Sizelane

How much toe room should shoes have?

Three brands we read put a number on the gap between your longest toe and the end of the shoe: about 10 mm (Blundstone), half an inch or 12.7 mm (Steve Madden), and 6 to 14 mm (Vivobarefoot). Others say a thumb or a finger.

By Sizelane · Published 2026-11-01 · Numbers computed from the official charts on this site

What brands say

The last column is our summary of each statement; the link goes to the brand's wording. No brand statement we have collected says a full inch.

BrandIn mmWhat the brand says (our summary)
BlundstoneAbout 10 mmLeave roughly 1 cm between your toes and the front of the boot; boots stretch slightly over the instep but not in length. Source
Steve Madden12.7 mm (half an inch)Measure standing, in the socks or stockings you will wear; allow about half an inch between your longest toe and the end of the shoe. Source
Vivobarefoot6 to 14 mmThe brand suggests about 6-14 mm of toe room; narrow feet or a snug preference may suit a size down, wide feet a roomier fit. Source
BrooksNo numberLeave about a thumb's width between your longest toe and the tip of the shoe; consider a half size up from your measured size. Source
HanwagNo numberLeave almost a finger's width in front of the toes; with light textile shoes, also try half a size larger. Source
New BalanceNo numberLeave room to wiggle your toes; the heel should be snug without slipping. Source

Two other figures are additions to your foot before you read a table, not gaps in front of the toes. Gabor: Add 0.4 cm to the measured foot so the foot has room to roll in the shoe. Source. On: JP sizes are in centimetres: measure your bare foot against a wall and add about 1 cm for an indication of size. Source.

Where the inside length is printed

Two brands print both the inside length and the foot length, so the difference is plain arithmetic.

Brand and sizeInside lengthFoot lengthDifference
Peter Kaiser EU 35.523.7 cm22.2 cm15 mm
Peter Kaiser EU 38.525.8 cm24.3 cm15 mm
Peter Kaiser EU 4228 cm26.5 cm15 mm
bLIFESTYLE Kids EU 1811.7 cmup to 10.7 cm10 mm
bLIFESTYLE Kids EU 3020.1 cmup to 19 cm11 mm
bLIFESTYLE Adults EU 3624.1 cmup to 23.4 cm7 mm
bLIFESTYLE Adults EU 4228 cmup to 27.4 cm6 mm
Peter Kaiser women's size chart with a note listing inside lengths
Peter Kaiser's table lists the foot length, and the note below it the inside length. All 11 sizes differ by 15 mm. Open the Peter Kaiser chart

The two are not the same kind of shoe. bLIFESTYLE makes barefoot shoes, and its foot figure is the top of a printed range.

Why a size chart cannot answer this

It is tempting to read the gap between a chart's foot length and its size in cm as toe room. At Nike, US 9 lists JP 27 and CM 26.2, a gap of 8 mm. But that gap changes with the size: at HOKA it runs from 0 to 15 mm across the chart. It comes from two numbering scales, not from the inside of a shoe.

BrandGap at US 9Smallest gapLargest gap
Salomon5 mm5 mm5 mm
Crockett & Jones6 mm1 mm14 mm
HOKA6 mm0 mm15 mm
TOMS6 mm2.9 mm10.6 mm
adidas7 mm-1 mm15 mm
Jordan8 mm3 mm28 mm
Nike8 mm3 mm28 mm
KEEN10 mm6 mm24 mm
Ariat13 mm11 mm21 mm
Nike men's size chart with US 9 highlighted, showing JP 27 and CM 26.2
Nike's row for US 9: JP says 27 and CM says 26.2. Neighbouring rows differ by other amounts. Open the Nike chart

Children's shoes

BrandIn mmWhat the brand says (our summary)
Living Kitzbühel10 to 12 mmFor children, add 1 to 1.2 cm to the measured foot length; where the feet differ, use the longer one. Source
SauconyNo numberFor kids, leave about a thumb's width at the front. Source
RICOSTAIncluded in its toolsThe growth allowance is already included in the WMS template and the size calculator. Source
hummelPer modelHummel's kids' model tables list inner length without growth room; it publishes the suggested growth room per model. Source

Why there is no single number here

These figures measure different things, so we list them instead of averaging them. If you are between sizes, the step you are choosing between is 4 to 5 mm, and running shoes have their own advice.

Find your size from your foot length Print a foot measure

Sources

Size data: the source register, read with the method described here.

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