How to measure your feet

INTRODUCTION

Choosing shoes without the possibility of trying them on is not an easy task. While you can do a lot to maximize your chances of getting the right fit, I suggest that you read the  article Shopping online – tips and tricks. It will teach you how to minimize losses in case you need to do a return. But first of all, learn how to measure your feet!

Each barefoot shoe manufacturer works with their own specific sizing system, so don’t base your choice on what ’size’ you are. Measure your feet, study the size chart, and if you are still left with questions, contact the manufacturer. Yes, this takes time, but it can save you a lot of trouble later!

However, even size charts can be tricky. Most firms give you the insole length, others the length of the last used at manufacturing, and some will suggest a range of acceptable foot lengths for each size. What’s more, even the length of the insole or the last will not tell you exactly how much room you have for your feet. The overall construction and the material may affect the fit considerably.

Most manufacturers will state the width along the length – if not, it’s worth asking for. 

Some firms (such as Xero or Wildlings) provide printable size templates. It is crucial to print these with the true to size setting on!

Add wiggle room!

The standard we have grown up with is that our shoes should be as long as our feet. However, this is not right. Our toes need quite a lot of wiggling room to be able to function freely and comfortably, so the general advice is to add 0,8-1,2 cm to your foot length and choose your size accordingly. In width, adding an extra 3 mm is usually enough. Individual preferences may differ – you will learn yours with time.

Barefoot shoe beginners usually need a few months or even a year to get used to the natural feeling of toe freedom. Remember that in half a year or so you are likely to require more wiggle room than now! In addition, your feet, once free within the shoes, may grow in length as well as in width. 

GENERAL ADVICE FOR TAKING THE MEASUREMENTS (IMPORTANT!)

• It is best to measure your feet later in the day as they tend to grow from use compared to the morning. 
• Put your body weight on both feet equally, in your most natural standing pose (best is if somebody helps you because bending down would shift your weight). 
• Most people’s feet are not identical, so measure both, and work with the bigger numbers (length, width and volume) – except if you are ordering custom, in which case you may even order two differently sized shoes, each matching the respective foot.
• If you are planning to wear the shoes with socks, put them on and measure your feet that way, especially if we are talking thick socks for winter use. And if you want to wear them with toespacers, put those on as well!
• It is wise to re-measure your feet every now and then, especially before putting in a new order. Very often, feet change over time from wearing barefoot shoes. They can get longer and/or wider, and even their volume may grow. In contrast, if that happens from your arch raising higher, your feet may actually get shorter.
• To be on the safe side, make each measurement twice and compare them before sending out the results! 

MEASUREMENT METHODS

With a special tool

A tool for measuring feet / the inner length of shoes is available in some barefoot shoe shops, for instance here: https://www.barefoothedvika.sk/en/p/215/gauge-plus-12 or here: https://naturalmovement.fi/hu/p37254/plus12-plus12-foot-shoe-measuring-tool

By hand

There are two widely used methods. A, works better for me and it seems more accurate, but you are free to choose between them. 

Wall method

Stand with your heel touching the wall. Make it sure that the floor and the wall meet in s 90 degree angle. Alternatively, you can stand inside a bigger box, touching its end with your heel. Put a sheet of paper under your foot, with one end of the paper touching the wall, too. If you are using a box, you don’t need an additional sheet, the bottom of the box will do. Put down a book parallel with the wall, so that it touches the tip of your longest toe, step away carefully, without moving the book, and mark the paper (or the box) where the book is. Finally, measure the distance between the wall and the mark accurate to the millimeter: this is your foot length. 
Mark the two widest points of your foot on another sheet, and measure the distance accurate to the millimeter. This is your foot width. 

Here’s a short video demonstration by author of the Bosenogice barefoot shoe blog, Katja:  wall method

Tracing method

Ask someone to trace your foot with a very sharp pencil, held strictly vertically. The length of your foot is the distance between the middle of your heel and the furthest point on your longest toe. The distance between the two widest points is its width. 
Note that this method will inevitably add a little to the actual size of your feet. Many firms/shoemakers ask for such a measurement, but they do take into consideration the inevitable extra that may come up to as much as half a size.

Here’s a short video demonstration by author of the Bosenogice barefoot shoe blog, Katja:  tracing method

Important warning, whether you use the wall method or the tracing method: 

Unfortunately, taking measurements is not standardized at all and there is no way to know where each manufacturer takes the length/width of the foot. In the picture the red lines show the more widespread measurement angles and the blue ones the less frequent ones. While both are in use, I personally work with the red lines. 

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FOOT SHAPES

Width and volume

Human feet come in a zillion shapes (unlike ’modern’ shoes). Some barefoot manufacturers optimize their models for wider and some for narrower feet, but the shape of the toe box or the volume of the shoe are also variables. All these aspects have an important influence on the fit. 

1. It is important to understand how wide your feet are. Here’s a really helpful tool: https://bosacik.sk/meranie

Enter your two requested measurements. Meanings of the coloured scales, from left to right:

very wide – wide – medium – narrow

Some brands offer the same model in two different widths (eg. Ahinsashoes, Softstar, Shapen etc.), others may offer different models for different widths. (eg. Sole Runner), but the vast majority focuses more or less on one typical width.

2. It is good to know how high your instep, defining the vulome of your feet, is. Find the highest point of your instep and measure it with a tape starting from the floor on one side of your foot and coming back to the floor on the other side. Female insteps are usually somewhere between 15 & 18 cm, so 15 is on the low and 18 is on the high end. (Sorry, I don’t know the male scale but if you do and message me, I will be happy to include it 🙂 )

Further to the width, the volumen of your feet also affects how much room you need in your shoes. If you have lots of volume, you may need to upsize compared to what your would have chosen by the width alone, because the high volumen takes away some of the width of the shoe. 

Yes, I know. It is complicated. And the fact is: nothing replaces actually trying the shoes on. 

Basic foot shapes

1. tapered: with a dominant big toe
2. rounded: with the 2nd or 3rd toe being longest 
3. square: with toes being more or less the same length

These can be broken down to further subcategories, but all toe boxes can be identified with one of these three types, and manufacturers tend to choose only one to focus on.

Some brands make bean shaped shoes, with the inner side of the toe box leaning outwards instead of running straight. Ahinsa are a typical example, or the older models of Belenka. 

MISCELLANEOUS

• Material: soft leather and wool may mould to your feet with time, but faux leather normally doesn’t, while canvas may or may not. It all depends partly on the thickness.
• If you ankle bones sit low, it may be wise to check the chosen model(s) with the manufacturer re. this or even ask for the height of the side in mm.
• It is also important how wide the heel of the shoe is compared to your feet as this has a key role in a secure fit. Saltic Fura and Belenka Trailwalkers are, for instance, rather wide in the front, yet they hold on well even to narrower feet. Most Freet, Ahinsa, Sole Runner, Mukishoes, and the older Belenka models are, however, rather wide in the heel area. It is essential that your toes do not struggle to keep the shoes on your feet!
• The roominess of the toe box also affects the overall comfort. Some of us have lower volume toes and some higher. You will learn with time which models of which brands are likely to fit you most. (Unfortunately, this is quite difficult to judge in advance when ordering online.)

Shoefinder by measurement

Once you know your feet well, you can search for suggested models according to your measurements here . (Not all suggestions were relevant in my case, but many people are happy with this tool so it is definitely worth a try.)