Foot (unit)

===Other obsolete feet===
Prior to the introduction of the metric system, many European cities and countries used the foot, but it varied considerably in length: the {{lang|nl|voet}} in [[Ypres]], Belgium, was 273.8 millimeters (10.78{{nbsp}}in) while the {{lang|vec|piede}} in Venice was 347.73 millimeters (13.690{{nbsp}}in). Lists of conversion factors between the various units of measure were given in many European reference works including:
*Traité, [[Paris]] – 1769<ref name="Traite">{{cite book
|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=eAkOAAAAQAAJ
|title = Traité des mesures itinéraires anciennes et modernes
|language = fr
|trans-title= Treatise of ancient and modern measures of distance
|last = d'Anville
|first = Jean Baptiste Bourguignon
|year = 1769
|location = Paris
|publisher = de l'Imprimerie Royale
|access-date =October 24, 2011 }}</ref>
*Palaiseau – [[Bordeaux]]: 1816 <ref name="Palaiseau">{{cite book
|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ahjPAAAAMAAJ
|title = Métrologie universelle, ancienne et moderne: ou rapport des poids et mesures des empires, royaumes, duchés et principautés des quatre parties du monde
|first = JFG
|last = Palaiseau
|location = Bordeaux
|date = October 1816
|access-date =October 30, 2011}}</ref>
*de Gelder, [[Amsterdam]] and [[The Hague]] – 1824<ref name="NL2">{{cite book
|url = https://archive.org/details/allereerstegron00ramagoog
|title = Allereerste Gronden der Cijferkunst
|author = Jacob de Gelder
|location = 's-Gravenhage (The Hague) and Amsterdam
|language = nl
|year = 1824
|pages = [https://archive.org/details/allereerstegron00ramagoog/page/n372 163]–176
|publisher = de Gebroeders van Cleef
|trans-title = Introduction to Numeracy
|access-date =March 2, 2011}}</ref>
*Horace, [[Brussels]] – 1840<ref name="Horace">{{cite book
|title =  Dictionnaire universel des poids et mesures anciens et modernes
|first = Horace
|last = Doursther
|location = Brussels
|publisher = M. Hayez
|access-date =October 25, 2011
|year = 1840
|url = https://archive.org/details/dictionnaireuni00dourgoog
|quote =  liege.
|pages = [https://archive.org/details/dictionnaireuni00dourgoog/page/n416 402]–418
}}</ref>
*Noback & Noback (2 volumes), [[Leipzig]] – 1851<ref name="DE1851">{{cite book
|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=AkhTAAAAMAAJ
|title = Vollständiges tasehenbuch der Münz-, Maass- und Gewichts-Verhältnisse etc. aller Länder und Handelsplätze
|language = de
|trans-title = Comprehensive pocketbook of money, weights and measures for all counties and trading centres
|first1 = Christian
|last1 = Noback
|first2 = Friedrich Eduard
|last2 = Noback
|year = 1851
|volume = I
|location = Leipzig
|publisher = F. А. Brockhaus
|access-date =October 24, 2011
}}</ref><ref name="DE1851V2">{{cite book
|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=KEpTAAAAMAAJ
|title = Vollständiges tasehenbuch der Münz-, Maass- und Gewichts-Verhältnisse etc. aller Länder und Handelsplätze
|language = de
|trans-title = Comprehensive pocketbook of money, weights and measures for all counties and trading centres
|first1 = Christian
|last1 = Noback
|first2 = Friedrich Eduard
|last2 = Noback
|year = 1851
|volume = II
|location = Leipzig
|publisher = F. А. Brockhaus
|access-date =October 24, 2011
}}</ref>
*Bruhns, Leipzig – 1881<ref name="Bruhns">{{cite book
|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=GoMNAQAAIAAJ
|title = new manual of logarithms to seven places of decimals
|page = 610
|first = Carl
|last = Bruhns
|publisher = Bernhard Tauchnitz
|location = Leipzig
|year = 1881
|access-date = October 26, 2011
}}</ref>

