A platform shoe asks two questions at once. Will it fit the length and width of your foot, and will you be comfortable standing on it until evening? The first one you can answer at home with a sheet of paper. The second depends on the numbers printed on the shoe, and on how you plan to wear it.
What the numbers on a platform shoe mean
Our platform loafers and platform Mary Janes share one sole. At the back is a 2.7-inch block heel. Under the ball of your foot sits a 1.3-inch platform. Your foot rests on the difference between the two, which comes to about 1.4 inches from heel to toe.
That difference matters more than the heel figure alone. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons names two inches as the heel height to aim for in women’s shoes, and our 2.7-inch heel is taller than that. The same organization adds that if you wear a higher heel, a platform under the toe box lowers the overall load on the foot. We give you both numbers so you can weigh them for yourself.
The block shape counts too. The American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society points out that a wider heel base is steadier than a narrow one, and a block heel is about as wide as a heel gets.
Measure your feet the evening before you order
Feet swell as the day goes on, so the AAOS suggests shopping for shoes toward the end of it. Measure after dinner rather than before breakfast.
Put a sheet of paper on a hard floor and stand on it with your full weight. Mark the back of your heel and the tip of your longest toe. For many people that is the second toe, not the big one. Measure the line, then repeat with the other foot. The AOFAS advises fitting the larger foot, since one is often a few millimeters longer.
Wear the socks you plan to wear with the shoes. A loafer worn with crew socks and the same loafer worn bare can need different sizes.
Fitting a loafer when there is no strap
A loafer holds on with its shape alone. There is no buckle or lace to take up extra room, so length is the first thing to get right.
Stand up in the pair. Aim for about three eighths to half an inch in front of your longest toe, roughly the width of a finger. Then walk across a hard floor. If your heel lifts out of the back with each step, the shoe is too long, and a half size down is the fix. The AOFAS says the heel should not slip, and on a slip-on that is the whole test.
Do not buy a pair that pinches in the hope that it will give. The AOFAS advises against counting on a shoe to stretch. The patent platform loafer comes in sizes 6 to 13 and the penny loafer in 6 to 12, but not every color is cut in every size, so check the size table on the product page before you settle on a shade.
Fitting a Mary Jane with a buckle
A Mary Jane gives you something a loafer does not: a strap across the instep. The strap keeps the shoe on your foot, so your toes do not clench to hold it there.
The buckle also gives you a little adjustment. On a narrow foot, take the strap in a hole and the heel will sit more firmly. On a high instep, let it out so the strap lies across your foot rather than pressing into it. What the buckle cannot fix is length. Use the same finger’s-width test at the toe as you would for a loafer.
The glossy platform Mary Jane runs sizes 6 to 13, in black, coffee, brown and khaki. The velvet platform Mary Jane runs 6 to 12, in black, burgundy, blush and brown velvet.
Patent, matte or velvet
The upper you choose decides how the pair looks by the end of the day.
| Upper | Where it shines | What it asks of you |
|---|---|---|
| Patent | Desks, dinners, rainy commutes | A damp cloth for dust, a bag in storage |
| Matte | Walking commutes, weekends | Scuffs show less, creases show more |
| Velvet | Evenings and cold months | A dry day and a soft brush |
Patent wipes clean after a wet street, which makes it the easiest finish to live with. Matte black is the one to pick if you walk a lot and scuffs bother you. Velvet is the dressiest, and it needs the most care. Water flattens the pile, so keep a velvet pair for dry days.
Where a 2.7-inch heel belongs in your week
The AOFAS suggests limiting how long you spend in heels and not wearing them every day. It also recommends extra care on wet or uneven ground.
In practice that might mean platform loafers for the office on Monday and Thursday, and a flat shoe on the days you walk the most. It might mean carrying a flat pair for the walk home after a long evening in velvet Mary Janes. If you want the Mary Jane look without the heel, the knit barefoot Mary Jane flat has an adjustable ankle strap and a wide, rounded toe box. Order it a half size up.
Before you order
- Measure both feet in the evening, and fit the longer one.
- Leave about a finger’s width in front of your longest toe.
- In a loafer, make sure your heel stays put when you walk.
- In a Mary Jane, buckle the strap so it lies flat across your instep.
- Check the size table for your color, since sizes differ from shade to shade.
If you have foot pain or a foot condition, ask a podiatrist before you pick a heel height. The rest you can work out with a pencil and a hallway.