Shoe Size Converter

How shoe size systems differ (US, UK, EU, CM)

US, UK and EU shoe sizes are three separate numbering systems built around the same underlying measurement: foot length. A US women's size 8 is a UK 6, an EU 39, and a 24.6 cm foot — while a US men's size 9 is a UK 8, an EU 41, and a 26.2 cm foot. The EU scale is the most consistent across brands because it's based on the Paris point (⅔ cm per size), but US and UK retailers still round differently, so treat any chart — including this one — as a strong starting point rather than a guarantee for every brand.

The most reliable way to check fit before converting sizes is to measure your foot length in centimeters (stand on paper, mark heel and longest toe, measure the distance) and match that to the CM column above, rather than converting a size number you already own in one brand to another.

Women's to men's shoe size: why it's not a 1:1 swap

Women's and men's shoes are sized on different scales for the same foot length, and the size number does not carry over. The most common rule of thumb is to subtract 1.5 from a women's US size to get the equivalent men's US size — a women's 9 converts to a men's 7.5 — though some brands use a full 2-size gap, so a women's 9 could also read as a men's 7 depending on the label. Going the other way, add 1.5 (or up to 2) to a men's size to estimate the women's equivalent: a men's 8 is roughly a women's 9.5.

Because the gap varies by 0.5-1 full size between brands, this conversion is most useful as a starting size to try, not a final answer — men's shoes are also typically cut with a wider toe box and heel, so even the "right" converted size may need a half-size adjustment for comfortable fit.

Youth (kids') to women's shoe size — the size hack, done correctly

Big-kids'/youth sizes (labeled with a "Y", e.g. "7Y") run on nearly the same length scale as women's sizes, offset by a small, well-documented gap: add 1.5 to the youth size to get the equivalent women's US size. That means youth size 7Y converts to a women's 8.5 — a popular question because youth-labeled versions of the same sneaker are frequently priced 20-40% lower than the identical women's-labeled release.

The catch: youth shoes are often cut slightly narrower than the equivalent women's shoe, so if you have a wider foot, sizing up half a size (or trying in-store first) is worth doing before buying online.

Kids' shoe sizing basics (toddler, little kids, big kids)

Kids' shoes move through three labeled ranges as feet grow: toddler sizes (roughly 2T-9T), little-kids' sizes (10C-13.5C, the "C" for "child"), and big-kids'/youth sizes (1Y-7Y), after which sizing shifts to adult women's/men's scales. Because children's feet grow roughly a half-size every few months during the fastest growth years, remeasuring foot length every 2-3 months is more reliable than assuming the last size still fits.