foot or last measurement from the back of the heel to the front of the longest toe or toe box, such as with a size stick
Stick length is a quick and fairly reliable measurement to take, but can omit crucial information:
-
When used as the only measurement for shoe fitting, it says nothing about width, girth, instep height, or the relative length of the toes.
-
Measuring flat along the ground plane yields smaller figures as heel height increases.
Variations
Some sources, such as Footwear Pattern Making and Last Design, define stick length of a last as the measurement along the ground plane flat along the ground plane with the heel elevated to the designed heel pitch. Other sources, such as Historical Highlights of American Lastmaking and American Shoemaking, show stick length measured with both the ball and heel resting on the ground plane.