Sizing and Fitting
Fitting
Tips From VillageShoes.com
Shoe fitting is a very personal experience, and therefore all the advice and technical expertise we can provide is only as good as the shoes feel on your own feet! The most important judge of how well a shoe fits is you - when you are wearing them. Nonetheless, there are some basics we'd like to impart to you, as a guide to selecting proper-fitting footwear.
There are no two feet exactly alike (not even clones!), and that includes your two feet! Feet vary even on the same person, usually slightly in length, width or girth (the measurement of volume, or "circumference" of the foot). Therefore, in order to obtain a good fit, it is always a good idea to measure both feet, not just one. Even so, determining a size for yourself from a measurement is not always a definitive answer to what size you may need in a particular shoe. Shoe manufacturers make shoes on forms called lasts, and each of these varies in proportions and measurements enough so that not every size 10 fits like every other. Let's face it: work boots are a significantly different shape than patent leather dancing shoes, but both may come in "your size."
It's almost impossible, because of different browsers and browser versions, to provide a proper measuring device for you to perhaps print out and use, but here is how we propose you measure your feet using the computer:
Gather the following: a standard ruler, with 16th-of-an-inch measurements; a legal size sheet of paper, or two sheets of letter size paper taped together; a pencil or pen; and some cellophane tape.
Remove your shoes. You should be wearing the type of hosiery or socks that you will wear with the shoes you are planning to buy. Place the sheet (or sheets) of paper against the baseboard of a wall, preferably on a hard (not carpeted) floor. Tape it in place. Stand on it with your heel firmly against the baseboard at right angles to the wall (pointing out from the wall. Mark (or have someone else mark) on the paper where your longest toe ends. Do this for each foot. Use the ruler to determine the exact length of the longer foot, from the edge of the paper that was against the baseboard to the pen or pencil mark. Find the shoe size on the chart below that most closely matches your longest foot measurement.
We know that we haven't discussed width here yet, nor is it described in the chart. That's because width is proportional to length. That is, a medium in a men's size 7 is much narrower/smaller than a medium in a men's size 12! Width is truly a "judgment call," as it is a measurement of not only size across the base of the foot, but of the girth of the foot as well (see the description of girth above in this article), and there is no truly accurate measure that determines width and girth, although some new computerized technology is now being developed that scans the foot three-dimensionally to establish more customized fitting. More on this in future articles! For now, suffice to say that you know your foot; more than likely any shoes you purchase from us will not be the first pair you've ever bought. A very subjective means of determining width is this: a fleshier foot should usually be fit with a medium to wider width; a bonier foot usually is a medium to narrower fit.
While we'd love to have the opportunity to measure every customer, it's just not possible or practical on the internet...yet! But feel free to e-mail us with your fitting questions - we'll try to give the best advice we can! You can reach us by using the "EMAIL" button on our HOME PAGE!
Shoe fitting is a very personal experience, and therefore all the advice and technical expertise we can provide is only as good as the shoes feel on your own feet! The most important judge of how well a shoe fits is you - when you are wearing them. Nonetheless, there are some basics we'd like to impart to you, as a guide to selecting proper-fitting footwear.
There are no two feet exactly alike (not even clones!), and that includes your two feet! Feet vary even on the same person, usually slightly in length, width or girth (the measurement of volume, or "circumference" of the foot). Therefore, in order to obtain a good fit, it is always a good idea to measure both feet, not just one. Even so, determining a size for yourself from a measurement is not always a definitive answer to what size you may need in a particular shoe. Shoe manufacturers make shoes on forms called lasts, and each of these varies in proportions and measurements enough so that not every size 10 fits like every other. Let's face it: work boots are a significantly different shape than patent leather dancing shoes, but both may come in "your size."
It's almost impossible, because of different browsers and browser versions, to provide a proper measuring device for you to perhaps print out and use, but here is how we propose you measure your feet using the computer:
Gather the following: a standard ruler, with 16th-of-an-inch measurements; a legal size sheet of paper, or two sheets of letter size paper taped together; a pencil or pen; and some cellophane tape.
Remove your shoes. You should be wearing the type of hosiery or socks that you will wear with the shoes you are planning to buy. Place the sheet (or sheets) of paper against the baseboard of a wall, preferably on a hard (not carpeted) floor. Tape it in place. Stand on it with your heel firmly against the baseboard at right angles to the wall (pointing out from the wall. Mark (or have someone else mark) on the paper where your longest toe ends. Do this for each foot. Use the ruler to determine the exact length of the longer foot, from the edge of the paper that was against the baseboard to the pen or pencil mark. Find the shoe size on the chart below that most closely matches your longest foot measurement.
