Let's measure our feet: method I
Tape a sheet of paper to the floor. Place one foot on the paper and trace the outline with a pencil or pen perpendicular to the floor. If possible, have someone help you. Repeat the procedure with the other foot. Measure the distance from the heel to the longest toe with a ruler or tape measure. Use centimeters for greater precision. Add 0.8 to 1.2 centimeters to the measurement obtained because when choosing the size you need to take into account both the bulk of the socks and the space needed for walking. Compare your measurement with the size charts of the various barefoot shoe brands, checking whether they indicate the internal measurement of the shoe or the measurement of the foot.
Let's measure our feet: method II
Place your heel against the wall and measure the distance from the wall to the tip of your longest toe with a ruler or tape measure. Use centimeters for greater precision. Add 0.8 to 1.2 cm to the measurement obtained because when choosing the size you need to take into account both the bulk of the socks and the space needed for walking. Compare your measurement with the size charts of the various barefoot shoe brands, checking whether they indicate the internal measurement of the shoe or the measurement of the foot.
Let's measure our feet: the width of the feet
In addition to the length, it is also very important to measure the width of the foot , which is approximately the part below the attachment of the toes and is the widest. You can measure it at the same time as the length using METHOD I or by marking the ends with two dots while using METHOD II. To the measurement obtained, it is necessary to add approximately 0.5 centimeters. Compare the measurement obtained with the table of the various brands, checking whether the measurement reported refers to the internal width of the shoe or the width of the foot. It is possible to know if the foot is wide, medium or narrow by comparing the length and width measurement, dividing the first by the second.
NARROW FOOT: index greater than 3.
MEDIUM FOOT: index between 2.5 and 3
WIDE FOOT: index less than 2.5
Let's measure our feet: the height of the instep (instep height)
Measuring this part of the foot is functional to understand if our foot has a high, medium or low instep. In most tables this value is not indicated but it is important to know it to understand even just by looking at a photo if that barefoot shoe can be suitable for us. In some cases, in the descriptions of the models you can find an indication for the type of foot to which they are most suitable. This measurement refers to the vertical distance between the highest part of the arch and the highest point of the instep.
HIGH: value greater than approximately 4 centimetres
MEDIUM: value between approximately 2 and 4 centimetres
LOW: value less than approximately 2 centimetres
Useful tips to know the shape of your feet
To find out the shape of your feet, you can follow these steps: - wet your feet and place them on a dry sheet of paper, leaving a footprint; - look at the shape of the footprint and compare it with the three main types: normal foot, hollow foot and flat foot; - the normal foot has a moderate arch and a regular curve between the heel and the big toe. The footprint shows about half of the arch; - the hollow foot has a very pronounced arch and a pronounced curve between the heel and the big toe. The footprint shows only a small part of the arch or none at all; - the flat foot has an almost non-existent arch and a little curve between the heel and the big toe. The footprint shows almost the entire arch or all of it.