The Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) in Chennai will lead a pan-India feet scanning survey, data from which will be used to define Indian footwear size standards. Those will be included by shoe manufacturers in their size charts. By next year, India could have its own footwear sizing system, which is expected to reduce confusion while buying shoes of European Union, UK or US sizes.

India has never had its own footwear sizing system. The British introduced English sizes during the colonial era, which continue to date. Manufacturers mention English sizes along with equivalent European and American sizes.

In 1969, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which lays down standards and certifies product quality, had notified the Indian Standard Specification for Sizes and Fitting of Footwear (IS 1638-1969). The characteristics of Indian feet have changed since.

However, India’s vastness and regional variations makes it difficult to standardise footwear sizes. Among some general observations: people from the Northeast have comparatively smaller feet, and overall, the feet of Indians are broader near the toes, so they prefer a size bigger than actually required.

The CLRI-led anthropometric survey will include 3D foot scans and measurement of feet. The project, scheduled to begin later this year and continue for 14 months, is supported by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) of the ministry of commerce, according to Indian media reports.

The survey will collect data that will be used to design a footwear sizing scheme based on Indian requirements, trace ethnic differences if any, determine characteristic age and size groups with special requirements, establish a size range for the Indian population, and produce a numerical database with specific length and width groupings.

The survey, estimated to cost ₹11 crore, will cover 94 districts around Agra, Ahmedabad, Coimbatore, Chennai, Jodhpur, Jorhat, Jalandhar, Kanpur, Kolkata, Mumbai, Patna and Shillong.

The sizing scheme is expected to be ready by early 2022.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)

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