How do you measure shoes?

B

borntoolatevintage

Registered Guest
I've been using this particular shoe chart since I started selling vintage.

shoechart.jpg


And I have been measuring the shoes I sell according to how the chart shows it.

Another VFG member and I were talking about how we measure shoes last night and now I'm wondering if I'm measuring them correctly. So I would love to know how you measure your shoes. :)
 
When measuring for size I always measure the inside for length and the outside at the ball for width. The foot spreads when it is in a shoe and the sides usually go beyond the width of the sole or at least equal to it, so don't measure on the inside for the width because that will give you an inaccurate narrow width. However, the length needs to be measured on the inside because your foot does not put the shoe over the edge of the sole lengthwise, or it shouldn't because you will be doing your toes damage if you do. You don't need the waist (C) measurement at all, and your heel (D) measurement is likely not needed either unless it was specifically wide or narrow.
 
I have one further question. When measuring the shoe on the inside for just the length, should one push the tape measure flat against the sole of the shoe given that in high heels there is a rise in the shoe? I just want to make sure that I'm as accurate as possible. Thank you in advance.
 
I believe you do follow the curve of the insole - that's how I do it and it makes logical sense to me in terms of you the foot fits
 
Nice idea KK! I hadn't thought of that one.

I have oodles of shoes to list, mainly because I refuse to pass them up (mental defect) and I hate measuring them!

When dealing with especially pointy toes, I do like to pull back to where (normal human) toes would rest, and measure to the inside heel from there. The majority of that is air space, and shouldn't be counted in the overall size. It is my sincere hope that I am no longer dealing vintage when the uber pointy shoes from the last 5 years or so of fashion footwear are vintage. That's gonna be a doozie to measure!!

I got my shoe sizing chart from the Payless Shoes website. I know they aren't of high fashion, but the vast majority of folk probably fit into those parameters.
 
Originally posted by atticville
I take a thin strip of card board with an arrow cut tip, slip it to the toe, mark the end of the heel with a pen and then measure the card board. This is wonderful for boots!
Click to expand...

BRILLIANT, and in 40 yrs it never occurred to me!
 
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