How to Correctly Measure Your Feet

The best way to ensure that the shoes you order are going to fit properly, especially if you have wide feet or bunions, is to measure your feet first. Unsatisfactory shoe-buying experiences can be reduced by taking the time to determine your true shoe size. All too often women squeeze their feet into ill-fitting footwear, either because they like the look of the shoe (which may not come in a range of widths) or because they have never considered whether their foot is a standard width. We surveyed 900 women and over half told us they needed a wider fitting shoe! Many women also do not realise that their shoe size changes over time due to gravity and pressure, age, pregnancy (which can permanently widen feet!), weight gain, fluid retention, and other factors.

With the demise of women's shoe manufacturing in the UK, the overwhelming majority of women's shoes are now imported from Europe or China and are sized according to European sizing measurements. These are not directly comparable to UK sizes which means that many women, when buying shoes in the UK, find that they are actually between sizes. Sargasso & Grey shoes are made in Spain and adhere to EU sizes. However, we provide an advisable UK equivalent size on the product page based on the sizing chart below and on the fact that being wide fitting, most of our shoes do size up slightly larger than standard EU sizing. We are also starting to introduce half sizing for some of our most popular styles.

Measuring Foot Length

You will need a pencil, a piece of paper (big enough to fit the whole of your foot) and a tape measure. It is advisable to undertake this foot measuring exercise in the evening, as feet swell during the day, so your feet will be at the biggest by the evening (better a slightly big shoe which can take an insole, than a shoe that is too tight!). If you are planning to wear socks or tights with the shoes, then be sure to wear them when you draw around your feet.

1) Take a piece of paper and a pencil. Sit on a chair and place your foot on the paper so that it rests naturally (but without your body weight) on the paper.

2) Holding the pencil perfectly vertically and perpendicular to the paper, trace around the perimeter of the foot as closely as possible without angling the pencil in or out. It is not necessary to draw the outline of each toe; the longest toe is of primary concern. If you know that one foot is bigger than the other, be sure to draw around the bigger foot.

3) Using the ruler, measure the distance from the very bottom of the heel to the top of the longest toe. To be accurate subtract 0.20 to 0.25 inches from the measurement, to account for the diameter of the pencil.

4) Record the measurement on the paper

Determining Shoe Size

To find the shoe size based on the measurement, simply follow the appropriate table below to the measurement that corresponds to the length of the foot tracing. If between sizes, go to the next highest size and then use an insole in the shoe. Please note that this chart is meant as a guide.

Determining Shoe Width

Again, sitting down, place your foot on the floor and wrap the tape measure under the foot and around the widest part of your feet. Record the measurement in cm (we use cm for our measurement charts) where one end of the tape meets the other. Do not try to tighten the tape measure. It is advisable to repeat this exercise on both feet and choose the widest measurement.

Check the same chart above by finding your foot length (shoe size) and then read across to find the width in inches that match your foot width measurement. This will then tell you what foot width you are. 

Ideally, feet should be measured about once a year to see if there have been any changes.

Please note that the charts are meant as a guide and some styles will measure up slightly different to the measurements given so do check our individual product pages for additional sizing guidance. You will also find if you search the internet, that most charts show slightly different measurements. Our advice is to use our measurement chart for our shoes. 

Our shoes are only available in one width, which is either EE or EEE, depending on the style. If you find your feet measure up a little slimmer on the charts, you could still wear our styles without issue and just add an insole for extra comfort. If your feet measure up a little wider than our widest EEE fitting, our shoes could still be a good option they are all made from soft suede or leather, and will stretch a little with wear. 

Once you know your foot width you can view all of our wide fitting shoes here.

Click here to download our printable foot measurement guide and chart