Shoe Size Conversion Guide

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Shoe Size Converter

Use this free shoe size converter to switch between US, UK, EU and Japanese sizing in seconds. Whether you are ordering sneakers from an overseas store or buying shoes as a gift, enter the size, choose the system it is in, and pick men’s, women’s or kids’ sizing. The shoe size converter then shows the matching size in every other system, along with the foot length in centimeters and inches. Not sure which size you are? Measure your foot and enter its length to find the closest size that fits.

You order the shoes online, the photos look perfect, the reviews are raving, and based on what size you usually wear in similar shoes, you assume the size should be perfect. But when the box arrives, the shoes feel immediately and obviously, well, wrong. Squeezed at the toes, loose in the heel, just “wrong.”

If this sounds familiar, don't worry, you're not doing anything wrong. There is currently no single international standard for shoe sizes, and size charts (when available) can be partial, contradictory, or hard to find, often hidden 3-clicks deep.

What follows below are complete, accurate size-conversion charts for women, men, and kids, plus foot length in cm and inches (no matter what country the shoes come from). Bookmark this page to use over and over.

Anyone who shops for shoes online, shops for shoes while traveling in a foreign country, buys shoes as gifts, or who has children can benefit from this chart. It is for anyone who has ever been in a shoe store in Europe and looked down at a pair of sandals and had no clue where to begin.

What is behind the variation in shoe size systems globally?

Shoe sizing became so chaotic because the main sizing systems were developed independently, at different periods, in different places, using different units of measurement, and were not originally built to work together.

1. The UK shoe sizing system is one of the earliest shoe size systems in the world, created in 14th-century England when King Edward II supposedly created a length measurement called a barleycorn, approximately equivalent to 1/3-inch. UK shoe sizes are still measured in barleycorns. In the UK shoe size system, UK shoe size 1 starts at 7.67 inches heel-to-toe, and each subsequent size is one barleycorn (1/3-inch) longer than the previous.
2. The US system copied much of the UK's framework, except for two things. US started the scale at a slightly different point, and the scale split into two, one for men and one for women (though the UK technically does the same, it is less obvious and less consistent). So a men's US shoe size 10 is a UK shoe size 9.5, whereas a women's shoe size 10 US is a UK shoe size 8.5. That's the same number, a different place, different size. Which is exactly the kind of error that leads to expensive mistakes.
3. The European (EU) system, more accurately called the Paris Point system, uses 2/3-centimeters as the basic incremental step. The shoe size starts at 0 at birth, and the system runs across a continuum of sizes without a men's vs women's separation, making it sound simpler. But it turns out 0.5 size in the US doesn't easily translate into a whole EU size. Which is why you often see a US size 9.5 as EU size 41 or 42 on different shoe sizing charts; both can technically be correct depending on how the specific shoe's last was constructed.
4. Japan's system is the most logical of the four, using the mondopoint system of shoe sizing where the shoe size is based on foot length in centimeters, most often half centimeters increments. A Japan shoe size 25, for instance, is for a foot 25 cm long. That makes it a very precise metric-based size chart, with no gender separation and much less error-prone due to rounding errors, although there are issues with width that aren't accounted for, and conversion from Japan sizing to US or EU sizes is not perfect.

But aside from the system differences, each brand and shoe has its own sizing. So two EU 42 shoe sizes from different brands and different places might be totally different sizes. So not all brands with an EU 42 will have the same sizing, depending on where the shoes were made and what size last they use, or whether the brand runs a little big or small. So for instance, Nikes tend to run a little small versus NB's. Or Clarks' runs wide versus Aldo's. It all matters. No chart covers every shoe brand perfectly.

All four systems handle width in different ways. The US system is one of the few that uses letters (AAA to EEE women's, B to EEEE men's) to denote width sizes (so D is the standard men's width and B is standard women's). The UK also uses a letter designation of width, but it doesn't seem consistent among brands, so you have to pay closer attention to it. EU shoe sizes rarely include width measurements, at least in mainstream retail, so consumers have to rely on how a brand describes its products (such as 'this runs wide' or 'this runs slim'). Japan's mondopoint system also includes an E to EEEE letter designation for width, but this isn't always communicated in how shoe sizing is presented on international listings.

