If you want to know how to measure foot width, all you need is a sheet of paper, a pen and a ruler. Do it at the end of the day, in the socks you play in, and measure both feet. Go by the longer, wider foot. The clearest sign of whether your foot is wide is that measurement combined with where your cleats press.
This page walks you through the steps, explains what wide actually means in footwear and tells you what to do with the result. If you want advice right away, use the cleat finder. If you already have your numbers, the foot width calculator will work out how wide your foot is for you.
How to measure foot width: when and how
Every source agrees on a few ground rules.
- Measure in the evening or after practice. That is when your feet are at game-day size, slightly bigger than in the morning.
- Wear the socks you play in. Thick soccer socks make a real difference.
- Measure both feet. Feet are rarely exactly the same. Go with the greatest length and the greatest width.
- Stand up straight with your weight spread evenly. A foot is longer and wider when you stand than when you sit, and even more so if you have flat feet.
How do you measure the length of your foot?
You need a sheet of letter paper, a pen and a ruler or tape measure.
- Place the sheet against a wall on a hard floor, with your heel against the wall.
- Mark a line at the tip of your longest toe. That is either your big toe or the one next to it.
- Measure the distance from the wall to the mark. Then do the same for your other foot.
How to measure foot width step by step
For width, it helps to have someone else do it, or take your time and work carefully on your own.
- Stand on the paper and trace around your foot, keeping the pen upright.
- Mark the widest point on each side of your foot. That is usually across the ball of the foot.
- Measure the distance between those two marks with a ruler.
You now have two numbers: length and width. Write them down for each foot.
Optional: ball girth, instep and wet footprint
Ball girth. Standing up, wrap a tape measure around the widest part of your forefoot. The width letters on everyday shoes are based on this girth. Soccer cleats don’t use those letters the same way, so this is only useful if you want to compare with your everyday shoe size.
Instep. There is no standard way to measure instep height at home. You can still get a rough idea: measure around the highest point of your instep and compare it with your ball girth. If the instep number is clearly larger, you probably have a high instep. The better test is a practical one: can you lace a shoe all the way up without feeling pressure on top?
Wet footprint. Step onto a piece of cardboard with a wet foot. A nearly complete print, with no gap along the inside, can point to a low arch. It is a home indicator, not a diagnosis.
How do you interpret length and width?
Length and width go hand in hand. A foot that is 11 inches long is wider than one that is 10 inches long without being wide for its size. That is why you look at width relative to length, not at width alone.
There is no international standard that says at what width a foot counts as wide. The ISO 9407 standard describes how to record length and width, but it doesn’t set fixed width classes.
So brands use their own conventions. In the United States that means letters: D is standard, 2E is wide and 4E is extra wide. The gap between two letters is a few millimeters and varies from one maker to the next.
That is why we don’t give cutoff values: they would hide how uncertain the numbers really are. Use your measurement like this instead:
- Compare your width with your everyday shoes. If you always run into width problems with them, your foot is wide for its length.
- Compare with other people with the same foot length, for example at a store where they can measure your foot.
- Pay attention to your symptoms. They are more reliable than any number.
Which symptoms point to a wide foot?
Where you feel pressure tells you a lot about what you need.
| Symptom | What it can mean |
|---|---|
| Pressure on the pinky toe and the ball of the foot, blisters along the side, the feeling that your foot is spilling out of the cleat | Wide forefoot |
| Pressure points on top of the foot, laces that won’t close without pinching, tingling | High instep |
| Pressure on top of the toes | Tall or long toes |
| Pinching in the midfoot | Wide midfoot |
| Heel that slides, blisters on the heel | Narrow heel or a cleat that is too roomy |
| Tired inner foot, ankles that roll inward | Possibly a low arch: see flat feet |
You will find the fix for each symptom on soccer cleats for a high instep, soccer cleats for flat feet and soccer cleats for narrow feet. If you have pain or keep getting blisters, have a podiatrist or your doctor take a look at your feet. We give fit advice, not medical advice.
Common mistakes when measuring foot width
- Measuring in the morning, before your feet have reached their full daytime size.
- Measuring barefoot or in thin socks when you play in thick ones.
- Measuring only your right foot or only your left.
- Measuring while sitting down. Your foot comes out smaller than it is in the cleat, especially if you have flat feet.
- Tilting the pen as you trace, which makes the outline too generous.
What do you do with the result?
- Pick your size by length first. Your foot length determines your size. For toe room and growing room, read how should soccer cleats fit.
- Go wider, not longer. Going up a size to get more width gives you extra length, heel slip and less feel for the ball. Choose a wider last or leather instead.
- Use the width map. The width map lays out every model by width, instep and heel.
- Let the finder do the work. The cleat finder factors in your symptoms, surface and budget. If your current cleats already pinch, see what to do when cleats are too tight.
Measuring foot width for kids
Measure your child standing up, in the evening and in soccer socks, and go by the bigger foot. Kids’ feet grow fast, so measure young children every few months. You will find more on growing room in wide cleats for kids. Kids often won’t complain on their own, so check for red marks on their toes or heels.