Presser Feet: Which Foot You Need, and Will It Fit?

Guide type: Buying guide
Last reviewed: 2026-11-10
Sources: 8 cited
Tested by us: No. How we research

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Short answer

Use the foot your machine asks for: Brother's manuals show the right foot for each stitch, and warn that the wrong one can let the needle hit the foot.¹ Before buying an extra foot, check three things: the shank height (most Brother machines are low shank), how it attaches (snap-on or screw-on), and the stitch width it is made for, such as 7 mm.^1,2,3 Two useful feet to add are a walking foot for slippery or layered fabrics and a concealed zipper foot.^3,4

Use the foot your machine asks for

Brother’s SE700 manual is direct: “Use the appropriate presser foot for the type of stitch that you wish to sew, otherwise the needle may hit the presser foot.” It also says: “Use presser feet designed specifically for this machine.”¹ The machine’s screen names the foot for each stitch: zigzag foot J, blind stitch foot R, monogramming foot N, button fitting foot M, overcasting foot G and buttonhole foot A.¹

Will it fit? Three checks

1. Shank height. The shank is the bar the foot attaches to. Brother: “Most of our Brother machines are low shank”, with a list of high-shank exceptions such as the PQ1500S, PQ1600S, PC8500 and the XP series.² A quick test from Brother: “If the machine comes with a Dual Feed Foot, then the machine is a high shank.”² Brother also sells an adapter “For fitting optional feet on sewing machines with a low shank”.⁶

2. Snap-on or screw-on. Most everyday feet snap onto a holder. On the SE700 you press the black button at the back of the holder to release the foot, then lower the lever until the foot’s pin “snaps into the notch”.¹ Some feet replace the holder itself and are screwed on; Brother warns to tighten that screw securely, “otherwise the presser foot holder may fall off and the needle may strike it”.¹

3. Stitch width. Feet are made for a maximum stitch width. Brother’s SA140 walking foot, for example, is sold “for 7mm Stitch Width Sewing Machines”, and Brother offers several walking feet “which differ for the width of the feed dogs, shank height, etc.”³

The main presser feet and what they do

Common presser feet, as makers describe them
Foot	What it is for	Source
Zigzag (general purpose)	Everyday straight and zigzag sewing	Brother SE700 manual¹
Walking (dual feed)	Layers, prints and plaids, slippery fabrics, quilting	Brother SA140³
Zipper	Sewing close to a zipper or piping	Brother catalogue⁶
Concealed (invisible) zipper	Invisible zippers, coils held in grooves	Brother SA102, SINGER^4,8
1/4 inch piecing	Quilt and patchwork piecing	Brother catalogue⁶
Non-stick	Fabrics that stick to the foot, such as leather	Brother catalogue⁶
Roller	Vinyl and leather, without marks	Brother catalogue⁶
Free-motion quilting	Free-motion quilting, sold separately on the SE700	Brother SE700 manual¹

Names vary by brand; check your manual's accessory list.

Three feet worth knowing

Everyday foot, low shank

Brother SA176 zigzag foot with ankle

Type: zigzag foot with ankle
Shank: low
Attaches: snap-on foot on its ankle

Strengths

Releases on its downward slope when it meets a rise, per Brother
Snap-on foot with its ankle

Drawbacks

Low-shank machines only
Brother USA showed "Locate a Dealer" on 2026-11-10

Good fit: your low-shank Brother has lost or worn its everyday foot.
Skip it if: your machine is high shank.

Even feed for layers and slippery fabrics

Brother SA140 walking foot

Type: walking (dual feed) foot
Made for: 7 mm stitch width machines
Limit: no reverse or side-to-side sewing

Strengths

Moves the top layer with the feed dogs
Brother lists it for quilting and plaids

Drawbacks

Several Brother walking feet exist: check your model
Not for reverse or side-to-side stitches

Good fit: you quilt, match plaids or sew fabrics that drift.
Skip it if: you need reverse or decorative side-to-side stitches with it.

Invisible zippers

Brother SA102 concealed zipper foot

Type: concealed (invisible) zipper foot
What it does: holds the zipper coils in place

Strengths

Made for concealed zippers, per Brother
Listed in Brother's accessory catalogue

Drawbacks

A Brother help answer names part SA128 for one model: check your manual's list

Good fit: you sew dresses, skirts or cushions with invisible zippers.
Skip it if: you only sew regular zippers: the standard zipper foot does that.

For zipper feet in detail, including SINGER and Janome, see our zipper foot guide.

Questions

Which presser foot should I use?

The one your machine shows for the stitch. On Brother's SE700, the screen "Shows presser foot to be used. Before sewing, install the presser foot indicated here."¹ The zigzag foot J is the everyday foot on that machine.¹

Which presser foot for stretchy fabric?

Brother describes its walking foot as a feed system that helps "better control difficult fabrics" and for when "fabric drift is an issue".³ On knits, the stitch matters as much as the foot: see our serger vs sewing machine guide.

Which presser foot for thick fabric?

For layers, a walking foot feeds the top and bottom together.³ For a thick seam you have to sew over, Brother's SA176 foot with ankle "automatically releases on it's downward slope" when it meets a rise.⁵

Which presser foot for leather or vinyl?

Brother's catalogue lists a non-stick foot "For fabrics which may stick to the bottom of the foot such as leather, etc." and a roller foot for vinyl and leather "without leaving marks on the fabric".⁶

Which presser foot for topstitching or curves?

For topstitching, Brother's catalogue lists a stitch guide foot (SA160) "For precise topstitching from fabric edge".⁶ We found no maker guidance naming one foot for curves.

Presser foot for a Janome or Husqvarna Viking machine?

Use the maker's own list. Janome shows which version of a foot fits your machine after you log in to its site.⁷ We did not read Husqvarna Viking's lists: check your manual's accessory page.

What is presser foot "I"?

On Brother machines such as the SE700, "I" is the zipper foot. Brother notes that its symbol may not appear on the screen.¹

Bottom line

Start from your manual: it names the foot for each stitch and your machine's shank. Then add feet for what you sew most: a walking foot for quilts and slippery fabrics, a concealed zipper foot for dresses and skirts. Buy feet listed for your exact model.

Related guides

What we checked, and what we didn't

Checked

How feet attach, and which foot goes with which stitch, in Brother's SE700 manual
Brother's list of high-shank machines and its accessory catalogue
What Brother and SINGER say each foot does, on their product pages

Not checked

How each foot sews on your fabric: we have not tested them
Janome and Husqvarna Viking fit lists: Janome's needs a login, and we did not read Husqvarna Viking's

Sources

SE700 Sewing and Embroidery Machine Operation Manual (888-P10) · Brother
Determine if machine is low or high shank · Brother USA help
Brother SA140 Walking Foot for 7mm Stitch Width Sewing Machines · Brother USA
Brother SA102 Concealed Zipper Foot · Brother USA
Brother SA176 Zigzag Foot with Ankle for Low Shank Sewing Machines · Brother USA
Accessory catalogue, lineup A · Brother
Zipper Foot · Janome America
SINGER Invisible Zipper Foot · SINGER

Revision history

2026-11-10

First version.