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The best way to measure your feet for running shoes is by heading to the shoe store and getting fitted by an expert. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back.

You’ll want to measure your feet at the end of the day, after you’ve been on your feet for several hours. Make sure you’re wearing a pair of socks that you typically use for running.

Measure Your Foot Length

1. Standing up straight, put one foot on a piece of paper and then draw an outline around your shoeless foot with a pencil. For the most accurate outline, you should have a friend trace your foot for you.
2. Using a ruler, measure the outline beginning from the back of the heel to the longest point of the foot. (Depending on your foot shape, this point may be the tip of your big toe or second toe.)
3. The 6 Best Treadmill Shoes for Indoor Running. The bigger foot should be used to determine your shoe size.

Check Your Shoe Brand’s Size Chart

Shoe sizing will vary from brand to brand. (Just look how Nike’s and Asics’s sizing charts differ.) For that reason, you should avoid using a size chart from a general retailer or department store. If you have a shoe in mind, go to that specific brand’s official webpage.

1. Navigate to the brand’s shoe sizing chart. This may be located under the “Help” or “FAQ” page on its website.
2. On the chart, locate the corresponding US shoe size using your foot measurement in centimeters.
3. Add one half size to ensure you’ll have enough toe room.

→ Women’s Running Shoe Sizes by Length

→ Men’s Running Shoe Sizes by Length

Measuring Your Foot’s Width

Length is just one part of the equation in finding your running shoe size. Some shoe brands offer narrow or wide options in addition to the standard width.

How to Recycle Your Running Shoes, Best Fitness Trackers offer extended widths. One important thing to note is that these widths don’t translate across men’s and women’s shoes. The men’s standard width, for example, is D, while the women’s standard is B.

pair of socks.

You can measure the width of your foot with the same tracing you used to find your foot’s length. Measure across the ball (the widest area) to the outermost points of the outline. Be aware, however, that you may need a shoe with a wider toebox if you have bunions.

Another way to measure your foot is to lay two fingers over the lacing system. If the “V” where the laces are threaded is only one-finger wide, your shoe is too wide. If you can lay three fingers across the laces, the shoe may be too narrow.

Ideally, you’ll want two fingers’ width across the lacing. The fit of this Saucony Endorphin Pro 3 is a touch narrow for this foot shape.

Finding your foot’s length and width is just one part of getting your perfect fit in a running shoe. By trying on a variety of shoes—and through a bit of trial and error—you’ll find the pair that works for you.

Amanda Furrer

Test Editor

Amanda is a test editor at Runner’s World who has run the Boston Marathon every year since 2013; she's a former professional baker with a master’s in gastronomy and she carb-loads on snickerdoodles.