What is ‘Bha’- India’s Shoe Sizing System; How is it different from the European or US Sizing System?
‘Bha’- Indian Shoe Sizing System: ‘Bha’- Indian origin shoe sizing system is expected to replace the existing US and European shoe sizing systems to cater to the subjective comfort of Indian feet. Indian feet are believed to be wider than European or American feet as revealed by a survey.
What is ‘Bha’?
Bha, meaning Bharat referring to its Indian origin, is a new shoe sizing system that aims to replace the discomforting US or UK model of shoe sizing. Currently, Indians are wearing shoes designed per the metrics of European or French shoe size standards. ‘Bha’ initiative aims to revolutionize Indian footwear, while also opening a new market of shoe sizes to cater to the largest population in the world. But why all of a sudden is there a new shoe size system?
How did ‘Bha’ come into being?
The impetus for developing an indigenous shoe sizing system lies in a survey conducted by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) in collaboration with the Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) in Chennai, from December 2021 to March 2022. The survey studied the 3D footing scans of around 100,000 Indians in 79 locations, across five geographical zones to conclude the variation of Indian foot sizes in terms of dimension, and structure.
The findings of the survey said that Indians have been squashing their wide feet in narrower shoes. Indian feet are generally wider than the European or American. We Indians, unfortunately, have been wearing either shoes too loose or too tight hence bringing about not just discomfort but also health issues.
8 Sizes of Bha Shoe Sizing System
Additionally, the survey’s insights revealed that the average Indian size grows till age 11 for women and 15 or 16 for men. Therefore the Bha system will introduce 8 sizes according to age:
I for 0-1 year infants
II for 1-3 years Toddlers
III for 4-6 Years Small Children
IV for 7-11 Years Children
V for 12- 13 Years Girls
VI for 12- 14 Years Boys
VII for 14 Years and above Women
VIII- 15 Years and above Men
Difference between the existing system and Bha?
Existing shoe size systems generally refer to three characteristics: the median length of feet, the length of the inner cavity of the feet, and the length of the “last” i.e. the foot-shaped template over which the shoe is manufactured
Whereas ‘Bha’ will also consider the length of the foot for a comfortable fit for individuals across ages. The system aims to provide increased comfort, with wider dimensions, and an additional 5mm allowance for foot length.