Many of these standards were peculiar to a particular city, especially in Germany (which, before [[German unification]] in 1871, consisted of many kingdoms, principalities, free cities and so on). In many cases the length of the unit was not uniquely fixed: for example, the English foot was stated as 11 ''pouces'' 2.6 ''lignes'' ([[Units of measurement in France before the French Revolution|French inches and lines]]) by [[Jean Picard|Picard]], 11 ''pouces'' 3.11 ''lignes'' by [[Nevil Maskelyne|Maskelyne]], and 11 ''pouces'' 3 ''lignes'' by [[Jean le Rond d'Alembert|D'Alembert]].<ref>{{cite web
 |url         = http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/jeffplan.asp
 |title       = Plan for Establishing Uniformity in the Coinage, Weights, and Measures of the United States
 |author      = Thomas Jefferson
 |date        = July 13, 1790
|access-date  = November 8, 2011
 |publisher   = [[United States House of Representatives]]
 |url-status  = live
 |archive-url  = http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20110606150632/http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/jeffplan.asp
 |archive-date = June 6, 2011
|author-link = Thomas Jefferson
}}</ref>

Most of the various feet in this list ceased to be used when the countries adopted the metric system. The Netherlands and modern Belgium adopted the metric system in 1817, having used the {{lang|fr|mesures usuelles}} under Napoleon<ref>{{cite book
|url = https://archive.org/details/allereerstegron00ramagoog
|title = Allereerste Gronden der Cijferkunst
|first = Jacob |last=de Gelder
|location = The Hague and Amsterdam
|language = nl
|year = 1824
|pages = [https://archive.org/details/allereerstegron00ramagoog/page/n364 155]–157
|publisher = De Gebroeders van Cleef
|trans-title = Introduction to Numeracy
|access-date = March 2, 2011
}}</ref> and the newly formed [[German Empire]] adopted the metric system in 1871.<ref>{{cite web
 |url=http://www.csi.tu-darmstadt.de/media/csi/institutes/nearwallreactiveflows/bilderdateien_1/messtechnik/mtmnormen.pdf
 |title=Metrologie 
 |language=de 
 |first=Andreas |last=Dreizler 
 |date=April 20, 2009 |publisher=Technical University of Darmstadt 
 |access-date= March 28, 2011
 |display-authors=etal 
}}{{dead link|date=February 2017|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

The [[Palm (unit)|palm]] (typically 200–280&nbsp;mm) was used in many Mediterranean cities instead of the foot. Horace Doursther, whose reference was published{{clarify|date=July 2013}} in Belgium which had the smallest foot measurements, grouped both units together, while J. F. G. Palaiseau devoted three chapters to units of length: one for linear measures (palms and feet); one for cloth measures (ells); and one for distances traveled (miles and leagues).{{citation needed|date=October 2022}}

====Obsolete feet details====
In the table below, arbitrary cut-off points of 270&nbsp;mm and 350&nbsp;mm have been chosen.{{citation needed|date=October 2022}}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Location
! Modern country
! Local name
! Metric <br />equivalent <br />(mm)
! class="unsortable" | Comments
|-
|[[Vienna]]
|Austria
|{{lang|de|italic=no|Wiener Fuß}}
|316.102<ref name=Bruhns/><ref>[[:File:Fußmaße1.jpg|File]]</ref>{{circular inline|date=February 2024}}
|
|-
|[[Tyrol (state)|Tyrol]]
|Austria
|{{lang|de|italic=no|Fuß}}
|334.12<ref name=DE1842/>
|
|-
|[[Ypres|Ypres (Ieper)]]
|Belgium
|{{lang|nl|italic=no|voet}}
|273.8<ref name=Flanders/>
|
|-
|[[Bruges|Bruges/Brugge]]
|Belgium
|{{lang|nl|italic=no|voet}}
|274.3<ref name=Flanders/>
|
|-
|[[Brussels]]
|Belgium
|{{lang|nl|italic=no|voet}}
|275.75<ref name=Flanders/>
|
|-
|[[Hainaut (province)|Hainaut]]
|Belgium
|{{lang|fr|italic=no|pied}}
