When buying shoes, knowing your size is essential. While this detail is essential for a physical purchase, it's even more important when buying online. The opportunity to try on shoes isn't available, making it easier to make a mistake with the size.
This becomes even more difficult when we remember that we have different shoe sizes. Those sandals we have at home may not be the same size as the gym sneakers or that pump. This is because shoe shapes vary greatly from one model to another.
So how do you find the right size? Don't worry, there are ways to do it comfortably at home. You just have to take some time to measure your foot so you don't make a mistake: grab a pencil and paper and stand in front of a wall.
How to measure your foot to know your size?
If you've never bought shoes online, you've probably never had to measure your feet. Don't worry, it's a very easy process, and it's also really useful for online purchases and even in physical stores.
Be careful with the time: it is better to measure in the afternoon
There's one thing we need to be clear about: when it comes to measuring feet, the time of day matters. Even when you try on shoes matters; in the afternoon, in general, our feet will be a little more swollen than in the morning. This is because we've been active throughout the day, but in the morning, our bodies and feet are more relaxed. If we measured our feet in the morning, we wouldn't consider that swelling, so it wouldn't be a true measurement. This would result in shoes that would be uncomfortable all day long and could lead to chafing and discomfort.
Foot measurement process
The first thing we should do is, in addition to measuring our feet in the afternoon, place a white sheet of paper on the floor , right where it meets the wall.
Once you've laid out the sheet of paper, place your bare foot on it , with your heel touching the wall. Now, take a pencil and trace the beginning and end of your foot's length. To do this, you can use your big toe or index toe as a reference, as they are the longest toes.
If you can't manage on your own, you can ask someone to draw the outline of your foot so you can take measurements later.
Once you have transferred these marks to paper, you can use a ruler or tape measure to measure the distance between them.
Don't forget to measure both feet, as sometimes one foot is larger than the other. In these cases, you should always choose the larger size. Also, after measuring, you should always add 0.5 centimeters . These extra centimeters will simulate the space inside the shoe; otherwise, we'll end up with an extremely tight shoe that could cause chafing.
Convert the measurement to foot size
For now, we only have a few centimeters. With these, we can do a quick calculation that will give us the exact shoe size we wear. To get it, we'll have to multiply the centimeters by 1.5 . So, if we got 26 cm, we'll just have to multiply 26 x 1.5 to get the number 39, which will be our ideal shoe size.
This rule is a simple one that applies to absolutely all companies that use UNE sizing . If you choose footwear from manufacturers that don't follow UNE sizing, you'll have to consult their size charts to see which ones apply.
What happens if we get a number with decimals? In these cases, it's better to go up a size to achieve greater room and comfort in the shoe.
Be careful with sports shoes
We mentioned that when we wake up, our feet feel much less swollen than in the afternoon. Furthermore, we must bear in mind that all athletic footwear will have specific characteristics that must also be taken into account.Keep in mind that when exercising, your foot may be slightly more dilated than when you're at rest . For this reason, if you're looking to buy athletic shoes, it's recommended to add between one and one and a half centimeters to the length you measure.
Finally, if you normally wear socks, don't forget to measure your foot while wearing them. A bare foot is not the same as a foot wearing socks.
It's that simple! With this practical method, you'll never go wrong when choosing your shoe size when shopping online.
