Identify the length column
| Heading | What it measures | Use it with |
|---|---|---|
| Foot length | The foot rather than a part of the shoe. | Your foot measurement and that chart's instructions. |
| Insole length | The insert or stated internal reference. | The seller's measurement method and intended fit context. |
| Outsole length | The outside sole. | Shape or outside-dimension comparison, not a direct body-size conversion. |
A length with no heading leaves the comparison unfinished. Ask which part is measured instead of guessing from the number or adding a fixed allowance yourself.
Follow a row-to-chart mismatch
Example: the spreadsheet note says “US 8,” the album label shows “UK 8,” and the product's chart is arranged by foot length. Treat those as three different references. First identify the album's purchased option; then use the current chart to connect the intended foot-length input with the offered label. Do not compare the two bare eights or put a pictured insole length into the foot-length column.
If the chart and photographed version differ, keep that difference open rather than making a conversion table supply the missing connection. The task is to align the row, label and chart for this choice, not to pick a universal equivalent size.
Keep the full label
US and UK numbers are not interchangeable. A US label also needs its range, such as men's or women's sizing. EU labels still belong to the particular chart and offered options rather than a universal fit guarantee.
If the row, option menu and photographed label use different systems, compare them through the seller's chart. Keep the selected version with that chart; a comment about another version can use a different fit reference.
Make a size-up note comparable
Look for the purchased label, the writer's usual reference and whether the change concerns length, width or preference. Someone choosing more toe room is answering a different question from someone liking a roomier overall feel.
The TTS guide helps when those references are absent. The broader sizing comparison helps when the chart and note disagree.
Read a shoe measurement photo for its own job
A pictured insole helps only if you can see what was measured and which shoe/size it came from. A cropped tape or outside-sole measurement should not silently replace a foot-length column.
Read QC tape measurements before using the photo. Then return to Shoes with the size system and chosen colour/version kept together. This page explains the fields; the category guide handles the rest of the pair comparison.