News release

From: RMIT University

Most women in a new RMIT University study wore shoe sizes that differed from the size indicated by their foot length, highlighting the limitations of conventional sizing systems in accounting for differences in foot width and shape.

The study of 107 women found 72% wore a different size under US sizing and 65% under EU sizing.

More participants wore a larger size than their foot length indicated – 59% under US sizing and 52% under EU sizing.

The researchers say this tendency to size up suggests some women may be compensating for shoes that do not adequately accommodate their foot width, rather than simply choosing the wrong size.

Supporting this explanation, women assigned the same shoe size based on foot length varied by up to 40mm around the widest part of the foot under US sizing and 37mm under EU sizing.

The study, published in the International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education, also found 68% of participants had at least one recurring problem with shoe fit.

Co-author Associate Professor Saniyat Islam, from RMIT’s School of Fashion and Textiles, said the findings exposed the limitations of footwear sizing systems that relied heavily on length.

“Australian women aren’t bad at buying shoes – the sizing system is bad at describing their feet,” Islam said.

“Women are often forced to choose between the right length and the right width because a single shoe size does not capture the shape of their feet.

“They may be choosing a larger shoe because it is often the only way to achieve a comfortable fit.”

Most shoes are sold in only one width, despite the study finding enough variation among women with the same foot length to require about six or seven width options to accommodate them.

Islam said expanding the availability of width fittings would do more to improve fit than relying on length-based sizing and half-sizes alone.

“Offering more width options would give consumers a better chance of finding shoes that fit both the length and width of their feet,” he said.

The findings also point to the importance of considering Australia’s multi-ethnic population when designing footwear.

Of the 25 participants who said shoes were often too narrow, 60% were from North-East Asian, South-East Asian or Southern Asian backgrounds. The study was not designed to establish differences between individual ethnic groups, and the researchers said further research with a larger sample would be needed.

Co-author Associate Professor Carol Tan from RMIT said the findings underscored the need to investigate whether current footwear sizing systems adequately reflected the diversity of foot shapes in Australia.

“Footwear sizing still largely reflects a narrow range of Western foot shapes, despite Australia having one of the world’s most diverse populations,” Tan said.

“If we’re serious about designing products that work for the people who use them, we need to recognise that foot length is only part of the story.”

The researchers also recommended clearer sizing information to help consumers navigate inconsistent sizing across brands and the US, UK and EU systems.

More than half of the participants did not know their UK shoe size, highlighting the confusion consumers can face when comparing international sizing systems.

‘One size fits small: exploring the shoe size preferences of Australian women and their implications for shoe design’, by Barbara Pallaspuro, Saniyat Islam & Caroline Swee Lin Tan, is published in the International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education. (DOI: 10.1080/17543266.2026.2709095).