Unit Converters guide
Buying Shoes From Another Country? A Sizing Walkthrough
· 5 min read
To find your size in another country's system, measure your foot length in centimeters, look up that length on a standard chart, and read across to the US, UK or EU column. Foot length is the one number every system agrees on, so it's a better starting point than converting one label into another. Then check the brand's own chart, because standard charts are approximations and brands cut differently.
The rest of this post follows one purchase from start to finish, so you can see where people usually go wrong.
The scenario
Sam normally wears a US men's 9.5 in sneakers and wants to order leather boots from an Italian shop that only lists EU sizes. A friend in London also recommended a UK brand. Sam wants to know which EU and UK sizes to order, and whether to trust the label conversion or the foot measurement.
Step 1: Why start with a measurement instead of a label?
Sam's sneakers say 9.5, but sneaker brands often run half a size large or small, so the label is already a guess. Each system also counts from a different starting point and in different steps:
- US and UK sizes step in thirds of an inch, but from different zero points. For men, UK is half a size below US on the standard chart (US 9.5 = UK 9).
- EU sizes are counted in Paris points of ⅔ cm, which is why EU sizes sometimes jump by a full number between rows and sometimes by a half.
- Mondopoint, used in Japan and for ski boots, is simply the foot length in millimeters.
Because the steps don't line up, any two charts can disagree by half a size. A foot length avoids the argument.
Step 2: How do you measure your foot properly?
- Measure in the evening, since feet swell during the day.
- Stand on a sheet of paper against a wall, with your weight on the foot you're measuring.
- Mark your heel and the tip of your longest toe (not always the big toe).
- Measure the distance in centimeters. Do both feet and use the larger one.
Sam measures 27.2 cm.
Step 3: What does the chart say?
In the shoe size converter, with Men selected, Sam types 27.2 into the foot length field. The tool picks the smallest size whose foot length is at least 27.2 cm, which means it rounds up automatically. The result is the 27.5 cm row:
| System | Size |
|---|---|
| US | 9.5 |
| UK | 9 |
| EU | 43 |
| Foot length (cm) | 27.5 |
| Foot length (in) | 10.8 |
| Mondopoint / JP (mm) | 275 |
Good news: the measurement agrees with Sam's usual US 9.5. If it had landed on US 10 instead (28 cm, EU 44, UK 9.5), that would be a sign the sneakers run large and the label shouldn't be trusted for boots.
Step 4: Check the brand's chart
Standard charts are a starting point. Italian and other European brands often run narrow or small, and sports brands publish their own tables that can sit half a size away from the standard. Sam opens the shop's size guide, finds 27.5 cm listed under EU 43, and orders that. For the UK brand, Sam orders a UK 9.
If a brand's chart gives an inner shoe length rather than a foot length, expect it to be slightly longer than your foot. Shoes need room for your toes to move.
What changes for women's and kids' sizes?
Women's US sizes are larger numbers for the same foot. On the standard chart, a 26 cm foot is a US women's 9 but a US men's 8. That gap catches out anyone buying unisex sneakers, which are often labeled in men's sizes. A woman with a 24.3 cm foot lands on the 24.5 cm row: US women's 7.5, UK 5.5, EU 38.
Kids' sizes use letters. US toddler sizes end in C (4C to 13C on the chart) and youth sizes in Y (1Y to 7Y). The UK kids' scale climbs to 13 and then starts again at 1. Children's feet also grow fast, so measure right before ordering rather than relying on last season's size.
How to use the converter
- Open the shoe size converter and choose Men, Women or Kids.
- Either pick a Size system and Your size from the menus, or type your foot length into the measurement field and pick cm or in in the Unit menu.
- Read the matching sizes in every system. The same row is highlighted in the full chart below, so you can also check the sizes on either side.
If a measurement shows "That measurement is outside this chart", check that you haven't typed centimeters with the unit set to inches, or that you're in the right category. The lookup runs entirely in your browser. To convert other lengths, the length converter handles cm, inches and more.
Quick rules from the walkthrough
- Trust a fresh foot measurement over an old label.
- Between sizes? Go up. The converter already rounds up when you enter a measurement.
- Standard charts are approximations; the brand's own chart has the final say.
- For boots and hiking shoes, measure while wearing the socks you'll actually use.
FAQ
Why does my EU size not match my foot length in cm?
EU numbers count Paris points of ⅔ cm along the shoe, not your foot, and the shoe has to be longer than the foot. That's why an EU 43 corresponds to a foot of about 27.5 cm rather than 43 × ⅔ = 28.7 cm.
Can I enter my foot length in inches?
Yes. Set the Unit menu to in. A 10-inch foot is 25.4 cm, which the men's chart rounds up to US 7.5, UK 7, EU 40.5.
Are half sizes the same in every system?
No. US and UK use half sizes regularly, but EU sizing skips some halves, so two neighboring US sizes can map to EU sizes a full number apart (US 8 is EU 41, US 8.5 is EU 42).
Ready to order? Find your size with the shoe size converter.