Women's shoe size conversion
US women's sizes run two above UK sizes in most charts. EU sizes use a different unit entirely, which is why some US sizes span two EU numbers.
| US | UK | EU | Foot in | Foot cm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2 | 35 | 8.3 | 21.2 |
| 4.5 | 2.5 | 35 | 8.5 | 21.6 |
| 5 | 3 | 35–36 | 8.7 | 22.0 |
| 5.5 | 3.5 | 36 | 8.8 | 22.4 |
| 6 | 4 | 36–37 | 9.0 | 22.9 |
| 6.5 | 4.5 | 37 | 9.2 | 23.3 |
| 7 | 5 | 37–38 | 9.3 | 23.7 |
| 7.5 | 5.5 | 38 | 9.5 | 24.1 |
| 8 | 6 | 38–39 | 9.7 | 24.6 |
| 8.5 | 6.5 | 39 | 9.8 | 25.0 |
| 9 | 7 | 39–40 | 10.0 | 25.4 |
| 9.5 | 7.5 | 40 | 10.2 | 25.8 |
| 10 | 8 | 40–41 | 10.3 | 26.2 |
| 10.5 | 8.5 | 41 | 10.5 | 26.7 |
| 11 | 9 | 41–42 | 10.7 | 27.1 |
| 11.5 | 9.5 | 42 | 10.8 | 27.5 |
| 12 | 10 | 42–43 | 11.0 | 27.9 |
Based on: UK = US minus 2 is the usual retail offset; some sneaker brands use 2.5. EU numbers follow a common US retail chart and can differ by a half to a full size between brands. Foot length uses the US (Brannock/FIA) formula: size = 3 × foot length in inches − 21.
Men's shoe size conversion
Men's US sizes run one above UK sizes in most charts, and the men's scale is offset from the women's scale, so check you are on the right table.
| US | UK | EU | Foot in | Foot cm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 5 | 39 | 9.3 | 23.7 |
| 6.5 | 5.5 | 39 | 9.5 | 24.1 |
| 7 | 6 | 40 | 9.7 | 24.6 |
| 7.5 | 6.5 | 40–41 | 9.8 | 25.0 |
| 8 | 7 | 41 | 10.0 | 25.4 |
| 8.5 | 7.5 | 41–42 | 10.2 | 25.8 |
| 9 | 8 | 42 | 10.3 | 26.2 |
| 9.5 | 8.5 | 42–43 | 10.5 | 26.7 |
| 10 | 9 | 43 | 10.7 | 27.1 |
| 10.5 | 9.5 | 43–44 | 10.8 | 27.5 |
| 11 | 10 | 44 | 11.0 | 27.9 |
| 11.5 | 10.5 | 44–45 | 11.2 | 28.4 |
| 12 | 11 | 45 | 11.3 | 28.8 |
| 13 | 12 | 46 | 11.7 | 29.6 |
| 14 | 13 | 47 | 12.0 | 30.5 |
| 15 | 14 | 48 | 12.3 | 31.3 |
Based on: UK = US minus 1 is the usual offset; some brands and US retailers use a half size instead. EU numbers follow a common US retail chart and vary by up to a size between brands. Foot length uses the US (Brannock) formula: size = 3 × foot length in inches − 22.
Why shoe sizes don't convert neatly
The US and UK systems count in barleycorns, a third of an inch per full size. Continental European sizes count in Paris points, two thirds of a centimeter per size. The two step lengths don't line up (a third of an inch is about 0.85 cm, a Paris point is about 0.67 cm), so every conversion involves rounding. On top of that, each system started from a different zero point and measures the shoe's last rather than the foot, with an allowance that varies between makers. That's why one brand calls a US 9 an EU 42 and another calls it 42.5.
The foot length columns in both tables use the formulas behind the US Brannock-style measuring device: US women's size is about three times foot length in inches minus 21, and men's about three times foot length minus 22. They are a good starting point, not a guarantee.
Converting between men's and women's sizes
For the same foot, the women's US number is higher. Under the formula scale it is one size higher; most sneaker and unisex brands use a gap of one and a half (men's 8 = women's 9.5). UK sizes are usually the same for men and women. EU numbers are meant to be unisex, but retail charts don't always agree: in the two tables on this page, the same foot length lands about one EU size higher on the men's chart than on the women's. For unisex shoes, compare foot length in centimeters with the brand's chart.
How to measure your foot at home
- Do it in the afternoon or evening. Feet swell during the day, and shoes bought in the morning can pinch by night.
- Tape a sheet of paper to the floor against a wall. Stand on it with your heel touching the wall, wearing the socks you'd wear with the shoes.
- Mark the tip of your longest toe with a pencil held straight up. The longest toe is not always the big toe.
- Measure from the wall to the mark. Repeat with the other foot and use the longer measurement.
Type that length into the finder (Find my size, then Shoes). It rounds up to the next half size, since a little extra length is easier to live with than too little.
Centimeter sizes, Mondopoint and Japanese sizes
Mondopoint, used for ski boots and some workwear, labels a shoe by the foot length it fits, in millimeters: a 265 is for a foot about 26.5 cm long. Japanese and some Asian sizes work the same way in centimeters. Many sneaker brands also print a "cm" or "JP" size on the box; it is often half to one centimeter longer than the foot length in our table, because brands label the shoe rather than the foot. When you have a centimeter size from a brand, compare it with that brand's chart rather than ours.
Width
Length is only one dimension. US widths are letters: for women, B is medium, A or narrower is narrow and D is wide; for men, D is medium and E, 2E (EE) and wider are wide. UK and European shoes are usually made in one standard width per model, with some brands offering wide versions. If shoes in your length feel tight across the ball of the foot, try a wider fit before you go up a size, which only adds length.
Between sizes
Go up half a size for boots and shoes worn with thick socks, for running shoes (your feet swell on long runs) and for narrow, pointed styles. Stay with the smaller size for sandals and for leather shoes that will stretch slightly with wear. For children's shoes, use each brand's chart; children's scales are separate again. Back to the size converter or the measuring guide.