Exact Shoe Last Measurements for All Sizes and Styles

This update has been a while in the making but is finally here. It is now possible to select any shoe last from our collection, choose a size and width, and check the corresponding measurements. And not just length and ball width, but a fairly comprehensive list, including heel height. These measurements are available when you click a check box labeled ‘Show Measurements’ in the product options.

Up until now, ordering shoe lasts online has been a bit of a gamble. We’ve had numerous customers mention their frustration working with Eastern European Etsy shops in particular. Even when you can specify widths, you might still end up getting something totally off the mark. We were already trying to do better than that by providing detailed shoe last sizing charts. But we wanted to go above and beyond in this area, hence the current update.

Also, we ourselves often have to deviate from our own grading charts for stylistic or orthopedic reasons. For instance, our pointed toe shoe lasts will have extra length to allow for a similar amount of toe space as with a round toe shoe last of the same size. And on some of our orthopedic shoe lasts, we often increase the girths beyond the grading chart specifications given the default space for insoles/orthotics is greater (listed girth measurements get updated when changing the insole/orthotic depth). In general, there are many reasons why we might deviate from our own grading charts, and so it’s important we provide measurements on an individual shoe last basis.

Knowing the measurements for a given style and size of shoe last is also useful for those ordering custom shoe lasts from us. By knowing the standard measurements, it takes a lot of the risk out of tweaking them to get exactly what you want. As a rule of thumb, we generally recommend not deviating by more than 5% from the corresponding measurement of a shoe last closest in size.

We hope you all find this update helpful. It was a big project for something seemingly obvious. But now that it is here, it will work for all of our shoe lasts going forward.

Please let us know what else you would like to see from us!