How to measure your foot correctly at home, in 10 minutes

The most common cause of an uncomfortable shoe is neither the leather nor the model. It is a badly taken measurement. The good news: for a first conversation with the atelier, three numbers are enough, and you can take them yourself at home.

What you need

An A4 sheet, a pencil held perfectly upright, a tailor's tape (or string and a ruler) and a chair. Wear the socks you intend to wear with the shoes — a thick winter sock changes the result.

1. The outline

Place the sheet on a hard floor, against a wall. Stand up, weight evenly distributed, heel touching the wall. Trace the sole keeping the pencil vertical, not tilted — tilting adds 3–4 false millimetres. Repeat for the other foot, on another sheet.

2. Length

Measure from the edge of the heel to the tip of the longest toe. Careful: for many people the longest toe is not the big toe. Note both feet; the last is adjusted to the larger foot.

3. Width

Measure at the widest point of the outline, usually across the toe joints. This is the number that decides whether the shoe pinches sideways after two hours.

4. Instep girth

With the tape, measure around the foot over the highest point of the instep, passing under the sole. Do not pull tight. This figure is the one most often ignored by shops and the most important for a laced or buckled shoe.

Mistakes that ruin the measurement

• Measuring in the morning. The foot is at its smallest of the day.
• Measuring seated. Standing, the sole spreads; that is how the shoe is worn.
• Tilted pencil. Adds millimetres that do not exist.
• One foot only. A difference between feet is the rule, not the exception.

For boots, one more number

For boots add the calf circumference at its thickest point and the height you want the shaft. This is where made-to-order shows its clearest advantage: the boot fits close without pinching.

What to do with the numbers

Photograph both outlines and send them with the figures on WhatsApp. We check them, tell you if something looks inconsistent, and only then choose the last. If you are in Bucharest, a ten-minute visit to the atelier remains the simplest option.