Shoe Size Conversion Chart: US, UK, EU & CM (Men & Women)
The full shoe size conversion chart for US, UK, EU and centimetres — for men, women and kids — plus how to measure your foot and answers like what size 40 is in US shoes.
Buying shoes from a US brand when you grew up with UK sizes — or ordering a pair from a European retailer that only lists EU numbers — is where most people get caught out. A "size 9" is not one size; it's three different numbers depending on which side of the Atlantic you're standing on, and men's and women's scales don't line up either. This guide gives you the complete shoe size conversion chart for US, UK, EU and centimetres, explains how to measure your foot properly, and answers the questions people search for most — like what is size 40 in US shoes and how do men's and women's sizes compare. When you have your foot length, the shoe size conversion calculator converts between every system instantly.
Why shoe sizes are so confusing
There is no single global standard for shoe sizing. The US, UK, Europe, Japan and Australia all evolved their own systems, and each one counts differently. The UK and US scales both come from the old "barleycorn" system — where one size equals one-third of an inch — but they start counting from different points, which is why a US size is roughly half a size larger than the same UK number. The European system (EU, also called "Paris point" or "Continental") measures in two-thirds of a centimetre and applies the same numbers to men and women, while the US and UK split men's and women's scales apart. Add brand-to-brand variation on top, and it's easy to see why a shoe that fits in one label feels wrong in another.
The one measurement that never lies is the length of your foot in centimetres or inches. Every sizing system is ultimately derived from foot length, so if you know yours, you can find your size in any country. That is why this guide — and the calculator — always starts from foot length.
How to measure your foot at home
You only need paper, a pencil, and a ruler. Measure late in the day, when your feet are at their largest, and measure both feet — most people have one foot slightly bigger, and you size to the larger one.
- Stand on a sheet of paper with your heel against a wall. Put your weight on the foot so it spreads naturally.
- Mark the longest point — usually the tip of the big toe — and the back of the heel.
- Measure the distance between the two marks in centimetres. That is your foot length.
- Add a little wiggle room. Most fitters add 0.5–1 cm to the raw measurement to allow for toe room, then convert that figure to a size.
Once you have the number, enter it into the shoe size conversion calculator to get your US, UK and EU size at once, or read it off the charts below.
Men's shoe size conversion chart (US, UK, EU, CM)
For men, the US size is roughly the UK size plus about a half to a full size. Here is the standard conversion:
| US | UK | EU | Foot length (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 6 | 40 | 25.0 |
| 7.5 | 6.5 | 40.5 | 25.4 |
| 8 | 7 | 41 | 25.7 |
| 8.5 | 7.5 | 42 | 26.0 |
| 9 | 8 | 42.5 | 26.7 |
| 9.5 | 8.5 | 43 | 27.0 |
| 10 | 9 | 44 | 27.3 |
| 10.5 | 9.5 | 44.5 | 27.9 |
| 11 | 10 | 45 | 28.3 |
| 11.5 | 10.5 | 45.5 | 28.6 |
| 12 | 11 | 46 | 29.0 |
| 13 | 12 | 47 | 29.7 |
Women's shoe size conversion chart (US, UK, EU, CM)
Women's US sizes run about two sizes higher than UK sizes. So a US women's 8 is a UK 6:
| US | UK | EU | Foot length (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 3 | 35.5 | 22.0 |
| 5.5 | 3.5 | 36 | 22.4 |
| 6 | 4 | 36.5 | 22.9 |
| 6.5 | 4.5 | 37 | 23.3 |
| 7 | 5 | 37.5 | 23.6 |
| 7.5 | 5.5 | 38 | 24.0 |
| 8 | 6 | 38.5 | 24.4 |
| 8.5 | 6.5 | 39 | 24.8 |
| 9 | 7 | 40 | 25.1 |
| 9.5 | 7.5 | 40.5 | 25.6 |
| 10 | 8 | 41 | 25.9 |
| 11 | 9 | 42 | 26.7 |
European to American shoe size
This is one of the most-searched conversions, because so much footwear is sold with EU sizes only. The catch is that EU numbers are unisex, so the same EU size maps to a different US number for men and women. A few common ones:
| EU size | US men's | US women's |
|---|---|---|
| 36 | 4 | 5.5 |
| 37 | 5 | 6.5 |
| 38 | 5.5 | 7.5 |
| 39 | 6.5 | 8.5 |
| 40 | 7 | 9 |
| 41 | 8 | 10 |
| 42 | 8.5 | 11 |
| 43 | 9.5 | 12 |
| 44 | 10 | — |
| 45 | 11 | — |
So size 40 in US shoes is about a men's 7 or a women's 9, and a size 38 is roughly a men's 5.5 or a women's 7.5. Because the half-size gaps don't line up perfectly between systems, the conversion calculator is the safest way to pin down an exact match.
