How to Measure Your Ankle for Compression Socks
Vital compression socks are sized by your ankle circumference, the distance around your ankle, rather than by shoe size alone. You only need one measurement to choose your size, and you can take it at home in a couple of minutes. No tailor's tape? A piece of string and a ruler work just as well.
Before you start
- Measure in the morning, first thing, before you've been up and about.
- Measure bare skin, not over a sock.
- Find the narrowest point: just above the ankle bone, where your leg is slimmest.
- Snug, not tight: whatever you measure with should sit flat against your skin without pressing in.
Option 1: a soft measuring tape
- Sit with your foot flat on the floor.
- Wrap the tape around the narrowest point of your ankle, just above the ankle bone. Keep it level all the way round.
- Read the number where the end of the tape meets the rest of it. That's your ankle measurement in centimetres.
Option 2: string and a ruler
Use anything that bends but doesn't stretch: string, a shoelace, ribbon, dental floss or a phone charger cable.
- Wrap it once around the narrowest point of your ankle, snug and level.
- Pinch it where the end meets, or mark the spot with a pen.
- Lay it straight along a ruler or a metal tape measure and read the length up to your mark.
Avoid wool or elastic: they stretch, so the measurement comes out too big.
Option 3: a strip of paper
- Cut or fold a strip of paper about 2 cm wide.
- Wrap it around the narrowest point of your ankle and mark where it overlaps.
- Unroll it and measure up to your mark with a ruler.
No ruler?
A standard A4 sheet of paper is 21 cm across its short side and 29.7 cm along its long side. Lay your marked string or paper strip along an edge to get close. If you land near the edge of a size, check with a ruler before you order.
Check your calf too
Your ankle sets your size; your calf is a fit check. Sitting with your foot flat, measure around the fullest part of your calf the same way.
Find your compression sock size
| Size | Ankle | Calf |
|---|---|---|
| S | 19 to 22 cm | 30 to 38 cm |
| M | 23 to 26 cm | 34 to 44 cm |
| L | 27 to 29 cm | 38 to 48 cm |
For example, a 24 cm ankle is a Medium. If you're between sizes, or your calf is outside the range for your ankle size, email both measurements to info@vitalsocks.co.za before you order. You can also enter your measurements in the fit finder on our size guide.
Vital Socks are not medical-grade compression and are not meant to treat a vascular or any other medical condition. A size recommendation does not constitute a medical assessment or guarantee suitability for every individual.