Shoe Size Converter

About the Shoe Size Converter

Shoe sizes are one of the most confusing measurements to convert. The UK, US and Europe each use their own scale, American men's and women's sizes differ, and none of them is simply the length of your foot. Buying shoes online from another country, following a size chart in a different system, or buying shoes for someone else all mean translating a size — ideally with an idea of how much the result can vary.

This shoe size converter converts adult shoe sizes between UK, EU, US men's and US women's, or finds your sizes from your foot length in centimetres. It shows the approximate foot length and Mondopoint size, the length of the shoe's last, and the unrounded figures so you can see how close a size is to the next half size.

How to Use the Shoe Size Converter

Choose the size system you already know: UK, EU, US men's, US women's, or foot length in centimetres.

Enter your size, or your foot length measured from heel to the tip of the longest toe.

The equivalent sizes appear straight away, rounded to the nearest half size.

How the Sizes Are Defined

All three systems measure the last — the foot-shaped form a shoe is built on — not the foot itself. The last is longer than the foot to leave room for the toes.

  UK      = 3 × last length (inches) − 25     (steps of 1/3 inch)
  US men  = UK + 1
  US women = UK + 2
  EU      = 1.5 × last length (cm)            (steps of 2/3 cm)
  foot length ≈ last length − 1.5 cm

The UK scale counts in barleycorns of a third of an inch, an old English unit; the European scale counts in Paris points of two-thirds of a centimetre. Because both step by a fixed length, converting through the last length gives consistent results.

Step-by-Step Example

A UK size 8.

  Last:    (8 + 25) ÷ 3 = 11 inches = 27.94 cm
  EU:      1.5 × 27.94 = 41.9  → EU 42
  US men:  8 + 1 = 9
  US women: 8 + 2 = 10
  Foot:    27.94 − 1.5 ≈ 26.4 cm

An EU 38 has a last of 38 ÷ 1.5 = 25.33 cm, 9.97 inches, which is UK 4.9 — a UK 5, US women's 7 and US men's 6.

A foot 25 cm long needs a last of about 26.5 cm, giving about UK 6.5, EU 40, US men's 7.5 and US women's 8.5.

How to Measure Your Foot

Measure in the evening, when feet are at their largest, and standing with your weight on the foot. Place your heel against a wall with a sheet of paper under your foot, mark the tip of your longest toe — not always the big toe — and measure the distance in centimetres. Measure both feet and use the longer one, since most people's feet differ slightly. Wear the kind of socks you would wear with the shoes.

Men's and Women's Sizes

In the US, women's sizes are traditionally about one and a half to two sizes larger than men's for the same length, so a men's 8 is about a women's 9.5 to 10. In the UK and Europe the same numbers are used for men and women. Unisex trainers are often labelled in US men's sizes, which is why the converter shows both.

Why Sizes Vary Between Brands

Real shoes are made on many different lasts. Brands add different amounts of toe room, round to half sizes differently, and cut shoes for narrow or wide feet. Athletic shoes may run small, boots large, and European brands may follow their own tables. A difference of half to one full size between brands is normal, so treat any conversion as a starting point and check the maker's own size chart, which usually gives a foot length for each size.

Width

Length is only half of fit. UK and US shoes often come in width fittings — narrow, standard, wide and extra wide, labelled with letters such as B, D, E and EE — while many European brands make one width per style. If your foot is wide or narrow, a longer size is not a good substitute for the right width.

Children's Sizes

Children's shoes use separate scales. In the UK and US, children's sizes run from 0 or 1 for infants up to about 13, then restart at 1 for older children and adults, which is why a child's 13 is smaller than an adult's 1. European sizes simply continue upward from about 16 for babies. This converter covers adult sizes only; for children, measure the foot regularly, since feet can grow a size every few months, and leave about a thumb's width of room.

Understanding Your Result

The headline gives the UK, EU, US men's and US women's sizes, rounded to the nearest half.

The foot length line gives the approximate foot length in centimetres and inches, and the Mondopoint size used for ski boots.

The shoe last line gives the length of the last the sizes are based on.

The unrounded line shows the exact calculated sizes before rounding.

When Should You Use This Calculator?

Use it when buying shoes online from a shop that uses a different size system.

Use it to convert between US men's and women's sizes for unisex shoes.

Use it to find your size from a foot measurement.

Use it when buying shoes as a gift in another country's sizing.

Common Mistakes

Measuring in the morning. Feet swell during the day; measure in the evening.

Assuming US and UK sizes are the same. A UK 8 is about a US men's 9.

Ignoring men's versus women's sizing. US women's sizes run about two higher.

Relying on one conversion for every brand. Always check the maker's chart.

Forgetting width. A longer size does not fix a shoe that is too narrow.