Shoe Sizing Guide: Tips and Tricks
Summary: wanderingalaskan suggests that eBay should create a standardized shoe measurement guide to help buyers and sellers improve the accuracy of shoe sizes, similar to measurements provided for men's blazers. wanderingalaskan argues that relying on foot traces for sizing can be misleading and recommends measuring dimensions of well-fitting shoes instead. Other participants offer mixed reactions: dbmm-media critiques the idea as unnecessary, while ahsan423 finds it valuable. janet9988 notes that eBay does not participate in community boards, and soh.maryl prefers buying known brands or asking sellers for measurements. mudshark61369 shares experiences of inconsistency in shoe manufacturing, which complicates online purchases.
Would eBay please establish a shoe measurement guide? There is guidance for how to measure a men's blazer dimensions (chest, waist, shoulders, sleeves and length, which is great. For shoes, the guidance given is to trace your foot on paper and measure the outline. Sorry, but that is poor advice. Firstly, most manufacturer's shoe size guides, if they give foot dimensions, have built-in assumptions for how snug or loose the shoe would be. For me, the recommended size is always much too big. Secondly, I've tried measuring my foot several times and I can get a significant variation in dimensions depending on how rested my feet are and how accurately I traced my foot. And, how wide my foot is unconstrained by shoes on the floor doesn't necessarily mean a shoe a little narrower than that wouldn't feel like a good fit. Why not, like the advice for clothing, advise the buyer to measure the dimensions of shoes that fit you well. Sellers can follow the same guidance to measure shoes dimensions. I have found a spooling metal tape measure 1/2" to 11/16" wide works well to measure the inside length of a shoe, or to measure the overall length of a removable insole. The width of a removable insole can also be measured. But there is need of some specific cautions to be sure the shoe sole is flattened when measuring, as a shoe's toe end may curl upward, resulting in a misleadingly shorter length. The outsole length likewise requires the sole be flattened or else the measurement will be misleadingly long. Women's shoes with a heel need to be measured along the insole, which is admittedly trickier to do. The outsole width should be measured perpendicular to the long axis if the shoe at its widest point, not at some diagonal angle. The width of welted sole dress shoe or boot will be wider than the foot, so the buyer should compare like for like shoe measurements. Having an eBay defined measurement guide establishes a commonality for buyers and sellers to use to enhance the success of the sale. Returns of items that didn't fit are undesirable and costly for buyers and sellers and a detraction from the positive experience of buying online. Simply having shoe width and length measurements (and even better to have photos of the measurements made with a tape measure) greatly reduce the risk of unsuccessful sales because the item "doesn't fit". I'm not asking for a mandate, just a guide and a recommendation for sellers to include shoe measurements and garment measurements in their listings.
mudshark61369
·3 weeks ago · Edited@wanderingalaskan ,
A month or so back, there was a similar issue posted on this board by a person who bought a pair of shoes that they had bought before that fit well. However, the ones they received in the same box with the same shoe size on it did not fit as well. So they thought they had received counterfeit ones.
Not having much to do that day I did a little research into shoe Mfr. sizing, finding out that each Mfr. sized their shoe size/widths differently, and if they felt that more people were buying a particular style for running as opposed to walking, they widened the width a bit, without differentiating them between running and walking shoes. They also had changed the soles from a one piece construction to one that had the different treads glued on.
I know I was very disappointed when I went to buy the same Brand and style of shoe I had worn for awhile only to find that they had changed it from a rounded toe to a more pointed one, that pinched my toes together, with glued on treads,. I had to go to several stores to find the older style ones and I bought a couple of pairs. I'll probably have to switch to a different maker's shoes when I wear them out. Each Mfr. using different, measuring on their brand is why there is not a set measure available for online selling.
wanderingalaskan
OP3 weeks agoThanks. this is interesting, another potential challenge to relying on a brand/model/size being a reliable fit. I submitted my suggestion to eBay. In fact, I didn't find a guide to measuring garments, either. If they had one they took it down. I do find that getting the length and width goes at least 80% of the way to ensuring a fit for shoes. It really cuts down on me having to return shoes that don't fit. Same for clothes: pants and shirts/jackets, hats. I have in my closet clothes from XS to XXL that fit me just right!
roccotacodad54
·3 weeks agoIf shoe manufacturers can't get it right eBay won't either.
I wear from a size 10 1/2 to 11 1/2 depending on brand.
Two clothing items I've learned to always buy in person, shoes and hats.......................................
simba6
·3 weeks agoShoes are not the best items to purchase mail order.
soh.maryl
·3 weeks agoWhen I buy shoes on eBay, I buy one brand only and I know what size I wear in that brand. If I were to be interested in a different brand, I'd first request that the seller do the measurements for me.
janet9988
·3 weeks agoEbay is not here on these buyer/seller community boards.
ahsan423
·3 weeks agoI think that was a good idea i appreciate it..
dbmm-media
·3 weeks agolooks like ai slop