Bha: New Shoe Sizing System To Replace US/UK Sizes: What It Is And Why It Matters For India

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) - Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) has come up with indigenous shoe sizing system called 'Bha' for Indians. It will replace the existing US/UK sizes in the country.

Named 'Bha', derived from the term 'Bharat' to honor its indigenous roots, this innovative system promises to revolutionize the way Indians choose their shoes, bidding farewell to the discomfort and blisters often associated with ill-fitting footwear.

The idea of Bha stems from a comprehensive nationwide survey conducted between December 2021 and March 2022, employing cutting-edge 3D foot scanning technology to meticulously analyze over one lakh Indian feet across diverse regions. This extensive endeavor spanned 79 locations across five geographical zones, revealing crucial insights into the unique foot morphology of the Indian populace.

Findings from the survey unveiled a stark incongruity between Indian foot characteristics and the prevailing UK/European and US sizing standards. Notably, Indian feet tend to possess a broader profile compared to their Western counterparts, a factor exacerbating the discomfort caused by mismatched shoes, particularly among children and adolescents. The repercussions of such mismatches can extend to long-term foot ailments like bunions, hammertoes, and ingrown toenails.

Bha, crafted with meticulous attention to detail, aims to mitigate these challenges by introducing a tailored sizing paradigm that caters comprehensively to the diverse age groups and genders within the Indian population. Unlike the incumbent US and European systems, which offer a limited range of sizes, Bha introduces eight distinct sizes thoughtfully calibrated to accommodate the unique foot morphology of Indians while ensuring optimum comfort and fit.

This streamlined approach not only enhances comfort but also promises to revolutionize the manufacturing process, eliminating the need for a plethora of size variations to accommodate half sizes. By consolidating size categories, Bha not only augurs potential cost savings for manufacturers but also heralds improved efficiency across the footwear industry.

Initial trials of Bha focus on sizes III to VIII, strategically targeting a vast majority of the population, aiming to deliver a perfect fit for approximately 85% of Indians. The meticulously crafted size spectrum includes categories tailored to infants, toddlers, children, adolescents, women, and men, ensuring that every individual finds their perfect fit within the ambit of Bha's comprehensive sizing paradigm.

BHA is set to introduce eight footwear sizes:

I. For infants aged 0 to 1 year.
II. For toddlers between 1 and 3 years.
III. Designed for young children aged 4 to 6 years.
IV. Tailored for older children of 7 to 11 years.
V. For girls aged 12 to 13 years.
VI. Designed for boys aged 12 to 14 years.
VII. Fashioned for women aged 14 years and above.
VIII. Tailored for men aged 15 years and above.