01 of 08 The Right Size Is the Key to Comfort You probably know your shoe size—or at least, you think you do. Your foot size can change over time, though, and even with the time of day. Wearing the wrong size shoes can cause blisters, abrasions, pain, long-term injury, and even back issues. Sure, you can try them on in the store, but without measurements, you might not even realize you should consider a larger or smaller shoe than what you're buying. Plus, a lot of great styles are available online, but, of course, you can't try before you buy. All this makes getting an accurate foot size measurement more important than ever.

02 of 08 You Don't Need a Brannock Device Foto © Brannock Device Co., Inc. Figuring out your shoe size at home isn't difficult. In fact, it's very easy to measure your feet without using any special equipment. Then, you just apply the result to a manufacturer's size chart to find a proper fit. Remember, though: Feet are three-dimensional, and most size charts only account for two of those dimensions. In the end, you won't know if you have the precise size you need until you try the shoes on and walk in them a bit.

03 of 08 What You'll Need You won't require anything special to get an accurate shoe size measurement, just: A chair

Socks

Two pieces of paper that larger than your feet

A pencil, pen, or marker

Tape

A ruler or measuring tape

04 of 08 Trace Your Feet Put on a pair of socks similar to those you plan to wear with the shoes you're buying. Then: Tape the paper down to the floor. Sit on the chair and plant one foot firmly on the floor, with your leg bent slightly forward so that your shin is just in front of your ankle. Trace the outline of your foot, holding the pencil upright and perpendicular to the paper. Don't hold it at an angle: You'll end up tracing under your foot and will get an inaccurate measurement. Make sure the pencil is aligned snugly against your foot as you trace. Use your pencil to mark the widest and longest parts of your feet. Repeat for the other foot. (Most people's feet are slightly different lengths and widths. For some people, that difference could be a half or whole shoe size.) You may find it helpful to have someone else trace your feet.

05 of 08 Measure the Length of Your Feet Use a ruler to measure the length of your foot tracing. Find the closest mark that you can on your ruler; for inches, use the closest 16th mark. Don't round up or down too drastically. Write the measurement down and measure your other foot.

06 of 08 Measure the Width of Your Feet Shoe size is more just one measurement; width is also an important factor. Though widths vary slightly from size to size, the numerical shoe size really addresses only the length of the foot. Knowing your shoe width can make a world of difference when it comes to finding comfortable footwear. Many people need narrow or wide shoes, so this step is just as important as the last. The width of a shoe is denoted by a letter after the numerical size of the shoe (for example, "7B"). Like shoe sizes, women's and men's width designations are different. Use a ruler to measure the widest parts of your feet on the tracings. Again, use the closest mark that you can (usually, 1/16th of an inch).