How to Measure Feet for Bespoke Shoes: A Step-by-Step Guide
October 22, 2026
Last Updated: October 23, 2026
Quick Summary
To measure feet for bespoke shoes, trace each standing foot on paper on a hard floor, then record length, width, ball and instep girth in millimetres for both feet. Measure in the afternoon in the socks you will wear, and build the shoe around your larger foot rather than averaging the two.
A standard shoe size tells a shoemaker almost nothing useful. To learn how to measure feet for bespoke shoes, you need length, width, girth, and the shape of your outline, not a single number on a box.
Most people wear shoes that fit “well enough.” Bespoke footwear starts from a different premise: the shoe is built around your foot, so the foot has to be measured properly first.
A Brannock device gives you a length and a width letter. That is a starting point, not a blueprint.
It misses several things that change how a shoe fits:
At Robert August, every pair is made to order and handcrafted in Spain, which is exactly why the measurements matter. A made-to-order shoe is only as good as the numbers you send.
Gather your tools before you start. Measuring twice with the wrong setup wastes more time than setting up once.
Here is the full kit:
One more thing: measure in the socks you will wear with the finished shoes. A thin dress sock and a thick golf sock give different numbers, and the shoemaker needs the right ones.
Tracing is the foundation of the whole process. A clean outline gives the shoemaker your foot shape, and every later measurement hangs off it.
Follow these steps:
Standing matters. Your foot spreads under your body weight, and a seated trace will come out narrower than the shoe you actually need.
A good outline has no gaps and no double lines. Check these before you move on:
If the line wanders or the paper moved, redo it. A sloppy trace leads to a shoe that pinches at the widest point.
Length and width are the two numbers most people already know, but they need to be read from the trace, not guessed.
Foot length is the distance from the back of the heel to the tip of your longest toe. Foot width is the distance across the widest part of the forefoot, usually at the ball.
To measure length:
To measure width:
Record every number in both centimetres and millimetres. Shoemakers work in millimetres because small differences change fit. Write the numbers on the same sheet as the trace so nothing gets mixed up.
Your two feet are almost never identical. One is usually slightly longer or wider, and that is normal.
Measure both feet and record both sets of numbers. Then build the shoe around the larger foot. A shoemaker can adjust the smaller shoe down, but a shoe made to the smaller foot will pinch the larger one.
Girth is the measurement most home guides skip, and it is the one bespoke makers care about most. Foot girth is the distance around your foot at a given point, and it decides how much room the shoe has inside.
Not every maker asks for all five, so confirm which measurements your shoemaker actually needs before you start. Sending extra numbers is rarely a problem; sending the wrong ones is.
Inconsistent girth readings usually come from tape position, tape tension, and posture. Use the same protocol every time:
For ball girth, the tape should pass over the widest part of the forefoot and under the arch. For instep girth, it should pass over the top of the instep and under the sole. For heel-to-ball length, place the tape at the back of the heel and run it along the side of the foot to the ball; do not wrap it around the foot.
A maker reads girth alongside length, width, and outline to shape the last. If a measurement is missing, the maker has to guess, and a guess is where fit problems start.
Your measurements become a shoe last, the solid form the shoe is built around. This is where bespoke shoe fitting earns its name.
A maker reads your length, width, girth, and outline together. A wide forefoot with a narrow heel gets a last shaped to match, not a standard width stretched to fit.
That is the difference between made-to-order and off-the-rack. A standard shoe is built for an average foot and adjusted with laces.
Most bad measurements come from a handful of avoidable mistakes. Here is how to catch them before you send anything.
| Mistake | What It Does | The Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Measuring while seated | Foot reads narrower and shorter | Stand with weight on both feet |
| Tracing on carpet | Paper shifts, outline distorts | Use a hard, flat floor |
| Averaging both feet | Shoe fits neither foot | Use the larger foot’s numbers |
| Skipping girth | Shoe pinches across the instep | Measure ball and instep girth |
| Measuring in thin socks only | Shoe too tight with real socks | Measure in the socks you’ll wear |
| Angling the pencil outward | Outline comes out too large | Hold the pencil upright |
Run through this list once before you submit. Fixing one error now saves a remake later.
Send your numbers in a clear, organised format. A shoemaker should be able to read your submission and start work without emailing you back for clarification. The most reliable approach is to use a single measurement sheet that captures every number in one place.
Create a one-page sheet with a row for each measurement and a column for each foot. Label the columns “Left” and “Right” and record every number in millimetres. If your shoemaker works in centimetres or inches, convert at the end, not during measurement, so you are not rounding twice.
Shoemakers work in millimetres because small differences change fit. Convert once, at the end, using these relationships:
Write the unit next to every number. A bare “27” is ambiguous; “27.0 cm (270 mm)” is not. If you measure in inches, convert to millimetres and keep both figures on the sheet.
Photos help the maker interpret your traces and fit notes. Include:
Keep the camera parallel to the subject and avoid wide-angle distortion. A phone camera at arm’s length is usually fine.
Before you send anything, confirm:
This is where a made-to-order service earns its keep. Robert August builds each pair to order and combines digital design with traditional European craftsmanship, so your measurements and design choices travel together. You can create a shoe that matches your style, then have it handcrafted to your foot.
Robert August has been making made-to-order footwear and leather goods since 2016, with free shipping worldwide. If you have wide feet or one foot larger than the other, those are exactly the details worth noting on your order.
Measure standing and bearing weight. Your foot spreads under load, so a seated measurement will read short and narrow compared with how the foot actually sits inside a shoe. Stand with your weight evenly distributed across both feet, not leaning on one leg, and have someone else trace or mark if you can. Do the tracing late in the day, when feet have already expanded from walking and standing. The same rule applies when you measure feet for bespoke shoes: the numbers must reflect the loaded foot, because that is the shape the shoe last has to accommodate.
Width comes from the tracing: mark the widest points either side of the ball of the foot and measure straight across. Girth needs a flexible measuring tape wrapped around the foot at the same ball position, snug but not tight. Take a second girth reading around the instep, the highest part of the arch. Record everything in millimetres or to the nearest half centimetre, and note the sock thickness you were wearing. Bespoke shoe fitting relies on girth as much as length, because two feet of identical length can need very different volumes.
Almost everyone has a slightly larger foot, and it is usually the left. Measure both feet fully and use the larger set of numbers for the pair. Never average the two, because a shoe built to an average will pinch the bigger foot and slip on the smaller one. Tell your shoemaker which foot is larger and by how much.
No measurement set guarantees a perfect fit on its own. Accurate numbers are the starting point, but the shoe last, the pattern and the maker’s interpretation all shape the final result. Expect a fitting stage or a break-in period. If something feels wrong, raise it early with your maker rather than waiting, since small adjustments are far easier before the sole is finished.
Measuring your feet properly takes twenty minutes and saves months of fit problems. If you are ready to put those numbers to work, browse the Robert August collection and design a pair built around your own measurements, your own style, and a fit that off-the-rack shoes cannot match.
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