we fit buy them for: work, teaching, a long day that has to look presentable. A leather upper and a rubber outsole hold up to that better than a knit sneaker does.

Running is a different shoe and Aetrex doesn't market these as athletic footwear. If you want something for the treadmill, ask us and we'll point you at the right thing rather than sell you this one twice.

Send them back. We run a 60-day comfort guarantee, which is longer than Aetrex's own 30-day window, because a shoe takes more than a week to tell you the truth.

Aetrex also warrants against manufacturing defects for six months. If a sole or an upper fails in that window, tell us and we'll deal with them so you don't have to.

Yes to both. We're at 924 Park Center Dr, Ste 101, Matthews, NC 28105, open Monday through Friday 10 to 6 and Saturday 10 to 4.

There's an Aetrex 3D scanner in the store: twenty seconds, both feet, free, no obligation. Bring the orthotic you already wear and we'll put it in the shoe for you.

Call (704) 846-0301 and you reach our fitting team, not a call center.