How to Measure Your Foot for Shoes
To measure your foot, stand on a sheet of A4 paper in the evening, trace around it with a vertical pencil, then measure in millimetres from your heel to your longest toe. Measure the ball width separately and do both feet, sizing to the larger one. Millimetres are the one measurement every size system agrees on, so they convert cleanly to US, UK, EU and CM.
What you'll need
- A sheet of A4 paper (or larger)
- A pencil or marker
- A ruler marked in millimetres — millimetres matter here, not centimetres
- The best time is the evening: your feet swell over the course of the day, so an evening measurement reflects the size your shoes need to be.
Want a scale-checked printable ruler?
Use the printable shoe measurement kit with a 100 mm calibration bar, credit-card scale check, worksheet, and Size Passport save step before converting the result.
Measuring jewellery too? A ring size converter in millimetres can translate ring diameter or circumference into international labels.
Step 1 — Prepare
- Stand on the paper wearing a thin sock (not a thick one).
- Shift your full weight onto the foot you are measuring — a loaded foot is longer.
- A second person helps, but you can do this alone.
Step 2 — Trace your foot
- Hold the pencil strictly vertical — 90° to the paper, not angled under your foot.
- Trace the full outline, including the heel and your longest toe.
Step 3 — Measure the length
- Length is the distance from the back of the heel to the tip of your longest toe.
- Your longest toe is not always the big toe — if your second toe is longer, measure to it.
- Measure in millimetres, not centimetres — millimetres are more precise.
Step 4 — Measure the width
- Width is the widest part of the ball of your foot, near the base of the toes.
- Record the width separately — it determines the shoe width (fullness) you need.
Step 5 — Measure both feet
- Measure both feet — one foot is usually slightly larger than the other.
- Always size to the larger foot.
Before you convert, sanity-check the number
In our US men's formula, half a size is about 4.2mm and a full size is about 8.5mm. That gives you a useful error check: if two traces of the same foot differ by more than 4.2mm, measure again before trusting the conversion.
- Round your final foot length to the nearest millimetre, not the nearest centimetre.
- If your feet differ, use the larger foot as the conversion input.
- If the measured length is between two sizes, keep the millimetres and let the brand or model page decide whether to size up or down.
Foot length reference table
| Foot length | US Men | US Women | UK | EU | CM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 240mm | 6.5 | 8 | 5.5 | 36 | 24 |
| 250mm | 7.5 | 9 | 6.5 | 38 | 25 |
| 260mm | 8.5 | 10 | 7.5 | 39 | 26 |
| 270mm | 10 | 11.5 | 9 | 41 | 27 |
| 280mm | 11 | 12.5 | 10 | 42 | 28 |
| 290mm | 12.5 | 14 | 11.5 | 44 | 29 |
This is a starting point, not a guarantee — real shoes vary by model and last, so use it alongside each brand's fit notes. EU sizes are always rounded to a whole size. See how we calculate for the formulas and the data behind them.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I measure the insole instead of my foot?
- No — measure the length of your foot, not the insole. An insole is usually 10–15mm longer than the foot it is built for, so measuring it would push you a size too large.
- Why are brand sizes different from each other?
- There is no mandatory sizing standard, so every brand builds around its own lasts and grading. See how we calculate for the full explanation and the data behind it.
- What is width (D, 2E, 4E)?
- Width is the measurement across the ball of your foot. D is the standard width, 2E is wide and 4E is extra wide. If standard shoes pinch the ball of your foot, you likely need a wider width rather than a longer size.