For an even longer dive into exactly how foot measurements are and what shoe sizing is (including how to measure your own feet), see our full article on foot measurement and sizing standards [article #8].

Shoe size conversion chart: Women's US, UK, EU, and Japan

You can use the following tables as your conversion guide. Locate your known size in any of the columns on the far left, then move horizontally across the row to see the corresponding sizes in the other systems. Or, if you have your foot measurement in inches or centimeters, find the number you have measured (in either the "Foot Length (cm)" or "Foot Length (in)" columns) and read across to see what your equivalent US, UK, or European size might be.

The tables below are a useful starting point, but keep the following caveats in mind: EU women's sizes have different sizing scales in different countries. Spanish and Portuguese brands run half a size bigger than other EU countries, while some Korean and Japanese brands cut closer (note that this is why you will see the Japan column is measured by foot length, as mondopoint sizes are the same as centimeter foot measurements). Also, if there is a range of EU sizes listed for a row, the correct choice may depend on the brand of the shoes you are buying.

Women's Shoe Size Conversion Chart

The most commonly converted US shoe sizes for women are US 6 through US 9, since these are the most frequently sought-after women's shoe sizes among the average female shoe shopper. In this range, you'll find European sizes roughly between 36 and 40, UK sizes around 4 and 7, and Japanese shoe sizes (based on cm) between 23 cm and 25 cm.

Here is a word of caution: women's EU 37 shoe sizes and EU 38 shoe sizes can be particularly problematic to convert from other international size standards, because different brands have used different conversion methods. If you are normally a US 6.5 or 7 and are buying European women's sizes, it is generally a good bet to try a half EU size up. This can sometimes mean needing to exchange for the correct size, which is unfortunate but, in the case of women's shoe size conversion, is sometimes the only way to guarantee getting the right shoes.

Shoe size conversion chart: Men's US, UK, EU, and Japan

Men’s shoe sizing has some distinct quirks, most notably the size difference between the UK and US. You’ll notice that US sizes are consistently a full size larger for men than their UK counterparts (e.g., US 10 = UK 9; US 11 = UK 10). Keep in mind: this is unlike women’s sizing, where the difference is an entire 1.5 sizes. This one fact is all you need to avoid the biggest sizing confusion when you first buy from a UK online store.

Men’s EU sizing also uses the Paris Point system that you see for women, but the numbers start higher and are longer because men’s feet tend to be larger. Most men fall somewhere between sizes EU 39 to 47, with the bulk in the EU 42 to 45 range.

Men’s shoe size conversion table

For brands, be aware of some known variations: Converse sneakers run half-size or full-size large. So most people usually go down half a size. For Adidass running shoes, they are usually true to size, while their lifestyle options (e.g., Stan Smith, Gazelle) run a bit small. New Balance shoes also tend to be true-to-size in the majority of widths, so they can be an excellent baseline to go off of if you aren’t sure what to size up to. When it comes to Salomon trail shoes, they tend to run a half size small (and are more so for narrow last widths). These types of differences don’t really factor into the chart at all, but knowledge like this is usually something you gather over many pairs of feet over the years. You’ll want to keep this in mind whenever you feel a conversion chart takes you close to where you’re at.

Shoe size conversion chart: Kids' sizes (Toddler, Little Kid, Big Kid)

There are different sizing systems, of course. And when it comes to sizing kids' shoes, that's definitely the case. If you haven't purchased children's shoes for a while, the three-stage American sizing system may take you by surprise when you first encounter it.

In the US, shoe sizes for children generally progress in three categories: Toddler, Little Kid, and Big Kid. Toddler sizes (occasionally marked as T or TD) start at size 0 (usually for a newborn) and continue up to size 13, which covers infants and young toddlers. Little Kid sizes (occasionally marked as C, for Child) jump back to 1 and go to 3, typically covering children aged approximately 4-7. Big Kid sizes (occasionally marked as Y, for Youth) start at 1 and generally continue through 7, typically covering ages 7-12. At which point kids usually grow into adult sizes. A big kid size 7 (7Y) is the equivalent to a women's US size 7, so this transition is sometimes unannounced.

