Measuring your feet is not always as straightforward as it might seem. The wrong measurement can result in the shoes being made incorrectly, at least in size. And when spending lots of money on a pair of shoes, you want to do your best to get those measurements as accurate as possible. I have been measured a few times in my life for bespoke shoes and therefore want to share what I learned during those processes.
This started as I was offered a pair of bespoke shoes by Carlino Bespoke of Italy, who is building up his ability to offer more remote bespoke services. He kindly provided this paper which certainly helps in the measuring process and lays it out easily for you to trace your feet. A quick Google search will also help in finding something similar for you to print out and use.
When measuring your feet, you want to be seated as normal as you can be, placing your feet firmly on the ground but not adding all of your weight. I believe this is the most ‘natural’ state your feet can be in for shoe fit. Carefully, you will want to take your sharpened pencil and/or pen, and as perpendicular as you can be, draw the outline of your feet. As I am not an expert in doing this, I gave it several passes to build a nice firm line so that the average of all of my passes showed prominently.
It is important to not angle your writing instrument under your arch as indicating whether or not you are flat-footed is crucial to getting a proper fit. If you are not flat-footed, your outline will naturally curve more. But if you are flat-footed and you attempt to angle it under your arch, you can end up with shoes that will be uncomfortably jamming into your arch region. So, best to keep it pushed up against your feet without angling it in any way.
Repeat the process on your other foot and then you will have your feet outline.
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Learn more about Carlino Bespoke here: https://calzoleriacarlino.com/en/home-english/
