How to measure our feet?

Before buying barefoot shoes, we need to measure our feet very well to determine exactly what size shoes we need. The correct measurement is made in length and width, which means that we must also take into account how wide our foot is at the widest part at the toes.

You take a white sheet of paper, place it on the floor close to the wall on the short side of the sheet. Then place your foot with the heel slightly resting on the wall. You trace your leg with a pen perpendicular to the floor – holding the pen at 90 degrees to the floor. The result will be an outline that is wider than the foot, because above the surface our foot is wider.

The length of your foot is the distance from the longest toe to the end of the heel. The width is the distance between the toes at their widest part.
Measure both feet and see which is bigger. You will use his measurements to choose your size.

Advice! Always check the shoe model for what sizes it has. For example, size 40 of different models, even if they are of the same brand, may have a difference of up to 0.5 cm!

According to the width and length, the feet are divided into 3 categories: narrow feet, normal feet and wide feet.
The formula we use is the following:

X = length/width in millimeters

Length in cmVery wideWideNormalNarrow
<13<2,152,15-2,3>2,3
13-16<22-2,252,25-2,5>2,5
16-20<2,22,2-2,42,4-2,65>2,65
>20<2.42,4-2,6>2,6
Table info from Facebook group ‘Barefoot shoes Bulgaria’

Use the chart as a guide to how wide your foot is. Always buy shoes that have +2mm in width.

What size shoe size are you looking for?

Always buy shoes with size in mm longer than your actual size.

For a toddler up to 18 months – between 0.7-12 mm.
For a toddler above 18 months – between 10-12 mm.
For a big kid – 12 mm required, unless it is an open sandal.
For an adult – 12 mm required, unless it is an open sandal.

In addition to length and width, we need to consider what volume our foot has. The volume can be – low, medium or high.

Legs with a low volume are usually thin, they can have the so-called “Narrow heel” (it can be seen from the shape of the foot how narrow the heel is if the toes are wide). People with thin feet have a hard time finding shoes that are not too bulky. Brands that produce suitable shoes are: Belenka (some models), Fare, Wildling(some models), Splay, Vivobarefoot, Pegres, Bundgaard, Koel4kids, etc..

Medium volume feet find shoes easily because even wider shoes fit well and can be adjusted. Most brands tend to make their shoes suitable for medium volume feet.

High volume feet are quite a bit more specific as they cannot fit into a shoe for a low volume feet. People with wide and voluminous feet are looking for a shoe that does not squeeze them. Brands that produce shoes for voluminous feet are Belenka, Wildling, Xero, Shapen, etc.


We advise you to measure a toddler’s feet every month, and a child over 3 years old every 3 months. Adults may also experience growth and a change in shoe size if you have recently gone completely barefoot.