The term ‘run true to size‘ (TTS) is frequently used and mentioned in the context of the fitting of running shoes with comments like “do these running shoes run true to size?“. This becomes important when buying footwear online as all footwear companies use different lasts and have slightly different interpretations of sizing.
The term ‘true to size’ (TTS) is used in the footwear and clothing industries to indicate if the shoes or clothing are sized accurately according to the industry standard. For footwear, it indicates that it follows the measurements on the Brannock device. If a shoe is ‘true to size’ then that the shoe’s length, width and arch measurements are in direct proportion to the measurement on the Brannock device. A ‘true to size’ shoe will not run larger or smaller than those measurements. Some running shoe brands or models will have a reputation for running smaller or larger than the true to size standard. It is also not uncommon to find anecdotes of some runners claiming that a particular running shoe does run ‘true to size’ and others claims that the same shoe does not.
While the term originated in the footwear industry, it is now used in the garment industry. For clothing, it means that it follows standards such as the American Society for Testing and Materials sizing. Unlike footwear which has the Brannock device, the standardization of clothing is not as well established and used uniformly.
Related Topics:
Fitting Footwear | Brannock Device | International Shoe Sizes
Running Shoe books:
Page last updated:
Comments are closed.