How to Measure Shoe Size at Home: Foot and Insole Methods
Here's how to measure shoe size at home: take the insole out of a pair that fits you well and measure it from heel to toe. If the insole won't come out, stand on paper with your heel against a wall, mark your longest toe, measure, and add about 1.3 cm (about a half inch). Then find that length on the shoe's size chart.
How to Measure Insole Length
This is the most accurate way, because you're matching the inside of a shoe you already know fits to the inside of ours. Our shoe pages, from our Rasta pairs to our country flag shoes, have a size chart, and most of those charts list the insole length for each size.
- Pick a pair of sneakers that fits you well and pull the insole out.
- Lay it flat on a table and press down any curl at the heel or toe.
- Measure from the back of the heel to the tip of the toe. Use centimeters if you can, because they're easier to match to a chart.
- Find that length on the chart for the shoe you want. If it falls between two sizes, choose the larger one.
There's no math with this method, because a shoe that fits you already has room for your toes. If the insole is glued down, or you don't have a pair that fits well, measure your foot instead.
How to Measure Your Foot for Shoe Size
You need a sheet of paper, a pencil and a ruler. A second person makes it easier, but you can do it alone.
- Wait until the end of the day. Feet often swell, so that's when they're likely to be at their largest.
- Put on the socks you plan to wear with the shoes.
- Set the paper on a hard floor, pushed up against a wall.
- Stand on it with your heel against the wall and your weight on that foot, because feet expand when they carry your weight.
- Mark the tip of your longest toe. It isn't always the big toe.
- Measure from the wall edge of the paper to your mark.
- Do the other foot and use the longer number. Most people have one foot larger than the other.
Add About 1.3 cm Before You Read the Chart
Your measurement is the length of your foot. The chart gives the length inside the shoe, and the inside should be longer, so the two numbers shouldn't match. On our charts, add about 1.3 cm (about a half inch), then choose the size at or just above that number. We tested that amount on every shoe chart in our store, using the standard foot length for each US size. It left room for your toes and stayed close to the size most people already wear.
Say your foot measures 28 cm. Add 1.3 cm and you get 29.3 cm. On the chart below, the next length up is 29.7 cm, which is a men's US 11. A 25 cm foot comes to 26.3 cm, and the next length up is 26.5 cm, which is a men's US 7 or a women's US 9.
How to Measure Shoe Size Without a Ruler
A sheet of US letter paper is 11 inches long and a US dollar bill is 6.14 inches long, so either one can stand in for a ruler. Lay the bill along your pencil line, mark where it ends and count from there. To turn inches into centimeters, multiply by 2.54.
How to Measure Foot Width
Trace your foot on paper while you stand, then measure across the widest part, which is usually the ball of your foot. Keep the pencil straight up so the line doesn't cut in under your foot.
Width letters vary from one maker to the next, so use that maker's own chart. We don't sell our sneakers in width sizes, which means length decides your size with us. Are your feet wide and you're not sure? Email team@rebelonemart.com before you order.
Shoe Size Chart in Inches and Centimeters
This is the chart for our Jamrock High, Jamrock Low and IrieTrod Low pairs that have a Men's and Women's STYLE option. The length is the insole length. Many of our Rasta and Jamaica pairs use it, and if you're still deciding between those two, here's our guide to Rasta shoes vs Jamaica shoes.
| EU | Men's US | Women's US | Insole (cm) | Insole (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | - | 5.5 | 23.9 | 9.41 |
| 37 | - | 6 | 24.5 | 9.65 |
| 38 | 5 | 7 | 25.2 | 9.92 |
| 39 | 6 | 8 | 25.8 | 10.16 |
| 40 | 7 | 9 | 26.5 | 10.43 |
| 41 | 7.5 | 10 | 27.1 | 10.67 |
| 42 | 8.5 | 11 | 27.8 | 10.94 |
| 43 | 9.5 | 11.5 | 28.4 | 11.18 |
| 44 | 10 | 12 | 29.1 | 11.46 |
| 45 | 11 | - | 29.7 | 11.69 |
| 46 | 12 | - | 30.4 | 11.97 |
| 47 | 13 | - | 31.0 | 12.20 |
| 48 | 14 | - | 31.7 | 12.48 |
Other models have their own charts, so use the one on the page of the shoe you're buying. This chart also notes slight variance during production, so measure twice and treat the numbers as close, not exact.
