How to measure your foot length at home
Foot length is the distance from the back of the heel to the tip of the longest toe, measured while you stand. With a sheet of paper and a ruler it takes two minutes.
Last updated: September 28, 2026
What you need
- A sheet of paper longer than your foot
- A hard, level floor next to a wall
- A pencil
- A ruler or tape measure with millimetres
Step by step
- Lay the paper on the floor with one short edge against the wall.
- Stand on the paper with your heel touching the wall. Put equal weight on both feet.
- Mark the paper at the tip of your longest toe. Hold the pencil upright. It is easier if someone else makes the mark.
- Step off and measure from the edge that was against the wall to the mark.
- Repeat with the other foot.
- Use the longer of the two measurements.
When and how to measure
- Measure in the afternoon or evening. Feet expand during the day; the Royal College of Podiatry speaks of up to half a size.
- Measure barefoot for the most accurate length, or in thin socks. When you try shoes on, wear the socks you will use with them.
- Measure both feet. A small difference between left and right is normal.
- Measure standing, with your weight on both feet.
From foot length to shoe size
Look up the measured length in a size chart. Do not add room first: size systems already include the space between toes and shoe. Foot care organisations describe that space as roughly 10 to 15 mm in front of the longest toe.
If your length falls between two rows, take the larger size.
Worked example
The left foot measures 264 mm and the right foot 267 mm. Use 267 mm, which is 26.7 cm or about 10.5 inches.
In the men's chart the first row that is long enough is 26.7 cm: US men's 9.5, UK 8.5, EU 42. In Japanese sizes, 26.7 cm takes the next step of half a centimetre, 27.0.
Common mistakes
- Measuring the insole or the outside of a shoe. Neither is the foot length.
- Tilting the pencil under the toe. Hold it upright, or the mark ends up in the wrong place.
- Standing on carpet. Use a hard floor.
- Assuming the big toe is the longest. It is not always.
- Measuring one foot only.
- Relying on the size you have always worn. Sizes differ between brands, and a size label is not a measurement.
Measuring children
The method is the same, but the child must stand still with weight on both feet. For small children, ask a second adult to keep the heel against the wall.
Measure children's feet every few months. A specialist shop can measure length and width at the same time.
Sources and checks
The method follows the instructions of the organisations below. Last checked against the sources on September 28, 2026.
Used for: paper against the wall on a hard floor, heel touching the wall, equal weight on both feet, measuring both feet to the end of the longest toe, barefoot or in thin socks.
Used for: standing with equal weight, reading the longest toe, fitting the larger foot, and feet expanding during the day.
Used for: measuring at the end of the day, not relying on the marked size, and the space beyond the longest toe.
Used for: feet expanding by up to half a size during the day, and wearing the socks you will use.
Frequently asked questions
- Should I measure with or without socks?
- Barefoot gives the most accurate foot length; thin socks are acceptable. When you try on shoes, wear the socks you plan to wear with them.
- What time of day is best for measuring feet?
- Afternoon or evening. Feet expand during the day, so a morning measurement can be slightly too short.
- My feet are different lengths. Which do I use?
- The longer one. A small difference between the two feet is normal; shoes are fitted to the larger foot.
- Do I add a centimetre to my foot length?
- Not before looking up the size. Size systems already include room for the toes. Adding it twice leads to shoes that are too long.
- Can I measure my own foot?
- Yes. It is easier when another person makes the mark while you stand upright with equal weight on both feet.