US to EU Shoe Size Converter

How to convert US shoe sizes to EU sizes

European shoe sizes use the Paris point, a unit of two thirds of a centimeter (6.67 mm). The EU number is the length of the shoe's last, the foot-shaped form it is built on, counted in Paris points, so EU size = last length in cm × 1.5. The last is always a little longer than the foot to leave room for the toes, which is why an EU 42.5 last is about 28.33 cm long while the chart pairs it with a 27 cm foot. For the UK label of the same shoe, see the US to UK shoe size converter; every other chart is in the size converters section.

US sizes step in barleycorns instead: a third of an inch per full size and a sixth of an inch (4.23 mm) per half size. A US half size is only about 0.64 of an EU size, so the two scales never line up neatly. That is why EU sizes in the chart jump unevenly, by 0.5 in some places and a whole size in others, and why there is no exact formula, only a lookup table.

Step by step

1. Select Men or Women in the converter.
2. Choose your US size. For women's sizes the converter subtracts 1.5 to find the same foot on the men's scale.
3. Read the EU size from that row, along with the foot length in centimeters.
4. If a brand offers only whole EU sizes and you land on a half, compare foot length with the brand's chart, or size up for boots and closed shoes.

Worked example: a US men's 10 is about an EU 44 for a 28 cm foot. A US women's 8.5 converts through men's 7 to an EU 40. Sizes vary by brand, so treat these as a starting point.

Shopping for European shoes

• Prices are in euros. European online stores usually charge in euros, which the USD to EUR converter turns into dollars at the daily reference rate; your card may add a fee.
• Whole sizes are common. Many European brands, especially for dress shoes and boots, make only whole EU sizes. If your conversion falls on a half, try both neighbors or go by foot length.
• Some brands use thirds. Several sportswear makers label EU sizes in thirds, such as 42⅔ or 43⅓, because their size steps follow the US or UK half size rather than the Paris point.
• Centimeters are the tiebreaker. Many European and Asian brands print a CM or Mondopoint length on the box. Measure your foot and match that number to avoid rounding errors between systems.
• Brand fit varies. Italian dress shoes, German walking shoes and Scandinavian boots are built on different lasts, so the same EU number can fit differently. The brand's own chart is always the best reference.

If you know your foot length in inches, the inches to cm converter gives the centimeter figure most EU charts use, and the cm to inches converter works the other way.

Common US to EU shoe size mistakes

• Converting women's sizes as men's. A US women's 10 is an EU 42, not the EU 44 you get by reading it as a men's 10.
• Expecting a separate women's EU scale. EU sizing is unisex: a women's EU 40 and a men's EU 40 are the same length.
• Relying on a single add-a-number rule. Adding a constant drifts by up to 1.5 sizes across the range, as the table above shows.
• Forgetting socks and season. Winter boots worn with thick socks may need the next size up, and feet swell slightly through the day.

Sizes are approximate and brand-dependent. For jewelry bought in Europe, the ring size converter applies the same measure-first idea to EU ring sizes.