‘Bha’ Will Help You Find the Right Fit: Learn All About the New Shoe Sizing System

Studies revealed that most Indian citizens wear ill-fitting shoes because there is no India-specific shoe sizing system.

24 April 2024

By Khushi Maheshwari

Gear up for a footwear revolution as a brand new foot sizing system pertaining to Indian feet needs will soon be implemented. The new system ‘Bha’ (भ) was curated after an extensive pan-India survey. Its objective is to replace the UK/European/US sizing techniques. 

Indian foot morphology is quite different from western foot morphology. Therefore, we require a unique system devised for appropriately fitting shoes. 

It was revealed that Indian feet are generally wider in width and have unique growth trajectories, specifically among teenagers and growing children. 

How will ‘bha’ change things?

Curating a native system of shoe sizing techniques will lead to the manufacturing of better fitting footwear, suited to Indian feet, providing more comfort and contentment. Moreover, it will make the manufacturing process more efficient and organised, cut down on wastage, boost the development of the indigenous footwear industry and in turn strengthen India’s vision for self-reliance.

Survey findings

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Central Leather Research Institute (CSIR-CLRI) was at the forefront of the survey that took place between December 2021 and March 2022; it covered 1,01,880 people across 79 locations in 5 geographical areas. It planned to study the shape, structure, size and dimensions of an average Indian foot through 3D foot scanning machines. 

In contrast to the earlier hypothesis, the study disclosed that Indian feet are actually wider than western feet. Consequently, most Indians have been wearing footwear that is bigger because the size that should fit them is narrower and therefore uncomfortable. 

Additionally, the survey revealed that for women in India, foot size stops growing after the age of 11, while men’s foot sizes peak around the age of 15 or 16 years. Most Indians compromise on their foot health by wearing inaccurate foot sizes. 

The absence of an indigenous foot sizing mechanism can be attributed to the lack of data. The UK sizing system currently in place has been there pre-independence. 

Conclusion

The bha system will transform the Indian footwear industry. It has proposed a total of 8 footwear sizes, with a special focus on sizes 3 to 8. Both buyers and manufacturers will bear the sweet fruit of ‘bha’, since it aims to terminate the need for producing half-sizes. 

The CSIR-CLRI has turned in its suggestions to the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Union Ministry of Commerce. DPIIT has in turn extended these recommendations to Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and is awaiting the green light. 

If all goes well, Bha will be in place by 2025. Rounds of trials, testing and feedback will be conducted with the ultimate hope of Indians finally getting to wear shoes that fit them properly.