|293.39<ref name=Horace/>
|
|-
|[[Liège (province)|Liège]]
|Belgium
|{{lang|fr|italic=no|pied}}
|294.70<ref name=Horace/>
|
|-
|[[Kortrijk]]
|Belgium
|{{lang|nl|italic=no|voet}}
|297.6<ref name=Flanders/>
|
|-
|[[Aalst, Belgium|Aalst]]
|Belgium
|{{lang|nl|italic=no|voet}}
|277.2<ref name="Flanders">{{cite web
|url = http://www.familiekunde-vlaanderen.be/maten-en-gewichten
|title = Maten en gewichten
|language = nl
|trans-title = Weights and measures
|publisher = Vlaamse Vereniging voor Familiekunde (Flemish Association for Family History)
|access-date = October 24, 2011
|year = 2011
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120425091424/http://www.familiekunde-vlaanderen.be/maten-en-gewichten
|archive-date = April 25, 2012
}}</ref>
|
|-
|[[Mechelen]]
|Belgium
|{{lang|nl|italic=no|voet}}
|278.0<ref name=Flanders/>
|
|-
|[[Leuven]]
|Belgium
|{{lang|nl|italic=no|voet}}
|285.5<ref name=Flanders/>
|
|-
|[[Tournai]]
|Belgium
|{{lang|fr|italic=no|pied}}
|297.77<ref name=Horace/>
|
|-
|[[Antwerp]]
|Belgium
|{{lang|nl|italic=no|voet}}
|286.8<ref name=Flanders/>
|
|-
|[[China]]
|China
|tradesman's foot
|338.3<ref name=rose/>
|
|-
|China
|China
|mathematician's foot
|333.2<ref name=rose/>
|
|-
|China
|China
|builder's foot
|322.8<ref name=rose/>
|
|-
|China
|China
|surveyor's foot
|319.5<ref name=rose/>
|
|-
|[[Moravia]]
|Czech Republic
|{{lang|cs|italic=no|stopa}}
|295.95<ref name=DE1842/>
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Prague]]
|rowspan="2"|Czech Republic
|rowspan="2"|{{lang|cs|italic=no|stopa}}
|296.4<ref name=DE1851V2/>
|(1851) Bohemian foot or shoe
|-
|301.7<ref name=Traite/>
|(1759) Quoted as "11 {{lang|fr|pouces}} {{sfrac|1|3|4}} {{lang|fr|lignes}}"<ref group=Notes name=lignes/>
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Denmark]]
|rowspan="2"|Denmark
|rowspan="2"|{{lang|da|italic=no|fod}}
|313.85<ref name=Bruhns/>
|Until 1835, thereafter the Prussian foot
|-
|330.5<ref name=Traite/>
|(1759) Quoted as "{{sfrac|2|1|2}} {{lang|fr|lignes}} larger than the {{lang|fr|pied}} [of Paris]"<ref group=Notes name=lignes/>
|-
|[[France]]
|France
|{{lang|fr|italic=no|pied du roi}}
|324.84<ref name="CGCP">{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.cgcp.asso.fr/FAQ/divers/anciennes_unites.php
 |title       = Les anciennes unités et leurs équivalences
 |trans-title = Old units and their equivalences
 |language    = fr
 |publisher   = Le Cybergroupe Généalogique de Charente Poitevine
 |year        = 2011
 |access-date  = February 25, 2011
|url-status     = live
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20110720204605/http://www.cgcp.asso.fr/FAQ/divers/anciennes_unites.php
 |archive-date = July 20, 2011
|df          = mdy-all
}}</ref>
|<ref group=Notes>The original meter was computed using pre-metric French units.</ref>
|-
|[[Angoulême]]
|France
|{{lang|fr|italic=no|pied d'Angoulême}}
|347.008<ref name="Guilhiermoz">{{cite journal
|journal = Bibliothèque de l'École des chartes
|title = De l'équivalence des anciennes mesures. A propos d'une publication récente
|trans-title = Values of ancient measures quoted in recent publications
|language = fr
|year = 1913
|volume= 74
|pages = 267–328
|first = P
|last = Guilhiermoz
|doi=10.3406/bec.1913.448498}}</ref>
|
|-
|[[Bordeaux]] (urban)
|France
|{{lang|fr|italic=no|pied de ville de Bordeaux}}
|343.606<ref name=Guilhiermoz/>
|
|-
|Bordeaux (rural)
|France
|{{lang|fr|italic=no|pied de terre de Bordeaux}}
|357.214<ref name=Guilhiermoz/>
|
|-
|[[Strasbourg]]
|France
|{{lang|fr|italic=no|pied de Strasbourg}}
|294.95<ref name=Guilhiermoz/>
|
|-
|[[Württemberg]]
|Germany
|{{lang|de|italic=no|Fuß}}
|286.49<ref name=DE1842/>
|
|-
|[[Hanover]]
|Germany