High TopsEvery high top in one placeShop now →
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Shoe Size by Foot Length: Why the Number Isn't Enough
A size number isn't a fixed length. On our own insole charts, a men's US 10 measures anywhere from 28.3 cm to 29.1 cm:
| Model | EU | Insole (cm) |
|---|---|---|
| Jamrock High, Jamrock Low, IrieTrod Low | 44 | 29.1 |
| RastaRunner Max, Rebel Wave Max | 43 | 28.7 |
| Rebel Sole, TrenchTown High | 44 | 28.6 |
| Manchester, Emancipation slip-on | 44 | 28.5 |
| DubStepper and Jamrock High pairs sized 10 Men / 11.5 Women | 44 | 28.3 |
That's a 0.8 cm spread under one size number, and one step on these charts is usually 0.6 or 0.7 cm. So the size you wear from another brand is a good starting point, and the length is what settles it.
Our Ackee Walkers and RastaRunner Lite charts list a men's US 10 at 29.3 cm. That's in line with the insole lengths above, and when we measured the insole of a size 10 Ackee Walkers, it matched our Jamrock pairs. So read those charts the same way as the others, and add the same 1.3 cm when you're working from a foot measurement.
Men's to Women's Shoe Size Conversion
The usual rule is that a women's US size is a men's size plus 1.5, so a men's 8 is about a women's 9.5. Our Rebel Sole, TrenchTown High, Manchester and DubStepper charts work that way and list both together, like 8 Men / 9.5 Women.
It doesn't hold on every shoe. On our Jamrock, IrieTrod and Ackee Walkers charts the gap is 2 to 2.5: a men's 7 has the same length as a women's 9, and a men's 8.5 the same as a women's 11. The EU size is the easy check, because it stays the same for the same length in the men's and women's columns.
EU to US Shoe Size
Read across the chart above: EU 40 is a men's US 7 or a women's US 9 on Jamrock pairs, and EU 44 is a men's US 10 or a women's US 12. The size options on those pages show both numbers, like US10 (EU44).
EU numbers shift between shoes too. EU 44 is a men's 10 on most of our charts and a 10.5 on RastaRunner Max and Rebel Wave Max, so check the chart on the page you're buying from.
How Should Sneakers Fit?
Once a pair is on your feet, you should be able to wiggle all your toes, and your heel shouldn't slip out of the back. Those checks come from Penn State Health's shoe-fit tips, which draw on orthopedic and podiatry groups.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons suggests about a half inch of space between your longest toe and the end of the shoe, and it says there's no such thing as a break-in period. A half inch is about 1.3 cm, the same amount we add above. When you land between two sizes, take the larger one.
What to Do If the Size Is Wrong
Our shoes are made to order, so we can't take returns or give refunds for a change of mind or the wrong size. Many of them come with one free size exchange per order, one size up or one size down, and the Returns section on the product page says whether yours does.
Ask within 7 days of delivery and send the pair back unworn in its original packaging. You pay the return postage. The 7 days start on the day it's delivered, so try the pair on indoors as soon as the box arrives, even if it's a gift for later.
Not sure before you order? Email team@rebelonemart.com with your measurement and the shoe you're looking at, and we'll help you choose.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you measure your feet with socks on or off?
With socks on. Wear the kind of socks you plan to wear with the shoes, so your measurement matches how you'll wear them.
What size shoe do I need if my foot is 9.5 inches?
9.5 inches is about 24.1 cm. Add about 1.3 cm to get about 25.4 cm. The next length up on our Jamrock chart is 25.8 cm, a men's US 6 or a women's US 8. Other models can differ, so check the chart on the shoe's page.
What size is a 10 inch foot?
10 inches is 25.4 cm. Add about 1.3 cm to get about 26.7 cm. The next length up on our Jamrock chart is 27.1 cm, a men's US 7.5 or a women's US 10.
Should your toes touch the front of a shoe?
No. You should be able to wiggle all your toes, and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons suggests about a half inch of space past your longest toe.
What if you're between two sizes?
Choose the larger one, which is what our size charts say too. Go by the length on the chart for the shoe you're buying, because a pair that's too long can let your heel slip.
How often should you measure your feet?
Each time you buy shoes. Foot size can change as you get older, and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons suggests measuring both feet at every purchase.
Why is my shoe size different from one brand to another?
Shoe sizes aren't fully standardized, so the same number can mean different lengths. A men's US 10 runs from 28.3 cm to 29.1 cm on our own insole charts, which is why it's safer to go by length.
