Australian Women Suffering Because Of Shoe Sizing Foot-Width Fails, RMIT Study Finds

The majority of Australian women are wearing shoes that do not match their measured foot length, with many sizing up to compensate for footwear that fails to accommodate the width and shape of their feet, according to new research from RMIT University.

The study, which measured the feet of 107 women and compared the results against standard sizing charts, found 72 per cent wore a different size under US sizing and 65 per cent under EU sizing. In both cases, more participants wore a larger size than their foot length indicated: 59 per cent under US sizing and 52 per cent under EU sizing.

The researchers argue the tendency to size up is not a case of women choosing poorly, but rather a rational response to sizing systems that rely too heavily on length while ignoring the considerable variation in foot width across the population.

Co-Author and Associate Professor, Saniyat Islam, from RMIT’s School of Fashion and Textiles, put it bluntly.

“Australian women aren’t bad at buying shoes – the sizing system is bad at describing their feet,” Islam remarked.

“Women are often forced to choose between the right length and the right width because a single shoe size does not capture the shape of their feet. They may be choosing a larger shoe because it is often the only way to achieve a comfortable fit.”

Width Variation Far Greater Than Current Sizing Allows

The study, published in the International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education, found that among women assigned the same shoe size based on foot length, joint girth varied by up to 40mm under US sizing and 37mm under EU sizing.

That degree of variation would require approximately six or seven width fittings to properly accommodate, yet the vast majority of shoes are sold in only one width.

A single shoe size offered in one width fitting is estimated to fit only about half of the population. For the other half, the options are limited: buy a size that does not match, or go without.

Islam argued that expanding the availability of width fittings would do more to improve fit than relying on length-based sizing and half-sizes alone.

“Offering more width options would give consumers a better chance of finding shoes that fit both the length and width of their feet,” he explained.

Fit Problems Widespread Among Participants

The study found that 68 per cent of participants reported experiencing at least one recurring problem with shoe fit when purchasing footwear. Common complaints included shoes being too narrow, inconsistent sizing across brands and width-related discomfort.

Participants from North-East Asian, South-East Asian and Southern Asian backgrounds represented 60 per cent of those who reported often finding shoes too narrow. The study was not designed to establish differences between individual ethnic groups, and the researchers acknowledged that further research with a larger sample would be needed to explore this pattern.

More than half of the participants did not know their UK shoe size, highlighting the confusion consumers face when navigating the different international sizing systems used across brands in the Australian market.

A Market Worth $2.4 Billion With A Persistent Fitting Problem

Women’s footwear accounts for nearly half of the Australian footwear market at 49.4 per cent, representing $2.4 billion in annual revenue. Online purchases continue to grow, with 39.5 per cent of Australian footwear sales taking place online in 2023.

The lack of sizing standardisation across the industry has contributed to high return rates. The estimated cost of processing a returned item for retailers is 66 per cent of the item’s original price, and many consumers resort to purchasing multiple sizes of the same shoe and returning the ones that do not fit.

Ill-fitting footwear also carries a public health cost. In Australia, the estimated cost of managing foot, ankle and leg problems in primary care is $256 million. Related costs on the healthcare system include $213 million in subsidies for private podiatry services and an estimated $4 billion for the management of foot diseases in public hospitals. The researchers noted many of the conditions covered under these costs could be prevented or reduced with correctly fitted footwear.

Diversity Of Foot Shapes Not Reflected In Current Sizing

Australia does not have its own shoe sizing system, instead relying on the American and European scales. Both were developed using predominantly Western foot morphology, which presents a challenge for a country where foreign-born residents account for 30.7 per cent of the population.

The RMIT study found a larger variance in foot dimensions compared to similar studies conducted in Bangladesh, Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong, a result the researchers attributed to the ethnic diversity of the Australian population.

Co-Author and Associate Professor, Carol Tan, from RMIT, warned that current sizing systems are not keeping pace with the diversity of the market they serve.

“Footwear sizing still largely reflects a narrow range of Western foot shapes, despite Australia having one of the world’s most diverse populations,” Tan observed.

“If we’re serious about designing products that work for the people who use them, we need to recognise that foot length is only part of the story.”

What Sizing Up Really Means

Previous research has consistently found that women tend to wear ill-fitting shoes, but this study differs from earlier work in one key respect: the majority of women were wearing a larger size rather than a smaller one.

The researchers argue this pattern is more plausibly explained by width and girth constraints than by simple consumer error. When a shoe is too narrow, the common workaround is to buy a longer size to gain additional room across the foot. The result is a shoe that may fit the width but is too long, creating its own set of problems.

The study also found that footwear selection involves deliberate trade-offs between length, width, heel height and toe shape. A worn size that departs from the length-indicated measurement may represent a considered strategy for comfort rather than a mistake.

Researchers Call For Industry Collaboration

The researchers recommended clearer sizing information at the point of sale to help consumers navigate inconsistent sizing across brands and the US, UK and EU systems. They also called for an expansion of width fittings within existing size runs and a review of shoe last dimensions against the girth ranges identified in the study.

The adoption of a foot-length based system such as Mondopoint, which uses a 5mm interval between whole sizes, could offer a more transparent alternative, the researchers suggested, though any change to Australia’s sizing framework would need to be considered alongside broader width and grading reforms.

The team is looking to work with footwear companies to make sizing more inclusive and has invited organisations interested in partnering on the research to get in touch.

The study, titled “One size fits small: exploring the shoe size preferences of Australian women and their implications for shoe design,” was authored by Barbara Pallaspuro, Saniyat Islam and Caroline Swee Lin Tan. It is published in the International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education.

Pictured: The modified Brannock device and measuring tape used in the study.

Last Updated on September 5, 2026 by Nick Ross