The biggest point of confusion is the restart of the size number. A size 3 Little Kid shoe is nothing like a size 3 Big Kid shoe, and a size 13 Toddler is much smaller than a size 1 Big Kid, even if that's the exact opposite of what it would seem. When in doubt, refer to the foot length in cm in addition to the size number.

Kids' Shoe Size Conversion Chart

The single most useful thing you can do to ensure the correct shoe size when buying kids' shoes is to measure your child's foot each time, not just before the start of the school year, but each time they need a new pair. Kids' feet grow fast, so it can be difficult to judge their size. What might be the right size three months ago may already be half a size too small, and half a size on a child's foot is not small.

To measure your child's foot at home, stand them on a piece of paper, trace around the perimeter of their foot (holding your pencil vertically, not angled towards the foot), and measure the length from the heel to the tip of the longest toe. Measure at the end of the day, after they've been wearing shoes, not first thing in the morning. Once you have your measurement, compare it to the foot length in cm in the chart above.

There's one important thing to bear in mind that charts don't account for: kids' shoes should have 12 to 15mm of growing room at the front — roughly the width of a thumb from the tip of the longest toe. Your child's feet shouldn't swim in their shoes, but some growing room is essential to growing healthy feet (and to avoid having to replace every pair of shoes in two months' time). For more guidance on how to find the correct fit in children's shoes, and the exact amount of room required for growth, check out our in-depth guide to choosing the right kids' shoe fit and growth room [article #23].

How to measure your foot correctly for the most accurate size conversion

A shoe size conversion chart is only good as your foot measurement is. If you don’t have a good starting measurement for conversion, all the shoe size conversion charts in the world won’t help. Here’s how to measure your foot correctly, and how to use those numbers to make the most precise size conversion.

What you need to measure your foot:

• Plain paper
• A pen or a pencil (not a felt tip marker)
• A ruler or tape measure
• About 5 minutes of your time

If you prefer to have a measuring device rather than tracing your foot on paper: A Brannock-style shoe sizing measuring kit is a great device to have for home use. It’s a device that measures both foot length and arch length accurately. They are usually only found in shoe stores, but home-use versions are easily found on the web. These measuring devices remove the margin of error that comes with tracing a foot on paper, and it’s especially helpful to have if you are between two sizes.

How to measure your foot on a piece of paper:

1. Put a piece of plain paper on the floor. Make sure that the floor is a hard surface, not carpet, as tile or a wood floor will make for a more accurate impression.
2. Stand with your entire weight on the foot you are measuring. When you measure your feet while sitting on a chair or on the edge of a bed, the foot doesn’t stretch out into the shape it normally takes when you are on your feet.
3. Trace your foot outline around its outer side with a pen or pencil, making sure you hold the writing utensil vertical so the point is not leaning inward toward your foot. If the point of the pen or pencil is leaning inside your foot, you will end up tracing an inside line that will not be the correct size of your foot.
4. Make two dots, a clear one on the tip of your longest toe, and a second one on the farthest point of the tip of your heel.
5. Measure the two dots with a ruler or tape measure. That measurement in centimeters is your foot length.
6. For your foot width measurement, measure the widest part of your traced foot outline. (This will usually be across the ball of your foot).

When to measure your foot. It is best to measure your foot when it is the biggest, and this means to measure at the end of the day. During the day your feet tend to swell as the blood in your legs collects in the tissues in your feet, while the arch of the foot collapses from standing on the same foot all day long. Most feet are noticeably larger, sometimes by as much as half a size in volume, at 4pm compared to 8am. If you measure your feet in the morning when they are at their smallest size, and the shoe that you buy fits you that way, then at night, your feet might be swollen to the point of being too small for the shoes. If in doubt, when to measure your feet, always buy the larger measurement size.

Measuring both feet. Most people have feet that differ by at least a couple of millimeters, and many people have feet that differ by a full half-size or more. It is actually not a problem for people who have different size feet, as you don’t feel it in real life; it only matters when it comes to choosing the right shoes. Always choose the shoe size and width to fit your largest, and/or the widest foot. If needed you can wear a thicker sock on the smaller foot, or if you prefer, an insole insert into the shoe. The foot for whom the shoe size is too small is the problem for you.

