Shoe & Clothing Size Converter

How do shoe size systems work?

Each shoe size system counts in its own unit of length and starts from its own zero point, so the same foot gets a different number in the US, the UK and Europe. That is why a men's US 10 is roughly a UK 9.5 and an EU 44, and why no conversion is ever exact.

• US and UK sizes step up by one barleycorn, a third of an inch (about 8.5 mm), per full size, and a sixth of an inch per half size. The two scales start from different zero points, so a US men's size is usually half a size to one size higher than the UK size. Panglify uses the common half-size offset: UK 8 ≈ US men's 8.5.
• US women's sizes run on a separate scale that is about 1.5 sizes larger than US men's for the same foot, so a men's 8 is roughly a women's 9.5. Some brands use a difference of 1 or 2.
• EU (Paris point) sizes step up by two-thirds of a centimeter (about 6.7 mm) per size and are the same for men and women. Because a Paris point is smaller than a barleycorn, EU sizes climb faster than US or UK sizes.
• Mondopoint (ISO 9407) is simply foot length in millimeters, often with width. It is used for ski boots and military footwear, and Japan labels shoes by foot length in centimeters.

Start with the US to UK shoe size converter or the US to EU shoe size converter, and use the men's to women's shoe size converter for unisex styles such as sneakers.

Why are clothing sizes different in every country?

Clothing sizes differ because each market grew its own numbering, and there is still no single worldwide sizing standard that brands must follow. A US women's 8, a UK 12 and a French 40 are meant for roughly the same body, but the numbers come from separate traditions.

Two standards describe the bodies behind the labels. In Europe, EN 13402 defines size designation by body measurements in centimeters, such as chest, waist and hip girth, and encourages labels that show those measurements directly. In the US, ASTM International publishes tables of body measurements, including ASTM D5585 for women's misses sizes 00 to 20. Both are voluntary, so a brand can cut its size 8 larger or smaller than the table, a drift often called vanity sizing.

• Check the measurement, not the number. Compare your chest, waist and hip girth with the brand's own chart; the inches to cm converter helps when the chart and your tape measure use different units.
• Letter sizes are the least consistent. An M can span two or three numeric sizes depending on the brand and the country.
• Men's sizes are usually measurements. Suits, shirts and trousers are commonly labeled by chest, neck, waist and inseam in inches or centimeters, which convert exactly.

When you order from another country, the currency converter shows the price in your own money, and the ring and shoe charts on this page cover the other purchases where sizes change at the border.

How do you measure your foot for shoe size?

Stand on a sheet of paper with your heel against a wall, mark the tip of your longest toe and measure from the wall to the mark in centimeters. That single length is the most reliable way to find your size in any system, because every chart can be matched to foot length.

1. Measure in the late afternoon or evening, when feet are at their largest, and wear the socks you plan to wear with the shoes.
2. Place a sheet of paper on a hard floor against a wall and stand on it with your heel touching the wall.
3. Mark the tip of your longest toe, which is not always the big toe.
4. Measure from the edge of the paper to the mark in centimeters or millimeters.
5. Repeat for the other foot and use the larger measurement.

Match that length with the cm to US shoe size converter; for example, a 27 cm foot is about a US men's 9. Width matters too: in US sizing, D is the standard width for men and B for women, while 2E and wider are wide fits. If you are between sizes or have wide feet, the larger size is usually the safer choice. If a chart lists foot length in inches, the cm to inches converter turns your measurement into inches, and the length converter covers every other unit.

How much longer is each shoe size?

Each full US or UK shoe size adds one barleycorn, a third of an inch or about 8.47 mm, while each EU size adds one Paris point, two-thirds of a centimeter or about 6.67 mm. One US size is therefore about 1.27 EU sizes, which is why EU numbers climb faster: across the men's chart above, six US sizes (7 to 13) span 7.5 EU sizes, close to the 7.62 the units predict.

The size refers to the last, the foot-shaped form a shoe is built around, not to the foot itself. A last is a little longer than the foot to leave room for the toes, and that allowance changes with the brand, the style and the kind of shoe, which is the main reason two brands can label the same length differently. Mondopoint avoids the problem by labeling the foot rather than the last: a boot marked 275/100 fits a foot 275 mm long and 100 mm wide. It is standard for ski boots and military footwear, and it is the easiest system to match with the US to UK shoe size converter or the US to EU shoe size converter once you know your length in centimeters.