Why Measuring Your Feet Can Mislead You When Buying Shoes Online

Measuring your feet at home can provide a useful starting point, but the result is less precise than it may look. A few millimetres can change the size you choose.

Small measurement errors can mean a different size

Depending on the sizing and grading system, neighbouring full sizes may differ by only about 6–7 mm in length, with width differences of just a few millimetres. These are examples, not universal increments; half-size steps can be smaller.

A tilted pen, a shifted heel or a change in how you stand can introduce an error close to—or greater than—the difference between adjacent sizes. Treat home measurement as a reference, not an exact answer.

One size chart, different fits

A brand may use the same size chart for several styles, even when they use different lasts, toe shapes, constructions, materials or factories. The chart does not describe the exact internal dimensions of every model.

Start with shoes you already wear comfortably

Before ordering, note the following about a pair you know well:

• The brand, model and labelled size.
• Whether the fit is just right, loose or tight.
• Whether that model runs large, small or true to size in your experience.

Compare that information with the new shoe’s model-specific fit guidance. Real-world comparison and fitting experience are often more useful than home measurement alone.

For pull-on boots, check the instep

Pull-on and slip-on boots have no laces to adjust, so instep room matters. Within our Redback range, the Great Barrier / UNPU (Nevada in Australia) has a lower, closer-fitting instep in our experience. It can suit a lower-volume foot but feel restrictive on a high instep, even when the length is right.

For a high instep, the UBBK or UBOK may be a better starting point. Lace-up shoes usually offer more adjustment across the instep, although the underlying shape still matters.

Read more: how Redback half sizes really work.

Published by AWB OutletBased on more than 20 years of footwear manufacturing and fitting experience.