US to UK shoe size conversion
Within the same gender, converting between US and UK is the simplest jump because both come from the same barleycorn root:
- Men: US size − 0.5 to 1 = UK size. A US men's 10 is a UK 9.
- Women: US size − 2 = UK size. A US women's 8 is a UK 6.
Note that these are conventions, not laws — some athletic brands label US and UK identically, and a handful run them at a fixed one-size offset. Always check the brand's own chart when it's available, and fall back on foot length when it isn't.
Men's to women's shoe size conversion
If a style only comes in men's sizing (common with trainers and skate shoes) and you normally buy women's — or the other way round — the rule of thumb is a 1.5-size difference in the US system:
- Women's to men's: subtract 1.5. A women's US 9 is a men's US 7.5.
- Men's to women's: add 1.5. A men's US 8 is a women's US 9.5.
The width also differs — women's lasts tend to be narrower through the heel — so even at the "equivalent" length, the fit can feel different. When in doubt, match by the EU number or by foot length in cm, both of which ignore the gender split.
Kids' shoe sizes
Children's sizing is its own scale that restarts at 1 and runs up before the adult scale begins, which is why a kid's size and an adult size can share the same number. As a rough guide, a US kids' 13 leads into a US 1 (youth), and a youth 7 is broadly an adult men's 7. Because children's feet grow fast, measure every couple of months and leave about 1.5 cm of growing room rather than buying to the exact length.
Tips for getting the right fit online
- Go by length, not by your "usual" size. Brands vary by up to a full size; your foot length in cm doesn't.
- Size to your bigger foot. Almost everyone has one foot slightly larger.
- Check the brand's own chart first. Italian and some designer shoes notoriously run small; many running shoes run large.
- Read the reviews. "Runs half a size small" is the single most useful data point a product page gives you.
- When between sizes, size up for closed shoes and boots, and consider sizing down only for stretchy or strappy styles.
Whenever you have a measurement or a size in one system, drop it into the shoe size conversion calculator to translate it across US, UK, EU and cm before you check out.
Shoe size width fittings explained (B, D, 2E and beyond)
Length is only half of the fit equation. Two shoes labelled the same length can feel completely different because their width fitting differs. Many shoppers blame the length when a shoe pinches across the ball of the foot, when the real culprit is a width that is too narrow. Understanding width codes is the single biggest upgrade you can make to your online shoe shopping.
In the US, widths are commonly expressed with letters. Narrower widths sit toward the start of the alphabet and wider ones extend with repeated letters. For women, the standard "medium" width is B, while for men the standard is D. A wider men's shoe is often labelled E, 2E or 4E, and an extra-narrow option may be A or 2A. The UK and EU systems are less granular at retail, but specialist British shoemakers still offer width fittings labelled F (standard), G (wide) and H (extra wide).
| Width code (US) | Men's meaning | Women's meaning | Rough UK equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2A (AA) | Extra narrow | Narrow | E or narrower |
| B | Narrow | Standard (medium) | F |
| D | Standard (medium) | Wide | F to G |
| 2E (EE) | Wide | Extra wide | G |
| 4E (EEEE) | Extra wide | Very rare | H |
When converting between systems, remember that width does not scale automatically with length. If you size up by a full size to gain room, you also gain length you may not want, and the shoe can slip at the heel. The better fix for a tight forefoot is to keep your length and request a wider fitting instead. A reliable way to confirm your fitting is to trace your foot and measure the widest part across the ball, then compare it to the brand's width chart for your length.
