SHOE SIZING: FIND YOUR PERFECT FIT
From sunset strolls to all-out gym sessions, your feet carry you through it all—and the best way to repay them is by wearing shoes that fit properly. Research shows that up to 72% of people wear shoes that don’t fit, which can cause discomfort and even injury down the road.
The fix is simple: measure your feet. Taking a few minutes to note your length and width can make all the difference for comfort and performance. Here’s a step-by-step guide to get you started.
HOW TO MEASURE SHOE SIZE AT HOME
Before measuring, put on the socks you typically wear with your shoes. Grab a ruler, tape, two pieces of paper, and a pencil. Once you have all your materials gathered, it’s time to start measuring.
1. Tape a sheet of paper to a hard floor—this ensures it won’t slip or move while measuring your foot. Make sure your paper is taped next to a wall.
2. Standing flat-footed, place one foot on top of the piece of paper. Your heel should be slightly touching the wall behind you. With your pencil pointed straight down, trace the outline of your foot on the paper. Mark the tip of your big toe and the outermost part of your heel.
3. After tracing your foot, use your ruler to measure the distance between your big toe and the outermost part of your heel to learn the length of your foot.
4. Repeat the process on your other foot.
While measuring the length of your foot for shoe size is important, foot width is an often-overlooked aspect of shoe sizing. If you have a wide or narrow foot, that can impact your shoe size—so be sure to take that into account when sizing your foot.
To measure foot width, follow the same process as outlined above. Grab your tape measure and measure the width of your foot at the widest point, usually at the ball of your foot underneath your big toe. In U.S. men’s sizing, if your foot width is about 4.2 inches at size 9, that’s standard; if it’s more than 4.4 inches, you’re in wide territory. (For women’s size 9, about 3.8 inches is standard, while greater than 3.9 inches would be considered wide.) Luckily, adidas offers a large collection of wide shoes for comfort and style you can always count on.
HOW TO TELL IF A SHOE FITS CORRECTLY
Just because a shoe is “technically” your size doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll feel right on your foot. When trying out a new shoe, go on a short walk or jog and pay close attention to these indicators:
- See how your toes feel in the toe box. They should be able to flex and expand when you walk, with enough room to slightly wiggle them.
- Check the space between your toes and the front of the shoe, too—you want to maintain a little breathing room, but not so much that your foot feels like it's slipping around.
- Same goes for your heel and arches—your heel shouldn’t slip up and down in the shoe and your arches should be able to flex easily.
- Finally, check the shoe width and see if the shoe feels too tight or loose across the ball of your foot.
DIFFERENT SHOES HAVE DIFFERENT FITS
Not all shoes are meant to fit the same way. Walking, running, and hiking shoes serve different purposes, so they'll naturally fit differently.
How should walking shoes fit?
Your walking shoes need to have extra room in the toe area. When these shoes are too snug, they can restrict the muscles in your foot. When finding the right fit, aim for walking shoes with a thumb’s width between your longest toe and the front of the shoe. Take advantage of our walking shoe guide to find a walking shoe that will go the distance with you.
How should running shoes fit?
Running shoes should have a snug fit throughout the foot with some room in the toe area. There should be half a thumb’s width of space at the front of your running shoe. Your heels should be locked in place in your running shoes. A snug fit around your heel and midfoot area is vital when finding the right fit for your running shoes. Explore our running shoe guide to find your best running partner yet.
How should hiking shoes fit?
Your hiking shoes should fit snugly but not uncomfortably tight. You want your foot to feel locked in place and highly secure in your hiking shoes. Be sure you're able to wiggle your toes comfortably. There should be room in your toe box since your toes will slide downward when you're walking downhill. Hiking shoes shouldn't be too wide because you don't want your heels to move up and down in the shoe.
Keep in mind, feet tend to swell when you're active, so if you know you’ll be wearing the shoe while exercising, consider going up a half or even full size.
THE RIGHT FIT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE
Whether you’re training hard, exploring the outdoors or simply moving through your day, understanding how to measure your shoe size is the first step in making sure your feet are comfortable and supported. For more sizing resources, check out adidas’ detailed footwear size guides to find your perfect fit.