Mondopoint: What is it, and how is it measured?

When purchasing ski boots, particularly online, it's a good idea to have all your measurements squared away—the last thing you want are ill-fitting ski boots that make all of your runs miserable! While keeping in mind that the width of the boot last and the volume of the boot are important factors in correctly sizing your ski boots, figuring out your Mondopoint size is a good first step.

Mondo-What?

First developed in the 1970s by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to create a universal footwear sizing system ("mondo" meaning, "world"), Mondopoint is officially calculated by measuring the length and width of your foot in millimeters. The term as it pertains to ski boots, however, has been simplified to being the measurement of the length of your foot in centimeters, from the heel to the tip of your longest toe. That's it!

How to Find Your Mondopoint Size

What you need: A piece of paper, a pen, a ruler, and a wall (a friend can be helpful too).

Prepare the Paper: Place a piece of paper on the floor. Make sure that the edge of the paper is completely flush against the wall. Tape it down lightly if needed to keep it from sliding.
Position Your Foot: Stand on the paper with your heel pressing firmly against the wall.

Your heel should be touching the wall and sitting on top of the paper.
Shift all your weight onto the foot you are measuring to ensure it spreads out fully.

Mark the Length: Draw a line at the tip of your longest toe (this is not always the big toe!). Keep the pen vertical to get an accurate mark—this is where having a friend to help comes in handy.
Measure: Step off the paper and measure the distance (in centimeters) from the edge of the paper that touched the wall to the line you drew. This measurement is your Mondopoint size (e.g., 26.5 cm = 26.5 Mondopoint).

You'll need to measure both feet, and size to the smaller foot. This is because an experienced boot fitter will be able to stretch a boot to fit the larger foot, but it is impossible to make a too-large boot fit a smaller foot.