Brand-specific sizing quirks you should know
Even after you nail the universal US, UK, EU and CM conversions, individual brands deviate from the standard. This is why two pairs marked "US 9" from different makers rarely feel identical. Below are patterns experienced shoppers rely on.
- Running shoe brands often run short because athletes want toe room for swelling during long runs. Many runners size up half a size from their everyday shoe.
- Italian fashion brands frequently run narrow and slightly small, reflecting a slimmer last shaped for European feet.
- Skate and casual canvas shoes tend to run large and wide, so people commonly size down half a size.
- Boots and heritage leather brands may use their own in-house last sizing, where a "UK 8" reflects the maker's traditional measurement rather than a modern retail conversion.
The practical lesson is to treat any conversion chart as a starting point, then read the specific product reviews for fit notes. A measured foot length in centimetres is your anchor: it never changes, while the printed size on the box is only a label each brand interprets differently. If you keep your CM measurement handy, you can use our shoe size conversion tool to translate it across systems in seconds and cross-check against the brand's own chart.
Sizing for foot conditions and orthotics
Feet are not symmetrical, and several common conditions change how you should choose a size. Ignoring these leads to discomfort no conversion chart can fix.
Bunions and wide forefeet: if you have a bunion, prioritise width and a rounded or square toe box over a pointed one. Sizing up in length only adds heel slip without solving the pressure at the joint. Look for a wider fitting in the same length.
High arches and instep: a high instep needs depth, not length. Shoes with adjustable lacing or a higher volume cut accommodate this better than simply buying a bigger size.
Orthotic inserts: custom or over-the-counter orthotics take up internal volume. If you wear them, you often need a shoe with a removable factory insole and sometimes a half size up. Always test the shoe with your orthotic in place, never with the stock insole, because that is the real fit you will wear daily.
Swelling and diabetes: feet swell over the course of the day and in warm weather. People prone to swelling, including many with diabetes, benefit from shopping in the late afternoon and choosing extra-depth designs that avoid pressure points.
Half sizes, and why some regions skip them
Half sizes exist because a full size jump represents roughly 8.5mm of length, which is a large step for a foot. A half size splits that difference at about 4.2mm. The US and UK systems use half sizes extensively, which is why you see 8, 8.5, 9 on shelves. The EU system, by contrast, traditionally uses whole numbers only, so EU charts step 41, 42, 43. This creates a conversion headache: a US 9 might fall between two EU whole sizes.
| US Men's | UK | EU (nearest whole) | Foot length (CM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8.5 | 8 | 42 | 26.0 |
| 9 | 8.5 | 42–43 | 26.7 |
| 9.5 | 9 | 43 | 27.1 |
| 10 | 9.5 | 44 | 27.9 |
When an EU size lands between two whole numbers for you, the safe default is to round up rather than down, because cramped toes cause far more pain than a slightly roomy fit you can adjust with thicker socks or an insole. This is especially true for leather shoes that do not stretch lengthwise.
How materials change the fit over time
A conversion chart describes a shoe on day one. The material determines how it feels on day one hundred. Knowing this prevents the classic mistake of buying a shoe that feels perfect in the store but is unwearable a month later, or buying one a touch tight expecting it to give when it never will.
- Full-grain leather stretches and moulds to your foot, especially across the width. A snug-but-not-painful leather shoe usually relaxes within a week or two of wear.
