How To Determine Your Shoe Size

Believe it or not, your foot changes size and shape over time. Just because you’ve been a size 7 for the last 10 years, doesn’t mean you’ll be a size 7 for the rest of your life. It’s important to periodically measure your foot size, and here’s how.

In order to get an accurate measurement follow these guidelines:
•    Measure your feet at the end of the day when your feet are the largest due to swelling.
•    Measure your feet wearing the socks you plan to wear with your new shoes (or without socks if you are planning to purchase sandals).
•    Always measure both feet. (It’s rare to have two feet that are exactly the same size!) Fit shoes to your larger foot.

You will get more accurate results if someone else measures your feet for you. Stand with each foot on a piece of paper. Ask your friend to trace each foot with a pen or pencil. Make sure that the pen touches the foot at all times. Try to keep the pen as vertical as possible.

If you don’t have a friend to help you, it is actually better to measure your feet while sitting in a chair rather than standing. Again, try to keep the pen as vertical as possible.

Once you’ve traced each foot, get out your handy ruler. It is time to measure the tracings:
•    Foot Length: To calculate foot length, measure the distance of the longest part of your foot (i.e., from the back of your heel to the tip of your big toe). Subtract 1/5 inch to account for the distance of the pen from your foot. This is your foot length measurement.
•    Foot Width: To calculate foot width, measure the distance of the widest part of your foot (i.e., across the ball of your foot.) Subtract 1/5 inch. This is your foot width measurement.

Look up these measurements on shoe size charts. You can find a women’s shoe size chart here and a men’s chart here.

Be prepared to adjust your shoe size depending on the brand of the shoe. Certain brands are known to run small or narrow (or vice versa). The best thing to do is to start with your measured size and then adjust based on the way the actual shoe fits your foot. Remember: you can also adjust shoe size by tightening laces or adding orthotics.