How to measure your feet at home :)
(5 minute easy read)
Let’s talk about our feet - not your every day conversation, and not always an easy or popular topic of conversation. Here’s some barefoot honesty 😊 I’m unfazed by the size of my feet - but it wasn’t always like this. Like you, I used to think my feet were the biggest because shops didn’t have shoes that fit me, or they’d sold out of the few styles they stocked in my size. I just accepted it as normal. Thank goodness times have changed!
At Willow Shoes I’ve seen and fitted all kinds of feet into all kinds of shoes, boots, long boots, sandals, sneakers, slides and even slippers. We genuinely like helping people with long feet to find shoes that look good, feel good and boost confidence.
Many of us think our feet are bigger, narrower or wider than they actually are…so today I'm asking you to measure your feet - and I'll share with you how to do it. Knowing the size of your feet now can actually give you confidence - as well as a gentle reminder that the feet you were born with cannot be changed but they are nonetheless amazing for keeping you upright and carrying you around 😊
Shoes are like clothes. We can have clothes in different sizes and they fit in spite of the label size. Size depends not only on the garment style and cut but also on the clothing brand and that brand's size guide. Shoes are the same. Over the years I’ve had shoes from Willow that range from NZ size 10-11.5 and EU size 41-44. Why is this? Because shoe sizing is like clothes sizing. I'm not just one size across all styles and brands. I choose shoes that I like and that fit my unique feet - not worrying about the size on the actual shoe. I encourage you to do the same.
How to confidently order online - measure your feet first! 😊
Some of you will remember having your feet measured in shoe shops with a metal contraption covered in numbers and letters. It was very clinical and quite daunting. At Willow we’ve never done this – no one benefits from that kind of drama. You can measure your feet at home with a tape measure and a piece of paper – it’s that simple 😊 Knowing your foot size helps you select the right size – whether you’re ordering online or trying shoes in our stores.
What size am I?
To best answer this question, you need to know:
- The length of your feet in centimetres
- If both feet are the same length - or is one foot longer?
- The width of your feet - defined as narrow, average, wide or extra wide
Here's how to measure your feet:
- Measure your feet in centimetres (cm)
Place a piece of paper that's longer than your foot on the floor with the edge against a wall. Put your bare foot on the paper with your heel against the wall. Use a pen to mark the paper where your longest toe ends. Measure this length with the tape measure. This is your foot length.
- Are both feet the same length?
Measure your other foot the same way. Do this because it’s quite common for one foot to be longer than the other. If one foot is longer than the other, use the longer foot measurement (you should always fit for your longer foot).
Compare your foot length with this size chart to find your typical NZ shoe size.
If your feet are less than 26.75cm long but you usually wear NZ10 or above, this is usually due to your feet being a bit wider than average. The table below compares NZ sizes to EU and UK womens shoe sizes - as you can see, there is some overlap between the size ranges. At Willow Shoes we have brands with New Zealand and European size ranges.
- The width of your feet
Choose the word that best describes your foot width.
Narrow Your heels often slip out of shoes or your feet slip forward in shoes
Average You fit most shoes easily and often get the same size
Wide Shoes always feel firm, you often get a size up
Extra Wide Shoes always feel very tight, you often stretch shoes
You can now define your typical shoe size (ie: my typical shoe size is 11.5 Narrow or 10 Average or 12 Wide etc).
Shoes used to be made in different width fittings from AA (very narrow) to D (very wide). Shoes are now made in just one width, usually B (average) or C (wide).
Step 3. Order the shoe size depending on your foot width
If you are:
Narrow Order the size you measured
Average Order the size you measured
Wide Order ½-1 size larger than you measured
Extra Wide Order 1-2 sizes larger than you measured
OK – that wasn’t too hard I hope! 😊 Now you’re armed with information to help you find your perfect pair that fits! Below are some other tips.
Use our website
Check WillowShoes.com to find more. Our FAQs page has more info to help you find your pefect pair and order it in the right size.
Read our product descriptions
Use the link within each product to refer to the shoe sizing and conversion tables shown above. See a product description here.
You can also glean useful information from the size range for each product we sell. Willow Shoes only offers shoes for longer, larger, bigger feet and our starting size is NZ10. The smallest size we stock for each product can help tell you how it fits. For styles in EU sizes our starting size is usually 42 but it is occasionally 43 or 41. This means a 43 or 41 fits like a NZ10. There’s extra SIZE information for some styles to help you choose the right size. See ankle boot Dipak Black/Bordo by Bresley - it's an example of a style with extra SIZE information to help you decide.
Want more information?
If you’re still not sure please contact us. We would love to help you find the right pair so please don’t hesitate to get in touch 😊
Contact Willow Shoes here