Health News

Average shoe size for women in the United States and worldwide

Your feet help you stay active, support you while you hold and establish your balance. The size of your feet can play a role in their operation. However, wearing good -size shoes for your feet is usually the most important factor to maintain health and quality of feet.

The average size of shoes is not followed as frequently or precisely as more vital statistics, such as cancer survival rates. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) believes that The average size of shoes for women in the United States is between size 7 and 9.

In addition, shoes from different brands can vary in size, a brand being slightly larger or smaller than shoes labeled of the same size from a different brand. This can make average sizes more difficult to determine.

Tanya Herbert holds the record for the biggest feet for a woman in the world – and she is from the United States, her right foot measures 13.03 inches, which is a size 18 of American women’s sizes. Herbert, which measures 6 feet 9 inches high, set the record in 2022.

The measures of the shoe sizes vary according to the different countries. For example, size 8 of women in the United States is a size 6 in the United Kingdom

The average size of shoes for women varies slightly based on the country or region where the woman resides. Below you will find a graph comparing the lower end of the average sizes for women. The sizes are listed in American sizes.

Country Size
Canada 7.0
China 6.0
Germany 7.0
France 6.5
India 5.0
Ireland 6.5
Israel 6.5
Italy 6.5
Japan 5.5
Mexico 6.0
Russia 7.0
Spain 6.5
Swiss 6.5
Türkiye 6.5
United Kingdom 6.5

The average size of shoes for women varies during a lifetime. For example, age, pregnancy and higher weight gain can all affect the size of your shoe and change it. Here are some factors that affect a person’s size:

  • Pregnancy: Many women report an increase in the size of shoes during pregnancy. Often it is because their feet have become wider and more flat. This increase in size can be due to hormonal relaxin, which increases during pregnancy or due to additional weight gain. Feet changes can occur in the second trimester.
  • Age and menopause: As you are 50, your feet have traveled more than 75,000 miles. Due to this wear on your feet, your foot structure may change, which pushed them to grow and more flatter and affect the size of your shoe. In addition, once you reach menopause, your body does not produce so many estrogens, which can cause laxity in the ligaments of your foot. This can also change the size of your shoe.
  • Weight changes: Your foot size is directly linked to your body size. So, if you gain weight, the size of your shoe will also increase. A higher body weight can also cause stress on the ligaments and other structures of your foot and affect its size. Losing weight can also affect the size of the shoe. A study revealed that people who had undergone weight loss surgery experienced a decrease in the size of shoes.
  • Go barefoot: When you walk barefoot, especially for long periods, your foot and your bow are not supported. Although this can strengthen your foot in some cases, it can also affect the size of the shoe. A study revealed that people who regularly go bare feet for long periods, or even walk or run barefoot, can have wider feet.

The size shoe you wear, or more precisely, whether or not you wear the right shoe size for your feet, can affect your health and well-being. Researchers discovered that wearing bad size can cause foot problems. This can cause pain and negatively affect your posture and approach. When this happens, it can cause problems in other parts of your body.

Feet

About 24% of people have at least one state or concern, the elderly encountering more problems than young adults. In addition, 29% of women experience feet pain most of the time of the month.

One way to avoid these problems is to determine how the foot touches the floor and stabilize the foot and ankle, which often starts by wearing the right shoe. This can also reduce the risk of deformations of walking feet and disabilities. Meanwhile, having foot problems can considerably affect your quality of life, especially for women.

Diseases can also affect shoes size and feet health. Here are some chronic conditions that can affect both the health of your foot and the size of the shoes you need:

  • Arthritis
  • Drop
  • Diabetes
  • Cardiovascular problems
  • Bursitis (inflammation of the bags filled with liquid which surround the joints for cushioning)
  • Stumps, sprains and fractures
  • Haglund deformation (pump bump; bone growth on the heel)
  • Onions
  • Hammer toes

Balance

Your foot size, as well as wearing properly adjusted shoes, can also have an impact on your balance and stability. As a rule, people with larger feet have a better balance and tend to influence less than people with smaller feet.

This phenomenon is probably linked to the largest surface and increased support offered by a larger foot, especially when the foot is proportional to the size of the body. Likewise, people with narrower feet can also feel more unstable or unbalanced.

The average size of shoes for women in the United States is between 7 and 9 years old, according to WHO. This size can fluctuate during a person’s life and is influenced by factors such as age, menopause, pregnancy and lifestyle.

The size of your foot can also have an impact on your health, especially if you wear the bad size shoe. If you encounter problems with your feet or if you are not sure of the size you need to wear, see a health care provider like a podiatrist.

Health.com only uses high -quality sources, including studies evaluated by peers, to support the facts of our articles. Read our editorial process to find out more about how we check the facts and keep our content precise, reliable and trustworthy.
  1. World Health Organization. Average shoe size by the country 2025.

  2. Guinness World Records. The greatest feet on a living person (woman).

  3. World Health Organization. Size of the shoe by Country 2025.

  4. Segal Na, Boyer Er, Teran-Yengle P, Glass Na, Hillstrom HJ, Yack HJ. Pregnancy leads to lasting changes in the structure of the feet. Am j phys Med rehabil. 2013; 92 (3): 232-240. DOI: 10.1097 / PHM.0B013E31827443A9

  5. American Podiatric Medical Association. Conditions affecting the foot and ankle.

  6. Chidi-Ogbolu n, Baar K. Effect of estrogens on musculoskeletal performance and the risk of injury. Physiol Front. 2019; 9: 1834. Doi: 10.3389 / FPHYS. 2018.01834

  7. Şen o, türkçapar ag, yerdel ma. The effects of the sleeve gastrectomy on shoes’ size a year after surgery. Turk J Surg. 2017; 33 (4): 284-287. Two: 10.5152 / UCD.2017.3584

  8. Cicek Ei, Kose O, Yaps D, Yapar A, Cakar A, Demiralp B. Is the size of the foot larger in the generations?. Foot and ankle. I am 2023; 21 (4): 311-317. DOI: 10.1016 / J.PUSPRU.2023.01.002

  9. Netherlands K, him, Van le Dc Persan, Braumn, Zem, Zerong-Teigh-Imptoseed of the usual barefoot and walks: and Revue Savetatic. Med SCI Sports Exercise. 2017; 49 (4): 752-762. DOI: 10.1249 / MSS.0000000000001141

  10. Buldt AK, Menz HB. Incorrectly adjusted shoes, foot pain and foot disorders: a systematic search and a narrative review of literature. J Foot Ankle Res. 2018; 11: 43. DOI: 10.1186 / S13047-018-0284-Z

  11. Riskowski J, Dufour Ab, Hannan Mt. Arthritis, foot pain and shoe wear: current musculoskeletal research on the feet. Curr OISTE RHEUMATOL. 2011; 23 (2): 148-155. DOI: 10.1097 / bor.0b013e3283422cf5

  12. López-lópez D, Becerro-de-Bengoa-Vallejo R, Losa-Iglesias Me, et al. Evaluation of the quality of life linked to the health of feet in people with sex problems by sex: a transversal comparative analysis study. Open BMJ. 2018; 8 (10): E023980. DOI: 10.1136 / BMJOPEN-2018-023980

  13. Qiu H, Xiong S. The influence of feet size on human balance. Proc hum factors ergon seve meet. 2013; 57 (1): 920-924. DOI: 10.1177 / 1541931213571204

  14. American Academy of OrthopeDic Surgeons. Tight shoes and foot problems.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button