When to buy a shoe a size bigger, and when to trust the chart for your shoe size conversion exactly. Buy the next bigger shoe size for these reasons: if the size chart tells you that you fit between two shoe sizes; when you buy shoes to wear with thick sock; when buying a sports shoe, because the feet swell after physical activity; and/or if there is known that the brand is sizing small. Buy the exact size for these reasons: when you have measured the foot length in cm for your size conversion and the brand you are looking at also lists foot length in their conversion chart. If you know your size in cm and use the brand’s size chart to determine your shoe size, you will come to the most precise conversion size for that particular brand. And size down only when the brand runs large in the size conversion chart for your brand size; and be very careful if you go a half size down, to make sure there is enough space for your toes to move freely. If you buy half size too small and don’t give enough space for your toes, you might get a toenail bruising. It will cause pain, and the swelling and redness that goes with that. And this is the type of foot pain I write about on this website on my post about foot problems.

A note on width. If you have correctly measured your foot length in centimeters, you have taken care of most size conversions. But if your foot width is the wrong size in the shoe, you might still have discomfort, or worse, the wrong fit for your feet, and that in turn can lead to foot problems and foot pain. When you find yourself getting foot blisters in correctly sized shoes on the ball of your foot, you may be needing a wide width. If in doubt, a wide size width might solve the problem. Brannock shoe sizing devices measure both your length and width, giving you the shoe size conversion information to use.

Conclusion

The reality is this: there is no worldwide standardized shoe size, and you’re unlikely to see one created anytime soon. The US, UK, European, and Japanese sizing systems were developed independently of one another and have continued to do so over time, while being maintained by independent groups with little reason to coordinate. Every conversion table, including this one, is simply a close approximation, but one good approximation is all you need. You need to remember that the only number that will mean the same thing in any sizing system is the foot length in centimeters.

Please bookmark this page, as I have designed the sizing tables on this page to be easy to navigate on both a mobile device and a desktop, as your need for a shoe size conversion will typically occur at the moment you are in the process of purchasing an item you do not typically purchase, such as an item from a brand with which you are unfamiliar, or, perhaps, while you are traveling abroad in a store and trying to figure out what an EU 40 translates into in a Japanese brand you have not purchased from before.

But, it is not just about the size itself. It is also crucial to remember that every foot, no matter its length in centimeters, varies in width, shape, and volume, as well as other factors such as the specific design of a shoe’s internal shaping called a last. Thus, a shoe converted into the proper size will not necessarily fit you simply because it is the correct size. It will likely be because it fits a generic human foot, but your foot is different from a generic foot, so it will only be a good fit if you consider all factors when trying a shoe on, such as the width of your foot and your particular arch height and toe length. This table is only a starting point in finding the best possible fit for your foot.

Finally, make a habit to always check the foot length in centimeters in conjunction with any size number while buying from a brand or a size system with which you are unfamiliar. It will only take a few extra seconds to double-check this measurement, and this one simple action will go a long way to prevent one of those “shoes-arrived-at-destination-unfit-to-wear” moments we are all way too familiar with.

It isn’t enough to just be right on a size; it all comes back to whether or not a shoe properly fits you. When it does, you are setting yourself up for comfort, and even for the proper long term health of your feet, which is important, as the fit of your shoes can be the determining factor as to whether a shoe allows you to walk, run, and move through life freely, or to whether a shoe is slowly, but surely, making it harder and more difficult to do those things over a longer period of time. I have spent much of my life working in shoe design and have seen first hand the results of buying and wearing ill-fitting shoes. My advice is this: when buying a shoe, spend the extra moment to get the size conversion, as well as the foot length, and check them against one another. It is always worth it!

Do you have a shoe size question that I have not answered here? Please feel free to leave it below in the comments! I read every comment, and often one of the best questions will come from a reader brave enough to leave one. Sometimes it will result in the best way to improve guides such as these.

Paula Mareen