How to Size Vellies: Measure Once, Order Right
Sizing is the single reason most people hesitate to buy leather shoes online. It is also easier to get right than almost anyone expects, provided you measure rather than guess. This takes about two minutes.
The paper method
- Put a sheet of paper on a hard floor, against a wall.
- Stand on it with your heel touching the wall and your weight on that foot. Standing matters: your foot lengthens under load.
- Mark the paper at the tip of your longest toe.
- Measure from the wall edge of the paper to the mark.
Do both feet. Almost everyone has one foot slightly longer, and you size to the larger one.
Two things people get wrong
Tracing instead of measuring. Drawing around your foot adds several millimetres of pencil angle and gives a longer number than your actual foot. Mark the toe tip and the heel, then measure between the marks.
Assuming the big toe is longest. For a substantial minority of people the second toe is longer. Measure to whichever actually reaches furthest.
How much leather gives
A genuine leather vellie relaxes by roughly half a size across the first few weeks of wear, then stops. It does not stretch indefinitely, and it does not shrink back.
The practical rule: if you are between sizes, take the larger one. A slightly roomy pair becomes a good fit. A snug pair becomes a slightly less snug pair that still rubs.
Width, which no size chart covers
Length is a number. Width is a shape, and it is where most fit complaints actually come from. If a shoe is tight across the ball of your foot when new, that is the wrong last for your foot and no amount of wearing in will fix it. Length can be adjusted around. Width cannot.
Our men’s vellies are cut wider through the forefoot, ladies vellies use a narrower last, and unisex vellies sit between the two. If you are ordering as a gift and cannot ask, unisex is the safest choice.
Socks change the answer
Measure wearing the socks you will actually wear with the shoes. A thick winter sock can take up most of a half size. If you will wear both thick and thin socks through the year, size for the thicker.
Still unsure?
Send us your heel-to-toe measurement in centimetres and we will tell you which size to order rather than guessing at it together. Email admin@myvellies.co.za. The full range is on the veldskoen page, and delivery is free on orders over R200 anywhere in South Africa.
Frequently asked questions
How do I measure my foot for vellies at home?
Stand on a sheet of paper with your heel against a wall and your weight on the foot, mark the tip of your longest toe, then measure between the wall edge and the mark. Do both feet and size to the larger.
Should I size up or down in vellies?
Up. Leather relaxes roughly half a size over the first few weeks and never comes back, so a slightly roomy pair settles into a good fit while a snug pair stays snug.
Do vellies stretch?
They relax rather than stretch indefinitely. Expect about half a size of give across the first few weeks of regular wear, then the fit stays stable.
Why do my vellies feel tight across the widest part?
That is a width problem, not a length one, and wearing them in will not fix it. It means the last is the wrong shape for your foot rather than the wrong size.
Should I measure with socks on?
Yes, wearing the socks you will actually use. A thick winter sock can take up most of a half size, so measure for the thickest you expect to wear.