- Synthetic uppers and most athletic mesh stretch very little. What you feel in the box is what you keep, so never buy these tight hoping for break-in.
- Suede and nubuck stretch somewhat but less predictably than smooth leather.
- Knit uppers are forgiving and flexible but offer little structure, so they suit medium widths better than very narrow or very wide feet.
Combine this with the time-of-day principle: shop when your feet are at their largest, and the natural shrink-and-swell cycle plus break-in will work in your favour rather than against you.
Travel and international shopping checklist
Buying shoes abroad or from an overseas website multiplies the conversion risk because returns are costly and slow. Use this checklist to buy with confidence across borders.
- Measure both feet in centimetres before you shop, and use the larger foot as your reference. Most people have one foot up to half a size bigger.
- Identify which system the retailer uses by default. A UK retailer may show UK sizes first even when shipping to the US, and vice versa.
- Confirm whether the listed size is men's or women's, because a US women's 9 and US men's 9 differ by roughly 1.5 sizes.
- Check the brand's own size chart on the product page rather than trusting a generic conversion, since brands deviate.
- Read the return and customs policy. International returns can erase any saving, so getting the size right the first time matters more than at your local store.
With a measured CM length, an awareness of width fittings, and the brand's own chart in hand, you can shop almost any market accurately. Keep our conversion tool bookmarked so you can switch between US, UK, EU and CM instantly whenever a new listing only shows one system.
Japanese, Australian and other regional sizing systems
The US, UK and EU systems dominate online charts, but several other markets use conventions that catch travellers and importers off guard. Knowing how they relate to centimetres keeps you safe wherever you shop.
The Japanese (JP) and Korean (KR) systems are the most logical of all because they are simply the foot length in centimetres or millimetres. A Japanese size 26 means a 26cm foot, full stop. This makes JP sizing the easiest to convert from your own measurement, since no formula is involved. If you have measured your foot in centimetres, you already know your Japanese size.
Australian and New Zealand sizing tracks the UK system for men but follows US sizing for women, an inconsistency that trips up many shoppers. An Australian man's size is essentially a UK size, while an Australian woman's size matches the US women's number. Always confirm which gender's chart a listing uses before converting.
| Foot length (CM) | Japan (JP) | US Men's | UK | EU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25.0 | 25 | 7 | 6.5 | 40 |
| 26.0 | 26 | 8.5 | 8 | 42 |
| 27.0 | 27 | 9.5 | 9 | 43 |
| 28.0 | 28 | 10.5 | 10 | 44 |
Because the centimetre measurement is the common thread linking every one of these systems, it is genuinely the universal key. Whenever a chart confuses you, fall back to your CM length and convert from there rather than chaining one regional size into another, which compounds rounding errors.
Why a shoe's last matters more than its label
Behind every shoe is a last, the foot-shaped mould around which the shoe is built. Two shoes of the same printed size built on different lasts will fit differently, and this single fact explains most of the variation conversion charts cannot capture. The last dictates not just length but toe shape, instep height, heel width and overall volume.
Manufacturers reuse a favourite last across many models, which is why customers often find that one brand "just fits" them reliably while another never does regardless of size. When you discover a brand whose last suits your foot, you have found something more valuable than any conversion: a dependable fit you can reorder with confidence.
- Straight lasts have minimal curve and suit flat or low-arched feet.
- Curved or semi-curved lasts follow the natural inward curve of the foot and suit higher arches.
- High-volume lasts give extra depth for thick feet, orthotics or swelling.
- Performance lasts in running shoes are often snugger to lock the foot in place.
When you read a fit review that says a shoe "runs narrow" or "has a low toe box," the reviewer is really describing the last. Treat those notes as more reliable than the size number itself, and combine them with your measured length for the best possible online purchase.
