Are different-sized feet normal? Absolutely yes! It’s very common and perfectly normal to have feet that are different sizes. Although (humans) are, for the most part, bilaterally symmetrical, one half of our body may not be an exact mirror of the other. In fact, some people to have one foot that’s up to 3 inches bigger than the other! And statistics indicate that about 80 percent of the U.S. population has a larger left foot that their right foot – with most cases, the difference being 1/3 of an inch and 1/8 of an inch in length and width, respectively.
What causes the difference in feet sizes?
One explanation is that since the majority of the population is right-handed, they can only comfortably lift their right hand and left foot forward without losing their balance. Consequently, the foot opposite the dominant hand is exercised more, creating the slight variance in the sizes of the feet.
Other causes include:
- Being born with feet that differ in size.
- A foot injury in childhood when the bones are still developing.
- Wearing a cast on your foot for a prolonged period of time thereby shrinking the surrounding muscles.
- Surgical procedures to correct foot deformities may make one foot smaller than the other. For example, a corrected clubfoot often tends to be smaller and broader than the healthy foot.
- Continuous use of one foot over the other may make the foot lengthen with time.
- Women who’ve been pregnant also find that their feet increase in size, sometimes not uniformly.
So if your feet are different sizes, don’t fret – you’re normal!
