Taille vs Pointure

Question

Why did none of the answers for shoes size have the option pointure as a vocabulary choice?  I thought you weren't supposed to use taille with shoe sizes.

Accepted Answer

Hi Isabel,
It's an interesting point and of course, you are correct in pointing out that 'pointure' is used for shoe size.
Having checked with other colleagues the word 'pointure' just doesn't work in the sentence given -
Do you have them in a size 37 = Vous les avez en (taille) 37
The shop assistant might ask you :
Vous voulez quelle pointure ? 
Vous faites quelle pointure?
but also 
Vous chaussez du combien?
for,  What's your shoe size?
Looking at the definition of pointure, it is a measure - La taille du pied s'exprime en pointure ( rather than cms for example)
In any case, it just doesn't work in that sentence but interesting point nevertheless.

Answer

Your question interested me because I was unaware that there was a case that taille shouldn't be used with shoe size, so I ran it past my French sister-in-law, who spent part of her working life (in France) selling shoes. Although both taille and pointure are/can be used, she notes 'pointure' to be the preferred and more specific term for shoe size, and quite appropriately used in the context you have raised. Looking at Acadèmie Française pointure is defined as «Taille, dimension, mesurée en points, des chaussures. . . . » and has an example phrase «des chaussures pointure 40» also. Larousse lists «taille» as 'familier' synonym for pointure, and le Robert uses example «la pointure 40», and again lists «taille» as a synonym. I think you were not at all wrong to consider pointure to be a correct answer, based on these definitions and the discussion with my sister-in-law.