Men's
Size Equivalents |
Ladies'
Size Equivalents |
||
Size |
Inches |
Size |
Inches |
6 |
9 1/4" |
4 |
8 5/16" |
6 1/2 |
9 7/16" |
4 1/2 |
8 1/2" |
7 |
9 5/8" |
5 |
8 5/8" |
7 1/2 |
9 3/4" |
5 1/2 |
8 13/16" |
8 |
9 7/8" |
6 |
9" |
8 1/2 |
10 1/8" |
6 1/2 |
9 1/8" |
9 |
10 1/4" |
7 |
9 5/16" |
9 1/2 |
10 7/16" |
7 1/2 |
9 7/16" |
10 |
10 9/16" |
8 |
9 5/8" |
10 1/2 |
10 3/4" |
8 1/2 |
9 3/4" |
11 |
10 15/16" |
9 |
9 15/16" |
11 1/2 |
11 1/8" |
9 1/2 |
10 1/8" |
12 |
11 1/4" |
10 |
10 1/4" |
13 |
11 9/16" |
10 1/2 |
10 7/16" |
14 |
11 7/8" |
11 |
10 5/8" |
Shoe sizes bear no official relationship to the standard units of measure such as inches or millimeters, but this approximate equivalency chart may help you estimate, within reason, your correct size. Remember, too, that if you have a particularly comfortable pair of shoes, you can usually find the size in them, under the tongue, in the heel lining, or imprinted on the bottom. Or perhaps you still have the box! You may also find our size conversion chart for shoes that may not come in your specific gender or country sizing specs. Keep in my that this is only a rough conversion. Every footwear manufacturer uses different lasts and subsequently different size conversions. Again, use your existing shoe size conversion whenever possible. In any case, refer to our return policy for details on returning shoes that you purchase from us that do not fit!
US
Men |
3 |
3½ |
4 |
4½ |
5 |
5½ |
6 |
6½ |
7 |
7½ |
8 |
8½ |
9 |
9½ |
10 |
10½ |
11 |
11½ |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
US
Women |
5 |
5½ |
6 |
6½ |
7 |
7½ |
8 |
8½ |
9 |
9½ |
10 |
10½ |
11 |
11½ |
12 |
|||||||
European |
35 |
35.5 |
36 |
36.5 |
37 |
37.5 |
38 |
38.5 |
39 |
40 |
41 |
41.5 |
42 |
42.5 |
43 |
43.5 |
44 |
45 |
46 |
47 |
48 |
49 |
AUS/UK |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
|||||||||
CM/JPN |
21 |
21.5 |
22 |
22.5 |
23 |
23.5 |
24 |
24.5 |
25 |
25.5 |
26 |
26.5 |
27 |
27.5 |
28 |
28.5 |
29 |
29.5 |
30 |
31 |
32 |
We know that we haven't discussed width here yet, nor is it described in the chart. That's because width is proportional to length. That is, a medium in a men's size 7 is much narrower/smaller than a medium in a men's size 12! Width is truly a "judgment call," as it is a measurement of not only size across the base of the foot, but of the girth of the foot as well (see the description of girth above in this article), and there is no truly accurate measure that determines width and girth, although some new computerized technology is now being developed that scans the foot three-dimensionally to establish more customized fitting. More on this in future articles! For now, suffice to say that you know your foot; more than likely any shoes you purchase from us will not be the first pair you've ever bought. A very subjective means of determining width is this: a fleshier foot should usually be fit with a medium to wider width; a bonier foot usually is a medium to narrower fit.
While we'd love to have the opportunity to measure every customer, it's just not possible or practical on the internet...yet! But feel free to e-mail us with your fitting questions - we'll try to give the best advice we can! You can reach us by using the "EMAIL" button on our HOME PAGE!
NOTE: FREE FEDEX & UPS GROUND SHIPPING ANYWHERE in the lower 48 States. NO SALES TAX. We pay all applicable sales tax for you. Because we sell to both our retail and internet store, our inventory is not in REAL TIME. Due to high turnover of some styles and sizes, we may sell out of your size in a shoe during the day. Instead, our inventory is updated throughout the day. We will email you as quickly as possible if an item is out of stock are needs to be backordered. If you have any questions or would like to check stock availability before you order you can always call us at (212) 777-3848. Our store hours are Mon - Sun 12 Noon - 7:30 PM EST.
INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING: Shipping charges for Fedex International DOES NOT include any Customs duties, VAT or custom broker clearance fees that your respective country will collect.
