Shoes


METRICATION: 1% complete

	Metric	Non-metric
	Some use of Mondopoint in online sales	Shoe length measured in “size number”
		Shoe width measured in “size width code”

Metrication

In 1974, the Distributive Industry Training Board published a booklet called The Metric Shop, which gave advice about metrication to traders in a wide range of sectors of the retail industry.

For the sale of shoes, it was anticipated that the old system of shoe sizes based on barleycorns would soon be replaced by a new international shoe size system based on foot lengths and widths in millimetres.

The Metric Shop – 1974

“International agreement is being sought for the introduction of a new system of sizing called Mondopoint. And this is based directly on foot lengths and widths in millimetres. It will mean that the guide sizes 6, 7, 8, and so on and the fittings E, F, G, etc, will be replaced by numbers such as 262/99 which will accurately indicate actual foot length and width in millimetres. Mondopoint however is not likely to be introduced before 1976.”

The Metric Shop – 1974

Mondopoint

In the Mondopoint system, shoe sizes are described by foot length and foot width in millimetres. Shoe lengths increase in either 5 mm or 7.5 mm steps. In multi-fitting ranges, the shoe width interval would be either 3 mm or 4 mm.

Unlike the current barleycorn-based shoe guide size system, which requires specialised gauges or the use of complicated arithmetic formulae to find the correct shoe size, measuring feet for shoes sized using the Mondopoint system is straight forward, and can be carried out with any conventional metric ruler. However, it is likely that specialised gauges would continue to be used in shoe shops.

Mondopoint	UK	EU	US men	US women
120	4	20	4½	4½
125	4½	21	5	5
130	5	22	5½	5½
135	5½	23	6	6
140	6½	23	6½	6½
145	7	24	7	7
150	7½	25	8	8
155	8	26	8½	8½
160	8½	26	9	9
165	9½	27	9½	9½
170	10	28	10	10
175	10½	29	11	11
180	11	29	11½	11½
185	11½	30	12	12
190	12	31	12½	1
195	13	32	1	2
200	13½	32	1½	2½
205	1	33	2	3
210	1½	34	2½	3½
215	2	35	3	4
220	3	35	4	5
225	3½	36	4½	5½
230	4	37	5	6
235	4½	38	5½	6½
240	5	38	6	7
245	5½	39	6½	7½
250	6½	40	7½	8½
255	7	41	8	9
260	7½	41	8½	9½
265	8	42	9	10
270	8½	43	9½	10½
275	9½	44	10½	11½
280	10	44	11	12
285	10½	45	11½	12½
290	11	46	12	13
295	11½	47	12½	13½
300	12	47	13	14
305	13	48	14	15
310	13½	49	14½	15½
315	14	50	15	16
320	14½	50	15½	16½

Sizes shown in green are children’s sizes

Since 1974, little progress has been made with the adoption of the Mondopoint system. Noteable exceptions include specialised applications, such as ski boots, and some online sales, where the accurate sizing of the system reduces the number of goods that have to be returned due to poor fitting.