How to Measure Your Feet and Find The Right Shoe Size

When you buy shoes in a store, you can easily try on multiple sizes. Online, that only works if you order several sizes and send back the ones that don't fit. What a hassle!

To save yourself the trouble, you can measure your feet before buying your barefoot shoes and order the right size straight away.

Here are three easy methods you can use to measure your feet accurately:

1. Trace and measure your foot outlines
2. Wall-and-line method
3. Measuring tools

General Tips:

• Measure in the evening, as feet tend to be slightly longer and wider than in the morning.
• Measure while standing so your feet bear your full body weight.
• Distribute your weight evenly on both feet.
• Keep your feet and toes relaxed and straight — don't tense them.
• Wear socks if you plan to wear them with the shoes later.
• Ask someone to help, so you can stand naturally while being measured.
• Once you've measured your feet, check out our barefoot shoes for women and barefoot shoes for men! :)

Option 1: Tracing Your Foot on Paper

This is a very accurate method and hard to get wrong.

1. Place your foot on a sheet of paper or cardboard.
2. Have someone trace around your foot using a thin pen or pencil held vertically.
3. Draw a rectangle around your footprint, just big enough to touch all four sides.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 with your other foot.
5. Measure the length and width of both rectangles.

Determining Your Shoe Size

Important: Use the measurements from your larger foot.

• Using a size chart: Add 10–12 mm to the length to allow natural foot movement. Then find your shoe size using the chart.
• Using our calculator: Enter the exact measurements into our calculator. It will automatically add the necessary allowance and show your shoe size.

Option 2: Wall Method

This method is widely used in the barefoot shoe community.

1. Place a sheet of paper or cardboard flush against a straight wall.
2. Stand so your heel just touches the wall and your toes point forward.
3. Have someone mark the longest point of your foot on the paper using a thin pen or pencil held vertically.
4. Turn your foot and stand sideways so the widest point of your ball (below the little toe) just touches the wall.
5. Have someone mark the widest part on the inside of your foot.
6. Measure at a right angle from the paper’s edge to both marks.
7. Repeat all steps with your other foot.

Determining Your Shoe Size

Important: Use the measurements from your larger foot.

• Using a size chart: Add 10–12 mm to the length and find your shoe size in the chart.
• Using our calculator: Enter the exact measurements. The calculator automatically includes the necessary allowance.

Alternatives to Using a Wall

Instead of measuring length and width separately against the wall, you can use a box or container with straight sides, or even a right-angled wall made from Lego or Duplo blocks. This lets you measure length and width at the same time.

However, we don't recommend this. Measuring inside a box can be less accurate, and Lego walls tend to shift on the paper.

Using Measuring Devices

You may know tools like the plus12, often used in shoe stores. If you have a measuring device, you can accurately measure your foot size or at least your foot length.

It's important that the device measures in centimeters or inches, rather than showing a shoe size directly.