Many makers fit shoes or lasts using tracings of the feet on paper as source of foot measurements to refer to. Some also fit based on tracings sent in from customers.
Variations
Makers differ in how they take tracings.
No part of the foot being square, the angle that the marker is held at greatly influences the position of the line drawn on the page. Some makers generally trace with the marker held perpendicular to the page, but also trace the arches at 45 degrees.
The marker used also affects results. The mark left by a pen or pencil will actually fall slightly outside the foot, with a kerf roughly equal to half the marker’s own thickness.
Some makers use triangular tracing blocks that ensure contact with the foot at a straight 90 degrees. These blocks often hold a pen or pencil with a retaining screw, either at 90 degrees or at some shallower angle, with the point jutting out just below the guiding edge of the block.
Methods
- Riivo method: Use a carpenter’s square to make dots around the foot at 90° down, then connect the dots.