From my own experience, searching the web, the comments I've received in my previous two posts(Vibram Five Fingers and Vibram Five Fingers: 1 Month Later) and in conversation, sizing the Vibram Five Fingers is quite a concern and challenge. This is understandable as they're not shoes in the sense we know it and they need to be snug. If they're too big, you will notice.

Well, here's my guide to sizing the Vibram Five Finger Classics based on my own experience. Your experience may vary.

  1. Measure your feet in inches (I know, metric makes much more sense, but you'll understand why in a mo) and the take the largest of the two and round down to the nearest ¼ inch.
  2. Take this figure and locate the appropriate size on the sizing chart on the Vibrams US site here. This is why you need to measure your feet in inches.
  3. Order the size one smaller than the chart recommends. For example, if like me you largest foot came in between 11 inches and 11¼ inches, round down to 11 inches which equates to a size 44 and then order the 43.

I know this sounds odd, but this is what I've had to do. The 44's were way too big.

Hopefully this saves you a bit of time and removes the need to have to send your order back for a smaller pair.

Let me know how you get on with these instructions. All comments will help others who come to buy their own pair of Vibram Five Fingers.

Update: Begin to Dig has an indepth post on sizing the different Vibram models with and without the injiniji socks.