# Why Do Shoe Sizes Come In Such Small Increments?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-shoe-sizes-come-in-such-small-increments/100242>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 26, 2002, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-shoe-sizes-come-in-such-small-increments/100242 "2002-03-26T21:05:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Krispy\_Original](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ec9cab/32.png) [@Krispy\_Original](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krispy_Original)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-shoe-sizes-come-in-such-small-increments/100242/21 "2002-03-28T02:09:58Z")

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Doctor Martens shoes (manufactured in U.K.) come only in full sizes.

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**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-shoe-sizes-come-in-such-small-increments/100242/22 "2002-03-28T02:29:42Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Cat In The Cape \*  
> \*\*They don’t come in ENOUGH sizes.  
> Remember when every store carried narrow and wide in every size and style?  
> I do, because I have narrow feet and my brother had wide. Now we both complain that no shoes ever fit, unless we go to the $100 a pair kind at the Haberdashery-type stores. \*\*

I have that problem. My solution is to look at the form of the shoe. If it is a wide shoe, I buy my size(or sometimes smaller). If it is too narrow(boots, tight sandals, high-heels), I buy a size larger.

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**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-shoe-sizes-come-in-such-small-increments/100242/23 "2002-03-28T04:25:24Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Surreal \*  
> \*\*Why do shoe sizes come in such small increments? \*\*

And would you believe that there is no standard as to how big a shoe is? I have great fitting shoes varying from an 8½ to 10, but they all fit great.

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