How to Measure Your Foot at Home for Diabetic Shoes

Ill-fitting shoes are one of the top triggers for diabetic foot ulcers. This tutorial walks patients and caregivers through measuring the foot at home so the next pair of shoes actually fits.

What you need

• A sheet of paper larger than your foot
• A pen held straight up (not angled)
• A ruler with centimeters
• A hard, flat floor

Step-by-step

1. Trace late in the day. Feet swell after hours of standing, so measure when they are at their largest.
2. Stand on the paper. Sitting shortens the foot; standing gives the real load-bearing length.
3. Trace the outline. Keep the pen vertical and flush against the skin.
4. Mark the longest toe and the back of the heel. For most people this is the big toe, but Greek feet have a longer second toe.
5. Measure heel-to-toe in centimeters. Repeat on the other foot — they are rarely identical.
6. Add 1.5 cm to the longer foot. That is the internal length your shoe must have.
7. Measure width across the ball of the foot. Compare to the shoe's internal width, not the outer sole.

Match the shoe to the foot shape

• Egyptian (big toe longest): tapered toe-box
• Roman (first three toes even): squared toe-box
• Greek (second toe longest): rounded, extra-depth toe-box

Bring the tracing to the store and place shoes on top of it. If the outline extends past the shoe outline anywhere, walk away.

For clinicians

Document foot length, width, and shape at every diabetic foot exam. Pair the exam with structured diabetic foot care workflows so pressure-point risk is captured alongside neuropathy and vascular findings.