What Is the Average Shoe Size for Women?
Artificial intelligence is changing our world daily — and that holds true when it comes to understanding our feet.
In recent years, companies such as Volumental and Aetrex have introduced AI-driven imaging machines to brick-and-mortar storefronts. The machines scan customers’ feet to recommend the best footwear or insole products — and they’ve also accumulated immense amounts of data, which researchers have used to get a clear picture of what our feet actually look like.
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For instance, we now have firm evidence that the average shoe size for women in the U.S. is a size 8, according to Aetrex’s Foot.com database. The company also estimated that size 8 is the average for women globally.
From there, the insights get even more interesting.
Volumental, which has a database of 60 million scans across 60 countries, found that women have slightly larger feet in Europe than North America. However, the most common foot length in both regions is 245 millimeters, or 9.64 inches (which would fit a U.S. size 7.5 or 8 shoe, depending on the manufacturer).
Women in Asia, meanwhile, have significantly smaller feet. Their most common foot length is 235 millimeters, or 9.25 inches, according to Volumental. That would fit a U.S. size 6.5 or 7 shoe.
But ironically, female customers in Asia have significantly wider feet than customers in Europe and the U.S., Volumental found. Women in Europe and the U.S. have very similar mean foot widths.
When it comes to comparing the foot width for men versus women, Volumental discovered that men’s feet tend to be significantly wider than women’s feet, even when the length is the same. So if a shoe is designed to fit the average man’s feet, it will be too wide for the average woman’s feet. Which is one reason female consumers — especially sneaker lovers — have been asking for years that manufacturers build footwear based on a women’s foot mold (called a “last”).
Now, thanks to this wealth of data from 3D foot scans, a growing number of shoe companies are using a women’s last as the basis for new and updated sneaker designs. For instance, Lululemon tapped into Volumental’s data to create the foundation for its 2022 performance footwear launch.
How Our Feet Are Changing
Interestingly, average shoe sizes have changed over the decades.
In 2012, the National Shoe Retailers Association conducted a study among its members, asking footwear stores about which sizes are the most popular among customers. Retailers reported that the most popular size for women was 8.5 — that’s a full size larger than the most popular size 30 years ago (7.5).
Experts have said the reason could be tied to overall health. Americans, for instance, have gotten taller and heavier, so our feet may have grown proportionate to our expanding bodies.
Another less than positive development with feet is the prevalence of Hallux Valgus, or, as it’s more commonly known, bunions.
Through its scanning research, Volumental found that bunions are the most common foot deformity in the world. It recently reported that 25 percent of women in North America and Europe have a big toe angle larger than 15 degrees, which is an indication of bunions.
The issue is even more widespread in Asia, where 57 percent of the female population had a more than 15-degree angle on their big toe. The company speculated that was due to the prevailing beauty norms of wearing the smallest shoes possible.
How to Find Your Shoe Size
To determine the right shoe size, there are now multiple new and old-school options.
The latest innovation is 3D foot scans, which offer a quick and easy method to get an accurate assessment of your feet.
For instance, the Albert machines from Aetrex take 20 seconds or less to generate a 3D image of the foot, measuring length, width and girth, as well as the arch height and instep. Using that information, shoppers can get customized recommendations for shoes and orthotic inserts to help address any foot concerns. They can also save their information in the company’s Foot.com site to inform future purchases.
Scanning devices by companies like Aetrex and Volumental are found in thousands of shoe retailers across the globe, especially in smaller shops that pride themselves on customer service, like independent footwear stores and specialty running stores. But chains like Foot Locker, DSW and Fleet Feet in the U.S. also feature the scanning machines for adults and kids.
Only like to shop online, though? There’s an option for you, too. Tech companies have introduced mobile apps, which use cell phone cameras to scan feet. However, the companies have admitted that, while effective, these mobile systems are slower and not as accurate as the in-store devices — at least, for now. As the programs amass more images and data, the AI will learn and eventually provide more exact results.
And for those who prefer a low-tech option, there is always the classic Brannock Device. Patented by Charles Brannock in 1926 and 1927, it has been the standard measuring tool for feet in stores for almost a century. And it remains largely unchanged. The flat metal surface is marked with size measurements and equipped with heel cups for the right and left feet, with adjustable sliders to determine width and arch length.
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