Sizing babies' and toddlers' shoes
Children's feet are sized on their own scale that restarts at 1, and the very smallest sizes — for babies and toddlers — cause the most confusion for parents. US infant sizes typically run from about 0 to 5 for newborns up to roughly twelve months, then youth sizes climb from there. Because babies cannot tell you when a shoe pinches, fit has to be judged by measurement and feel rather than feedback. The widely used guidance is to leave about a thumb's width (roughly 1.5 cm) of growing room beyond the longest toe, and to re-measure every six to eight weeks, since a baby's foot can jump a full size in a season. Soft, flexible soles matter more than precise sizing at this stage, and pre-walkers rarely need structured shoes at all.
| Approx age | US size range | UK size range | EU size range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–6 months | 0–2.5 | 0–1.5 | 15–17 |
| 6–12 months | 2.5–4.5 | 1.5–3.5 | 17–20 |
| 12–24 months | 4.5–8 | 3.5–7 | 20–24 |
| 2–4 years | 8–11 | 7–10 | 24–27 |
Because the ranges overlap between systems and brands cut differently, measuring the foot in centimetres and converting is far more reliable than guessing from age. The shoe size conversion calculator handles the small sizes the same way it handles adult ones.
How sock thickness and time of day change your size
Two factors that shoppers routinely forget can shift your effective size by half a size or more. The first is socks: a thin dress sock and a thick winter or hiking sock occupy noticeably different amounts of space, so it is worth sizing boots and trainers while wearing the socks you will actually use them with. The second is the time of day. Feet swell over the course of a day and during exercise, sometimes by up to half a size, which is why fitters recommend measuring or trying shoes on in the afternoon or evening rather than first thing in the morning. If you buy to a tight morning fit, the same shoe can feel uncomfortable by mid-afternoon.
Buying shoes online vs in store
Each route has trade-offs, and knowing them helps you avoid a frustrating return cycle. In a shop you can try both feet, walk a few steps, and judge width and volume directly, but you are limited to the stock on the shelf. Online you have far more choice and can read hundreds of reviews, but you are buying blind to fit. The way to get the best of both is to know your foot length in centimetres, check the retailer's own size chart rather than assuming your "usual" size, and read reviews specifically for fit comments such as "runs half a size small." A generous returns policy effectively becomes your fitting room, so favour retailers that offer free returns when you are unsure between two sizes.
- Order two sizes when genuinely between sizes and return the one that does not fit, if free returns allow it.
- Check the return window before buying, and keep the box and packaging until you have walked around indoors.
- Match the activity: size running shoes with a little extra room for toe splay and swelling, and dress shoes closer to the exact length.
Frequently asked questions
What is size 40 in US shoes?
EU size 40 is about a US men's 7 or a US women's 9. EU sizes are unisex, so the same number maps to a different US size for men and women. In UK terms, EU 40 is roughly a men's 6.5 or a women's 7.
What size is 38 in shoes?
EU 38 is approximately a US women's 7.5 (UK 5.5) or a US men's 5.5 (UK 5). It corresponds to a foot length of about 24 cm.
How do I convert European shoe sizes to US?
Use a conversion chart or calculator, because the offset isn't a single fixed number across the range and differs for men and women. As a guide, for women US ≈ EU − 31, and for men US ≈ EU − 33, but the cleanest method is to convert your foot length in cm directly.
Is a men's size the same as a women's size?
No. In US sizing a men's size is about 1.5 sizes smaller than the women's number for the same foot length — so a men's 7.5 and a women's 9 fit a similar length, though the men's last is usually wider.
How do US and UK shoe sizes differ?
For men, US is roughly half a size to a full size larger than UK (US 10 ≈ UK 9). For women, US is about two sizes larger than UK (US 8 ≈ UK 6). Both scales come from the same barleycorn system but start counting from different points.
What's the most accurate way to find my size?
Measure your foot length in centimetres and convert from that, rather than trusting a remembered size. Foot length is the one value every sizing system is built on, so it gives a consistent answer across US, UK and EU. The shoe size conversion calculator does the conversion for you.