How To Measure Foot For Shoe Size

Finding boots or shoes that fit is frustrating if you rely on how your last pair fit. There is a better easy way. We show you how to measure your foot for shoe size.

Finding the perfect boot and shoe fit leads to foot comfort. Why settle for uncomfortable footwear when you can find a pair that fits your feet? Take the following six foot measurements; check the manufacturers shoe or boot size chart; then find the footwear that matches your measurements.

How To Measure The Foot Length

Use these four steps to measure the foot length.

Prepare for the measurement. Both the right and left foot must be measured. One is probably bigger than the other. Wear the socks you expect to wear with the boots or shoes. Measure both feet at the end of the day because they will swell when standing for long periods of time.

1. Place two blank pieces of paper on a hard surfaced floor-not-carpet. One piece is for the right foot and the other for the left foot.
2. Place-each-foot on a blank piece of the paper. Measure the length of the foot by placing the foot on the paper. Draw a line where the end of the heel rests and another line in front of the longest toe. (The Big Toe)
3. Measure the distance between the marks on the paper between the heel and toe for the length of the foot in inches to the nearest 1/16^th.
4. Record the number-of-inches with the fractional-part as your foot length.

How To Measure The Foot Width

Wear the socks you expect to wear with the boots or shoes. Measure both feet at the end of the day because the foot is largest at that time of the day, especially if you have been standing a lot during the day.

1. Put two-pieces-of-paper on a hard-floor. One is for the right foot and the other for the left foot.
2. Place-each-foot on the piece-of-paper. Measure the width of the foot by placing-the-foot on-the-paper. Draw a line where the widest part of the inside of the foot is just below the big toe. Draw another line where the widest part of the outside of the foot is just below the end of the little toe.
3. Measure the distance between the marks on the paper between the big toe and little toe the width of the foot in inches to the nearest 1/16^th.
4. Record the number of inches with the fractional part as your foot width.

How To Measure For Boot Shaft Height

Shoes and boots come in three different heights: low, medium, high. High shaft is further defined by three heights: below the knee, above the knee and thigh high.

1. Prepare for five measurements: the one above the ankle bone, one between the ankle bone and knee, one at the widest part of the calf, another below the knee, another above the knee and one about six-inches above-the-knee.
2. Set aside a measuring-tape, masking-tape and a sheet-of-paper.
3. To measure the low shaft height, place a piece of masking-tape just above your ankle bone; then place the end of the tape-measure so it touches the floor along the side of your leg to the bottom of the masking-tape. Note the number-of-inches to the nearest 1/16^th. Record this measurement on-the-paper.
4. To measure the medium shaft height, put the tape-measure next to your leg with the bottom to the ankle bone and the top of the tape-measure to the bottom of the knee. Divide the number of inches by two; put a piece of masking-tape at that location (half way between the ankle bone and the knee). Measure the distance from the floor (bottom of your foot) to the masking-tape. This measurement is the medium shaft height of your leg. Put the number-of-inches to the nearest 1/16^th on-the-paper.
5. When measuring the high shaft-height, put a piece of masking-tape just below the knee. Place the end of the measuring-tape on the floor up to the tape below your knee. Record the distance in inches to nearest 1/16^th on-the-paper.
6. Measure for a shaft-height-above-the-knee boot, place the tape-measure end on the floor next to the leg and reading the height just above the knee. Put the number-of-inches -on-the-paper.
7. To measure for a thigh high boot, place-the-tape-measure below-the-knee and put a piece of tape six-inches above the knee for short people and seven inches above the knee for tall people. Rest one end of the tape measure on-the-floor and record the distance between the floor and the tape on the thigh.

How To Measure Calf Circumference

Use the following six steps for measuring calf circumference.

1. Preparation for measuring calf-circumference: get a flexible tape-measure or a two foot length piece of string and a piece of paper. We are going to take five measurements: around the ankle, around the fattest part of the calf, the circumference just-below-the-knee, the-circumference just-above-the-knee and the-circumference around the thigh.
2. Take the string or tape-measure and go around the leg just-above the ankle to get the legs ankle circumference. Keep your fingers on the string or tape-measure where the ends meets. Record the distance in inches.
3. Place a piece-of-masking-tape on the fattest part of the calf. Put the string or measuring tape around the calf where the masking-tape is and measure the circumference. Record the inches.
4. Put the string below-the-knee around the leg and measure-the-circumference. Record the results.
5. Measure-the-circumference above-the-knee. Record the results.
6. Place a piece of masking tape six-inches-above-the-knee for short people and seven-inches-above-the-knee for tall people. Take the string and put it around the thigh of the leg to measure-the-circumference. Record the measurement in-inches to the nearest 1/16^th .

How To Determine Foot Arch Type

Foot arch measurements will help you identify which shoe or boot provides the necessary arch support

Two ways can be used to determine foot arch type. It is recommended both ways be used.

1. Review the footprint. Get the foot wet with water (comfortable temperature); after the water has stopped dripping from the foot, place the foot on the piece-of-paper. Do this for both feet. Compare the silhouette of both feet to the following three images of foot prints. Determine which matches yours most closely.
2. Look at the side of your foot in a mirror or when sitting in a chair. Notice the curve of the arch. Determine which of the following images most closely matches yours.

How To Use The Foot Measurements

Keep the foot measurements handy so the next time you buy shoes or boots you can compare your measurements to those the manufacturer provides for the footwear of interest and select the best size.

Want to learn how to compare your measurements to the manufactures boot or shoe size charts? Here is some help with manufacturer’s shoes size charts.

How To Read Shoe Size Charts

The above chart provided by Zappos gives the foot length in inches and coverts it to a standard shoe size for both men and women. So for a woman’s foot that is 9 inches long, a US size 5 fits. For a man, a 9 inch long foot should wear a 3 1 1/2 size shoe. A woman’s foot that measures 9 1/2 inches long requires a size 7 shoe. For a man it requires a size 5 1/2 shoe. For a woman’s foot that measures 10 inches long, a size 9 shoe is required. For a man, a size 7 1/2 fits.

The foot size chart can also be used to compares and convert shoes sizes manufactured in various countries with different shoe lasts. This makes it possible to buy another countries shoes and have a good fit. The European shoe last most closely resemble those in the United States and Canada.

Conclusion

Buying shoes and boots online can be a positive experience if the length and width of the foot is measured first. Using the Foot to Shoe Size Measurement chart gives the correct shoe and boot size to order. So the next time you are concerned about the right size, use the inch to footwear size chart for men and women.

Let us know if there are other measurements that would be helpful. Your comments are most welcomed below.