In order to make a last for my wife, first I measured her feet and make a draft.
Measurement of feet
What you need
- A3 size copy paper
- short pencil
- long pencil
- Tape measure
- The Ruler of Zero Beginnings
Measurement Procedure
Step.1 _Preparation of the measurement
Ask the person you measure their feet to sit in a chair and place their feet on an A3 copy paper.
Adjusting the position so that the knees are at a right angle
- Have them put on the socks that they wear when they put on their finished leather shoes.
- Ask them to face straight ahead, not to look down into their feet to avoid placing a load on their feet
Step.2_Contour measurement
Use a short pencil to trace the contours of your feet.
- Be careful not to pick up the line of the ankle
Step.3_Measurement of the arches
Use a long pencil to trace the arches of your feet.
Tilt the pencil at 25° and 45° to trace two lines
Step.4_Measurement of joints, low and high in-step
Next, use the tape measure to measure the circumference of (1) to (3).
(1) Joint (where the thumb and little finger stick out)
(2) Low-in-step (where the bone on the heel side of the joint disappears)
3) High-in-step (peak of the arch of the foot, slightly above the heel of the instep)
When measuring the circumference, there are two types of measurements, one as it is and the other as it is tightened.
Step.5_Measure the heel
Measure the length from the heel to the high instep.
As for the heel measure, it is OK to measure in 5mm increments
Step.6_palpatory examination
Palpation is performed after the measurement of each area is completed.
The thickness of the tendon in the heel, the position, size, thickness, and position of the bone of the callus and the prominent lump are written on the draft.
This completes the measurement of the foot.
The finished draft is used to make a last.
- Tracing the lines from the top with a ballpoint pen so that the lines of the completed draft do not disappear
When measuring the joint, low-in-step, and high-in-step, how much to squeeze, how far to insert a pencil when tracing the step, and so on are adjusted while checking the sensations of the person measuring and the way the person being measured feels. The softness of the foot and the degree of pain you feel vary from person to person, so it is important to touch and check and make fine adjustments to make shoes that fit well.
I went to my teacher to see the draft I had made, and she pointed out that the line of the foot arches on the left foot was at an impossible position for the human body structure, so I asked my wife to measure it again.
There is so much more to shoe making than just measuring the foot.
