Shoes
| METRICATION: 1% complete | |||
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| 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 |
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“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 | EUR | 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.
FUN FACT :
Imperial measuring tapes and rulers don’t show barleycorns.
