ISO 9407:2019—Footwear Sizing

There are at least thirty-eight factors, many subjective, that determine the fit of a shoe—such as midsole cushioning, heel elevation, weight, lacing, perceptual factors, shoe microclimate, wear time, and insoles. ISO 9407:2019—Footwear sizing – Mondopoint system of sizing and marking covers footwear sizing designations and marking systems.

Development of Mirrored Left and Right Shoes

Philadelphia cobbler William Young was one of the first to produce mirrored left and right shoes for his customers from 1817. The invention gradually took off. Reportedly, it took the adaptation of a gun stock lathe at the beginning of the 19th century to begin the slow movement leading to left and right lasts (i.e., a three-dimensional mold that defines the shape, size, and fit of a shoe). The machinery employed in producing these firearm components were capable of making a mirror copy of a model, and this was eventually adapted to manufacture left and right lasts. This finally allowed for the mass production of low-cost mirrored pairs of lasts.

What Is ISO 9407?

ISO 9407:2019 specifies a method of designation and marking of footwear size called Mondopoint, based on defined measurements of the foot that the footwear is intended to fit. The international standard notes that Mondopoint sizing should be expressed using the measurement, in millimeters, corresponding to the length of the foot, and, if required, to the linear width of the foot, without mention of the measurement unit.

This document is applicable to all types of footwear.

What Is Mondopoint?

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) first created Mondopoint (“mondo” meaning, “world”) in the 1970s as a universal footwear sizing system for measuring foot length. This sizing designation is officially calculated by measuring the length and width of your foot in millimeters. It is commonly used for ski boots, but it can also be used for other types of footwear.

History of Shoe Numbering

King Edward II (1284–1327) is often credited with introducing a formalized system for sizing shoes based on the barleycorn. The first description of a system for sizing shoes, however, was not documented for several more centuries; it appeared in Randle Holme’s The Academy of Armory and Blazon (1688), which uses a quarter of an inch between sizes. ‘The size of a shooe’, Holme’s wrote ‘is the measure of its length which is in Children divided into 13 parts; and in Men and Women into 15 parts’.

Why Is the Europe and American Shoe Sizing System Different?

The European and American shoe sizing systems differ because they use different measurement units. Europe primarily using a system based on centimeters called “Paris points.” On the other hand. the US system is based on barleycorns, which are roughly 1/3 of an inch.

This leads to different size designations for the same foot length; essentially, a US size will often be slightly larger than a corresponding European size. 

ISO 9407:2019—Footwear sizing – Mondopoint system of sizing and marking is available on the ANSI Webstore.