How to Choose Your Size for Handmade Dance Shoes

The question we get more than any other is some version of this: I am a 39 in most shoes, will your 39 fit me?

The honest answer is that it usually will, and there is an even better question: what is your foot length in centimetres? Here is how a handmade shoe gets fitted, and how to get yours perfect the first time.

How sizing works when every pair is made for you

A size chart assumes one shoe shape. Ours change shape depending on what you order.

The last, which is the form a shoe is built around, is not the same for a 2 cm straight heel as it is for a 6.5 cm curvy one. Raise the heel and your weight moves forward onto the ball of the foot, the arch changes, and the shoe has to be cut differently to hold you. Choose a wider fit and the last changes again.

This is why the same number can behave differently between two pairs from the same workshop, and why a chart printed once cannot account for it. It is also why we ask for a measurement rather than trusting the number alone.

What we need from you

Your foot length in centimetres. Measured, not estimated.

Stand on a hard floor with your heel against a wall, put a piece of paper under your foot, and mark where your longest toe ends. That is it. Measure both feet, because most people have one slightly longer than the other. A small difference is handled by cutting for the longer foot, and when the difference is real, we can build each shoe of the pair to its own size.

Measure at the end of the day, when your feet are at their fullest. A shoe fitted to an evening foot feels wonderful all night long.

Ball width, if you know it. Optional, but useful if your feet are noticeably narrow or wide.

You choose your size when you order, and we ask for your foot length afterwards. If the two do not agree, we come back to you before anything is cut.

Narrow, standard, wide

Every model comes in three fits.

Standard suits most people and is the right default if you have never had a fit problem.

Wide is for feet that spread at the ball. If you have spent years sizing up just to get width, here you simply choose wide and keep your true length, and the fit is finally both.

Narrow is for feet that love a closer hold: a fit with no sliding forward and no gap at the heel.

For many people this is the single biggest upgrade in how a shoe feels: a width that is actually theirs.

Sizes 34 to 48

Every model is made in every size from 34 to 48.

This is not a range we happen to stock; every pair is made after you order. If your size is 35 or 47, the shoe is built for you exactly as it would be for a 39: the same model, the same options. And if your date is close, write to us with your foot length. Ready-to-ship pairs are sometimes available, and we will happily show you what exists in your size.

For dancers this matters even more. A shoe in your exact size keeps your foot planted through every pivot, and that is where clean footwork and comfortable nights come from.

Special cases

Every foot has its own story: a high instep, a difference between left and right, a spot that likes extra room. If yours has one, draw around your foot on a sheet of paper, write the measurements on it, and email us the photo before ordering.

Most orders do not need it. When it helps, it helps a lot, and we love getting the details right before we cut.

Before you order

Every pair is cut for one person and made after the order is placed, which is why we can offer any size in any width. It is also why we confirm your size before cutting begins: once production starts, the size is set.

Ten minutes with a tape measure gives you a pair that fits like it was made for you, because it was. And if you are unsure about anything, write to us first; helping you choose is part of the craft.