How to Measure Your Feet for Shoes – Shoe Sizing Guide
It is an established fact that 70 percent of individuals, particularly women, wear the wrong shoe size most of their adult lives. You may be wondering, how can someone wear the wrong footwear size since it can be extremely uncomfortable and painful? Well, for instance, a new pair of nursing shoes might feel comfortable when you first put them on. However, with everyday wearing, the shoes may begin to itch or rub in unsuspecting places.
This confirms that the footwear is too small for your feet. Unsatisfactory shoe-purchasing experiences can be decreased by taking some time to ascertain your real shoe size. In addition, after you buy a pair of footwear, wear it a little at home and make sure it fits properly and is comfortable.
These days, many consumers prefer to shop online due to its convenience. Buying shoes online does offer several benefits. With it, you can easily find any shoe style and size you want, such as wide-width shoes and footwear that accommodate orthotics. Nevertheless, it has its own drawbacks.
Several individuals prefer to first try-on a footwear before committing to buying it. This is simply not possible with an online shop that sells shoes. If you come across a beautiful pair of shoes on the internet, do not allow the fear of selecting the wrong size prevent you from making the purchase.
All you need to do is measure your feet to get the right size. Keep reading to learn the right way to measure your feet, and some other important tips that will help you when buying shoes online.
Table of Contents
How to Measure Your Foot Size at Home (Perfect Width & Length)
Measuring Your Feet – What You Should Know Before You Get Started
- Prolonged walking can cause your feet to swell. Therefore, it is best you do your feet measurement after a long walking day
- Shoe size measurements typically vary with as little as 3.18 millimeters. Thus, to be effective, your foot measurements should be just as detail-oriented. Do not round down or round up as this will reduce the measurement’s precision and your chances of finding a proper fitting footwear.
- Most individual’s feet are a bit asymmetrical, so you should always measure both feet. When shopping for footwear, the larger foot’s measurement should be used.
- If you commonly wear socks with your footwear, ensure your socks are on when measuring your feet. Nevertheless, if you plan to wear the footwear on your bare feet, then measure your feet whilst barefoot.
See also: How to Convert Men’s to Women’s Shoe Size
How to Correctly Measure Your Feet for Shoes
You can measure your feet at home successfully with or without the aid of a Brannock Device (a foot measuring tool). However, it may be best to engage the services of a specialist shoe fitter. This is because you will get the most precise foot measurement this way.
Sadly, finding a specialist shoe fitter these days is not a cakewalk. So, read on to learn the right way to measure your feet at home.
Items you will require
- A ruler
- A writing utensil
- 2 pieces of paper
- A tape measure
- Someone to assist (recommended but not critical)
Measuring foot length
- Get your pencil and piece of paper ready. While sitting on a chair, place your foot over the paper so it rests in a relaxed manner. (Make sure your body weight is not concentrated on the piece of paper)
- Use the pencil to trace around the foot’s perimeter as closely as you can. When doing this, the pencil should be held perfectly vertically and at an angle of 90 degrees to the paper. Your longest toe is your main concern, so there is no need to sketch the outline of all of your toes. If one of your feet is larger than the other, measure the bigger one.
- Take your ruler and measure the gap from the base of your heel to the upper part of your longest toe. Be sure to subtract about 5 millimeters from the measurement in order to compensate for the pencil’s diameter.
- Write down this length measurement value on your piece of paper. Your shoe size will mainly be determined by this value.
- Compare the length measurement value against a shoe length chart to obtain the appropriate size
Measuring foot width
- Sit in a comfortable position with your foot properly placed on the ground.
- Get the tape measure and wrap it beneath your foot and around the broadest part of your foot.
- Write down this measurement value on your piece of paper. Many footwears come in various widths, thus the version you purchase will be determined by this value.
- Compare the width measurement value against a shoe width chart to obtain the appropriate letter that corresponds to your foot width.
Remember that shoe sizes for women and men differ, as they do from country to country.
Wearing shoes that fit properly impacts your overall health and your performance at the workplace. If your shoes do not fit your feet appropriately, you compensate by altering your posture. This can deplete your energy levels as well as result in systemic imbalance. Therefore, be sure to measure your feet each time you shop for shoes to ensure you get the width and length right.
See also: How to Know if You Have Wide Feet?