|{{lang|de|italic=no|Fuß}}
|292.10<ref name=DE1842/>
|
|-
|[[Augsburg]]
|Germany
|{{lang|de|italic=no|römischer Fuß}}
|296.17<ref name=DE1851/>
|
|-
|[[Nuremberg]]
|Germany
|{{lang|de|italic=no|Fuß}}
|303.75<ref name=DE1851/>
|
|-
|[[Meiningen]]-[[Hildburghausen]]
|Germany
|{{lang|de|italic=no|Fuß}}
|303.95<ref name=DE1842/>
|
|-
|[[Oldenburg (city)|Oldenburg]]
|Germany
|{{lang|de|italic=no|römischer Fuß}}
|296.41<ref name=DE1842/>
|
|-
|[[Weimar]]
|Germany
|{{lang|de|italic=no|Fuß}}
|281.98<ref name=DE1842/>
|
|-
|[[Lübeck]]
|Germany
|{{lang|de|italic=no|Fuß}}
|287.62<ref name=Bruhns/>
|
|-
|[[Aschaffenburg]]
|Germany
|{{lang|de|italic=no|Fuß}}
|287.5<ref name=Horace/>
|
|-
|[[Darmstadt]]
|Germany
|{{lang|de|italic=no|Fuß}}
|287.6<ref name=Horace/>
|Until 1818, thereafter the Hessen "metric foot"
|-
|[[Bremen]]
|Germany
|{{lang|de|italic=no|Fuß}}
|289.35<ref name=Bruhns/>
|
|-
|[[Rhineland]]
|Germany
|{{lang|de|italic=no|Fuß}}
|313.7<ref name=rose/>
|
|-
|[[Berlin]]
|Germany
|{{lang|de|italic=no|Fuß}}
|309.6<ref name=rose/>
|
|-
|[[Hamburg]]
|Germany
|{{lang|de|italic=no|Fuß}}
|286.8<ref name=rose/>
|
|-
|[[Bavaria]]
|Germany
|{{lang|de|italic=no|Fuß}}
|291.86<ref name=DE1842/>
|
|-
|[[Aachen]]
|Germany
|{{lang|de|italic=no|Fuß}}
|282.1<ref name=DE1851/>
|
|-
|[[Leipzig]]
|Germany
|{{lang|de|italic=no|Fuß}}
|282.67<ref name=DE1842/>
|
|-
|[[Dresden]]
|Germany
|{{lang|de|italic=no|Fuß}}
|283.11<ref name=DE1842/>
|
|-
|[[Saxony]]
|Germany
|{{lang|de|italic=no|Fuß}}
|283.19<ref name=Bruhns/>
|
|- id=Prussia
|[[Prussia]]
|Germany, Poland, Russia etc.
|{{lang|de|italic=no|Rheinfuß}}
|313.85<ref name=Bruhns/>
|
|-
|[[Frankfurt am Main]]
|Germany
|{{lang|de|italic=no|Fuß}}
|284.61<ref name=DE1842/>
|
|-
|[[Venice]] & [[Lombardy]]
|Italy
|
|347.73<ref name=DE1842/>
|
|-
|[[Turin]]
|Italy
|
|323.1<ref name=rose/>
|
|-
|[[Rome]]
|Italy
|{{lang|it|italic=no|piede romano}}
|297.896<ref name=Guilhiermoz/>
|
|-
|[[Riga]]
|Latvia
|{{lang|lv|italic=no|pēda}}
|274.1<ref name=rose/>
|
|-
|[[Malta]]
|Malta
|{{lang|fr<!--assumed: possibly Maltese-->|italic=no|pied}}
|283.7<ref name=rose/>
|
|-
|[[Utrecht]]
|Netherlands
|{{lang|nl|italic=no|voet}}
|272.8<ref name="rose">{{cite book
 | last =Rose
 | first =Joshua
 | title =Pattern Makers Assistant
 | publisher =D. van Nostrand Co.
 | edition =9th
 | year =1900
 | location =New York
 | pages =264
 }}</ref>
|
|-
|[[Amsterdam]]
|Netherlands
|{{lang|nl|italic=no|voet}}
|283.133<ref name=NL2/>
|Divided into 11 {{lang|nl|duimen}} (inches, {{literally|thumbs}})
|-
|{{ill|Honsbossche en Rijpse|nl|Hondsbossche Zeewering}}
|Netherlands
|{{lang|nl|italic=no|voet}}
|285.0<ref name=NL2/>
|
|-
|[['s-Hertogenbosch]]
|Netherlands
|{{lang|nl|italic=no|voet}}
|287.0<ref name=NL2/>
|
|-
|[[Gelderland]]
|Netherlands
|{{lang|nl|italic=no|voet}}
|292.0<ref name=NL2/>
|
|-
|[[:nl: Bloois|Bloois (Zeeland)]]
|Netherlands
|{{lang|nl|italic=no|voet}}
|301.0<ref name=NL2/>
|
|-
|[[:nl:Wyldemerk|Schouw]]
|Netherlands
|{{lang|nl|italic=no|voet}}
|311.0<ref name=NL2/>
|
|-
|[[Rotterdam]]
|Netherlands
|{{lang|nl|italic=no|voet}}
|312.43<ref name=Horace/>
|
|-
|[[Rijnland]]
|Netherlands
|{{lang|nl|italic=no|voet}}
|314.858<ref name=NL2/>
|
|-
|[[Norway]]
|Norway
|{{lang|no|italic=no|fot}}
|313.75<ref>{{cite news
|title = Mål, vekt og norsk selvstendighet
|language=no
|trans-title = Dimensions, weight and Norwegian independence
|newspaper = Aftenposten
|date = July 21, 2005
|first = leif
|last = halbo
}}</ref>
|(1824–1835)<ref group="Notes">The Norwegian {{lang|no|fot}} was defined in 1824 as the length of a (theoretical) pendulum that would have a period of {{sfrac|12|38}}&nbsp;seconds at 45° from the equator.</ref> Thereafter as for Sweden.
