A Boot Collector Guide

Foot Measuring for Cowboy Boots

Custom boots often start from a standard size, then get adjusted to the specific person wearing them. Measuring your own feet thoroughly — and comparing those numbers to the boot in front of you — is the best way to know whether a "standard size" listing will actually fit.

Measuring a foot with a tape measure

Nine Measurements to Take

  1. Heel height

    Floor to the top of the heel/sole leather.

  2. Shaft height

    Inside the boot, from the heel to the top of the shaft or pull tabs.

  3. Ball of the foot width

    The widest point side to side across the ball of the foot.

  4. Heel width

    Side to side across the middle of the heel.

  5. Heel-to-toe length

    From the inside of the heel to the natural toe area — don't include the pointed tip of a snip or pointed toe, since that area is purely decorative.

  6. Ball of the foot circumference

    All the way around the widest part of the ball of the foot.

  7. Ankle circumference

    From the front of the ankle where it meets the top of the foot (the vamp area), around to the farthest point of the heel. This is the trickiest measurement and the one most likely to keep a foot out of an otherwise "right-sized" boot — a cobbler can typically stretch a boot by a half inch, sometimes up to a full inch, if this measurement comes up just short.

  8. Calf circumference

    Around the thickest part of the center of the calf. For larger calves, a bootie or peewee-style shaft sidesteps the fit problem entirely.

  9. Validate against a boot you already own

    Compare against like-kind boots — measuring a work boot to size a thin, less bulky dress boot (or the reverse) can throw off the comparison.

Worth knowingMost cobblers offer boot stretching, and it's common for leather to stretch up to a full size or width with professional stretching — a safe planning assumption is about a half size. Bootmakers also use different lasts (the foot-shaped form a boot is built around), so sizes aren't perfectly consistent from maker to maker even at the same number.

If a Pair Is Close But Not Perfect

If boots you love measure a touch big, a comfort insert or a thicker pair of socks can close the gap. If they're a little snug but built from a finer, thinner leather, a bit of wear — or a visit to a cobbler for stretching — can often get them there. See our boot sizing guide for how these measurements translate across US, European, and Mexican sizing.