Shoe Size Conversion Charts US, UK, & EU
Women’s Shoe Size Conversion US, UK, & EU
| US Sizes | UK Sizes | Euro Sizes | Inches | CM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2 | 35 | 8.2 | 20.8 |
| 4.5 | 2.5 | 35 | 8.3 | 21.3 |
| 5 | 3 | 35-36 | 8.5 | 21.6 |
| 5.5 | 3.5 | 36 | 8.8 | 22.2 |
| 6 | 4 | 36-37 | 8.9 | 22.5 |
| 6.5 | 4.5 | 37 | 9.1 | 23 |
| 7 | 5 | 37-38 | 9.3 | 23.5 |
| 7.5 | 5.5 | 38 | 9.4 | 23.8 |
| 8 | 6 | 38-39 | 9.5 | 24.1 |
| 8.5 | 6.5 | 39 | 9.7 | 24.6 |
| 9 | 7 | 39-40 | 9.9 | 25.1 |
| 9.5 | 7.5 | 40 | 10 | 25.4 |
| 10 | 8 | 40-41 | 10.2 | 25.9 |
| 10.5 | 8.5 | 41 | 10.3 | 26.2 |
| 11 | 9 | 41-42 | 10.5 | 26.7 |
| 11.5 | 9.5 | 42 | 10.7 | 27.1 |
| 12 | 10 | 42-43 | 10.9 | 27.6 |
Men’s Shoe Size Conversion US, UK, & EU
| US Sizes | UK Sizes | Euro Sizes | Inches | CM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 5.5 | 39 | 9.3 | 23.5 |
| 6.5 | 6 | 39 | 9.5 | 24.1 |
| 7 | 6.5 | 40 | 9.6 | 24.4 |
| 7.5 | 7 | 40-41 | 9.8 | 24.8 |
| 8 | 7.5 | 41 | 9.9 | 25.4 |
| 8.5 | 8 | 41-42 | 10.1 | 25.7 |
| 9 | 8.5 | 42 | 10.3 | 26 |
| 9.5 | 9 | 42-43 | 10.4 | 26.7 |
| 10 | 9.5 | 43 | 10.6 | 27 |
| 10.5 | 10 | 43-44 | 10.8 | 27.3 |
| 11 | 10.5 | 44 | 10.9 | 27.9 |
| 11.5 | 11 | 44-45 | 11.1 | 28.3 |
| 12 | 11.5 | 45 | 11.3 | 28.6 |
| 13 | 12.5 | 46 | 11.6 | 29.4 |
| 14 | 13.5 | 47 | 11.9 | 30.2 |
| 15 | 14.5 | 47 | 12.2 | 31 |
| 16 | 15.5 | 49 | 12.5 | 31.8 |
Shoe Width Measurement Chart By Size
Women’s Shoe Width Chart
| US Sizes | AA (Narrow) | B (Average) | C/D (Wide) | E (Extra-Wide) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 2.8″ | 3.2″ | 3.55″ | 3.95″ |
| 5.5 | 2.9″ | 3.25″ | 3.6″ | 4″ |
| 6 | 2.95″ | 3.3″ | 3.7″ | 4.05″ |
| 6.5 | 3″ | 3.4″ | 3.75″ | 4.10″ |
| 7 | 3.05″ | 3.45″ | 3.8″ | 4.2″ |
| 7.5 | 3.10″ | 3.5″ | 3.9″ | 4.25″ |
| 8 | 3.2″ | 3.55″ | 3.95″ | 4.3″ |
| 8.5 | 3.25″ | 3.6″ | 4″ | 4.4″ |
| 9 | 3.3″ | 3.7″ | 4.05″ | 4.45″ |
| 9.5 | 3.4″ | 3.75″ | 4.10″ | 4.5″ |
| 10 | 3.45″ | 3.8″ | 4.2″ | 4.55″ |
| 10.5 | 3.5″ | 3.9″ | 4.25″ | 4.6″ |
| 11 | 3.55″ | 3.95″ | 4.3″ | 4.7″ |
| 12 | 3.7″ | 4.05″ | 4.45″ | 4.8″ |
Men’s Shoe Width Chart
| US Sizes | C (Narrow) | D (Average) | E (Wide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 3.3″ | 3.5″ | 3.7″ |
| 6.5 | 3.3″ | 3.6″ | 3.75″ |
| 7 | 3.4″ | 3.6″ | 3.75″ |
| 7.5 | 3.4″ | 3.7″ | 3.94″ |
| 8 | 3.5″ | 3.75″ | 3.94″ |
| 8.5 | 3.6″ | 3.75″ | 4″ |
| 9 | 3.6″ | 3.94″ | 4.10″ |
| 9.5 | 3.7″ | 3.94″ | 4.10″ |
| 10 | 3.75″ | 4″ | 4.2″ |
| 10.5 | 3.75″ | 4.10″ | 4.3″ |
| 11 | 3.9″ | 4.10″ | 4.3″ |
| 11.5 | 3.9″ | 4.2″ | 4.4″ |
| 12 | 4″ | 4.3″ | 4.4″ |
| 12.5 | 4.10″ | 4.3″ | 4.5″ |
| 13 | 4.10″ | 4.3″ | 4.6″ |
| 13.5 | 4.2″ | 4.4″ | 4.75″ |
Important Factors to Consider When Selecting a Shoe
Season of the year:
During summer, the feet tend to get swollen and may become larger. For this reason, make sure you get your feet measured whenever you want to buy shoes over the internet.
Foot and shoe shape:
Before you settle for a particular shoe model, make sure you give it some serious thought. If you are looking to buy a pointed nose shoe, select a size bigger. This is because this shoe type typically runs a bit small. If you have a very wide foot, you should completely avoid pointed nose shoes.
See also: How to Choose the Right Shoes for Your Feet
Foot length:
When shopping for footwear online, it is vital you know your foot length. Once you have this information, (which should be in centimeters), you then need to consult the size chart given by the manufacturer. This will make it a lot simpler for you to order shoes that fit properly and are comfortable.
