The foot and its morphology.

To make the right choice when buying your first or next pair of high heels, it's important to know the shape of your foot.

It is of course important to take into account the morphology of your feet before making a purchase the accessory of your dreams.

Here are the 3 families:

If your 2nd toe is shorter than your 1st toe: you have an Egyptian foot (50% of the population).
If your 2nd toe is longer than your 1st toe: you have a Greek foot (30% of the population).
If your 2nd toe is the same length as your 1st: you have a Roman foot (20% of the population).

Pointed-toe shoes are ideal for Greek feet.
Round-toed shoes are ideal for Roman feet.

If you want to fit an insole, choose the right shape for your foot type, for greater comfort and aesthetic appeal.

Measure foot length

Start by taking your shoes off... completely! No socks, stockings or tights, just your bare feet.

Take an A4 sheet of white paper and place it on the floor, place your foot on it and draw the perimeter, keeping the pen vertical.

Using a ruler, measure the length of your feet in centimetres.

Every country has its own shoe size scale, and it's important to rely on it before trying on and buying, especially when buying online.

On Internet, you'll find tables corresponding to your size in centimetres and according to country.

Foot morphology

The morphology of your foot will help you choose the appropriate heel height (more precisely, the difference in height between the heel and the sole, if it's a wedge shoe). Here again, we have 3 categories:

If you have a straight (low) arch, i.e. a flat, sunken foot, you'll be more comfortable with a small heel.
If you have a very curved (high) arch, i.e. with a significant hollow between the back and front of the foot, then you can opt for very high heels.
If you have a "normal" (medium) arch, i.e. an intermediate between the two previous dispositions, then medium-high heels are for you.

Know your foot morphology and arch type

Take off your shoes completely, then take a rather thick A4 sheet or plastic sheet and place it on the floor. Moisten the arch of your foot before placing it on the sheet, so you can see which areas are moistened.

Refer to these 4 drawings to find out which type of arch you have.

Does your shoe fit your arch ?

Once on your feet, place a finger in the middle of the foot under the arch:

If the gap is large (1-2 fingers), the heel is too low.
If the space is zero (your foot rests equally in the shoe along its entire length), then the heel height is optimal.
If the space is negative (your arch presses harder than your heel and toes), then the heel is too high.

Feet can change size according to weight (heavy weight = more voluminous), age (older age = less voluminous due to loss of bone mass), time of day (2nd half of the day = more voluminous), season (summer = more voluminous), pregnancy (water retention = more voluminous).

The length of the foot, its width, the curve of the arch, the shape of the toes, are all different from one woman to another, so take seriously the time to try on shoes for your comfort. There's no point in cheating if you don't find the right size, even if the model jumps out at you, you'll soon be disappointed, with pain and cramps... not to mention the awkward gait that breaks all femininity.

The foot and its morphology