Go professional and take all of the guesswork out of the equation.  Stop at an old-fashioned shoe store for a professional fitting.  The salesperson will measure your foot for you.  Usually this is a free service.  Be sure to go in the afternoon or evening for the best fit because feet swell throughout the day.

If there is a specific style or brand you are considering, see if you can try it on in the store.  Once you have verified fit, you can often find that exact shoe cheaper on-line.


Buy a professional shoe sizer.  Brannock is the industry standard.  Invented in 1926, this is the silver shoe-sizer we still see in every major department store today, and the most accurate sizer on the market.  It is made in 3 sizes:  Mens, Womens and Childrens.  Instructions for use are located on the back.  (You can also find them on-line.)



Is it necessary it to buy your own Brannock?  Well, if you are an adult, probably not.  It is a great luxury to have though.  Even an adult's shoe size can vary over time, so it is nice to be able to take an accurate measurement periodically.  This can allow you to buy those great on-line deals with full confidence.


If you have children, buying your own sizer is the definitely worth the money.  Little feet grow in leaps and spurts.  Sometimes a parent buys a perfectly fitting shoe, only to find it too small a month later.  Young children do not have the ability to verbalize when their shoes are too small or uncomfortable.  The ability to accurately and conveniently measure a child's shoe size can be a great help to parents.


Brannock makes two models for children:



The only major difference is color. On Brannock's website, the Ultra Fit Junior retails for $48; The Junior retails for $68.  If you look around on-line, you may be able to find these brand-new Brannocks even cheaper.  Or, to save a little money, you can find used ones on Ebay for as low as $10. 


One of our favorite stores for parents, One Step Ahead, sells a  baby-sized shoe sizer for only $9.95.  Their website carries several pages of 5 Star ratings for this product.



Kohls.com offers a wealth of information on shoe sizing.  Our favorite: printable shoe sizers.  (Think Brannock in paper form.) They also have shoe sizing charts that are very useful.

 Babies printable shoe chart  Similar to the Kohl's printable chart.  For children up to 36 months old.

About.com has articles on every topic.  Shoe sizing is no exception.  This article tells you everything you need to know to size your foot at home.

Want to reprint this article?

Please be our guest as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

This article was originally featured on RioDancesOnTheSand.com, a blog for the thinking person... Written by Rio Denali, a 30-something with peculiar curiosities, who makes the observations that many of us avoid. Full of useful links and entertaining articles, it is a fun favorite for the intelligent reader. For more great articles like this, please visit RioDancesOnTheSand.com.