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Warsaw]]
|rowspan="2"|Poland
|rowspan="2"|{{lang|pl|italic=no|stopa}}
|297.8<ref name="PolishLocal">{{Citation needed|date=October 2011}} – Information copied from [[:pl:Stopa polska]]</ref>
|Until 1819
|-
|288.0<ref name=Horace/>
|(From 1819) Polish {{lang|pl|italic=no|stopa}}
|-
|[[Lisbon]]
|Portugal
|{{lang|pt|italic=no|pé}}
|330.0<ref name=DE1851/>
|(From 1835)<ref group=Notes>Prior to 1835, the {{lang|pt|pé}} or foot was not used in Portugal; instead a palm was used. In 1835 the size of the palm was increased from 217.37&nbsp;mm (according to Palaiseau) to 220&nbsp;mm.</ref>
|-
|[[South Africa]]
|South Africa
|[[Cape foot]]
|314.858<ref>{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.fig.net/pub/cairo/papers/wshs_03/wshs03_02_zakiewich.pdf
 |author      = Tomasz Zakiewicz
 |title       = The Cape Geodetic Standards and Their Impact on Africa
 |publisher   = FIG
 |location    = Cairo
 |date        = April 2005
 |access-date  = January 4, 2012
|url-status  = live
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20120120235610/http://www.fig.net/pub/cairo/papers/wshs_03/wshs03_02_zakiewich.pdf
 |archive-date = January 20, 2012
|df          = mdy-all
}}</ref>
|Originally equal to the Rijnland foot; redefined as 1.033 English feet in 1859.
|-
|[[Burgos]] and [[Castile (historical region)|Castile]]
|Spain
|{{lang|es|italic=no|pie de Burgos/<br />Castellano}}
|278.6<ref name=Traite/>
|(1759) Quoted as "122.43 {{lang|fr|lignes}}"<ref group=Notes name=lignes/>
|-
|[[Toledo, Spain|Toledo]]
|Spain
|{{lang|es|italic=no|pie}}
|279.0<ref name=Traite/>
|(1759) Quoted as "10 {{lang|fr|pouces}} 3.7 {{lang|fr|lignes}}"<ref group=Notes name=lignes>The source document used pre-metric French units ({{lang|fr|pied}}, {{lang|fr|pouce}} and {{lang|fr|ligne}}).</ref>
|-
|[[Sweden]]
|Sweden
|{{lang|sv|italic=no|fot}}
|296.9<ref name=Bruhns/>
|= 12 {{lang|sv|tum}} (inches). The Swedish {{lang|sv|fot}} was also used in Finland ({{lang|fi|jalka}}).
|-
|[[Zürich]]
|Switzerland
|
|300.0<ref name=rose/>
|
|-
|[[Galicia (eastern Europe)|Galicia]]
|Ukraine, Poland
|{{lang|pl|italic=no|stopa galicyjska}}
|296.96<ref name=Horace/>
|Part of Austria–Hungary before World War I
|-
|[[Scotland]]
|United Kingdom
|<!--Scots/Gaelic spellings not attested in source: fuit, fit, troigh-->
|305.287<ref>{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.scan.org.uk/measures/distance.asp
 |title       = Scottish Weights and Measures: Distance and Area
 |publisher   = Scottish Archive Network
 |access-date  = January 28, 2010
|url-status  = live
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20090814193601/http://www.scan.org.uk/measures/distance.asp
 |archive-date = August 14, 2009
|df          = mdy-all
}}</ref>
|<ref group=Notes>The Scots foot ceased to be legal after the [[Acts of Union 1707|Act of Union]] in 1707.</ref>
|}

In Belgium, the words {{lang|fr|pied}} (French) and {{lang|nl|voet}} (Dutch) would have been used interchangeably.{{citation needed|date=October 2022}}

====Notes====
<references group=Notes/>