Shoe Size Conversion Calculator

A shoe size conversion calculator converts a shoe size from one country's sizing system into the equivalent size in another system. It covers the systems people run into most often when shopping across borders, mainly US, UK, EU, and CM, which is foot length measured directly in centimeters.

The tool exists because there is no single global standard for shoe sizing. A size 9 does not mean the same thing in every country, and even within one country a size does not always mean the same thing across brands. This page explains how each system works, how to convert between them, and where a converted number can still fall short of a perfect fit.

Results from a conversion calculator are close estimates rather than guarantees. Two shoes labeled with the converted size can still fit differently depending on the brand, which is covered later in its own section.

What does a shoe size conversion calculator do?

The calculator takes a size and a sizing system as input, such as a US size 9, and returns the equivalent size in the other systems, typically UK, EU, and CM. Many versions also ask for gender, since US sizing runs on separate men's and women's numeric scales while UK and EU sizing are generally unisex.

Some calculators also accept a foot length measurement in centimeters or inches directly, rather than a size in another system. This is usually the most reliable input, since it skips the layer of assuming a previous size was accurate to begin with and starts from an actual measurement instead.

The output is a converted size, and in more detailed versions, a foot length figure alongside it so the number can be checked against a physical measurement rather than trusted blindly.

Who typically uses a shoe size conversion calculator?

People buying shoes from an international retailer use it before checkout, to translate the size they normally wear into whatever system the store lists its sizes in.

People traveling or shopping while abroad use it in person, often standing in a store trying to make sense of a size chart that does not match what they are used to at home.

Parents converting a child's shoe size use it when buying from a retailer based in a different country, or when comparing a size from one brand's kids chart to another.

Shoppers comparing two brands they are unfamiliar with use it as a starting point, understanding that the converted number is a reasonable guess rather than a guaranteed fit, since brand sizing is covered in more detail later on this page.

How do shoe sizing systems differ across countries?

Shoe sizing systems differ because each one grew out of a different historical measuring unit, developed independently in different regions before any international standard existed. The result is a set of numbering systems that do not line up in a simple, consistent way.

Five systems come up most often in shoe shopping today: US, UK, EU, the CM or Mondopoint system used widely in Japan, China, and South Korea, and Australia, which does not follow one fixed rule of its own. Each is explained individually below, followed by the specific conversion offsets between them.

What is the US shoe sizing system?

US sizing is based on the barleycorn, an old English unit equal to one third of an inch, with each full size step representing one barleycorn of length. The system uses separate numeric scales for men's and women's shoes, so a men's size and a women's size are not read the same way even when they refer to a similar foot length.

Canada uses the same numbering as the US, which is why the two are often listed together as US and CA sizing on international size charts.

What is the UK shoe sizing system?

UK sizing is also built on the barleycorn unit, the same base measurement used in the US system, but it starts counting from a different reference point. That difference in starting point is the reason UK numbers consistently run lower than US numbers for the same actual foot length, even though both systems use the same size increments.

Unlike the US system, UK sizing does not use separate numeric scales for men's and women's shoes in the same way. The same UK number can appear across men's, women's, and unisex charts, with the actual shoe shape and width differing by gender rather than the size number itself.

What is the EU shoe sizing system?

EU sizing is based on the Paris point, a unit equal to two thirds of a centimeter, with each size increasing by that amount. Because the Paris point is smaller than the barleycorn used in the US and UK systems, EU sizes increase in smaller, more frequent steps across the same range of foot lengths, which is part of why EU numbers look unfamiliar compared to their US or UK equivalents at first glance.

EU sizing is generally unisex, meaning the same numeric scale is used across men's and women's charts, similar to the UK system. This is one of the more consistent aspects of EU sizing, even though the exact conversion from US or UK still varies somewhat by brand.

What is the CM (Mondopoint) sizing system used in Japan and China?

The CM system, also called Mondopoint, was developed by the International Organization for Standardization as an attempt to simplify conversion between the US, UK, and EU systems. Instead of using an abstract size number, it states foot length directly in centimeters, increasing in 5mm steps, such as 22, 22.5, 23, and so on.

This system is commonly used by manufacturers in Japan, China, and South Korea, and Chinese (CN) shoe sizes in particular tend to line up closely with EU sizes. Because the number is the measurement itself rather than a converted figure, CM sizing is often the most direct system to check against an actual foot measurement, which is covered further in the measuring section below.

What is the Australian shoe sizing system?

Australian sizing does not follow one single fixed rule the way the other systems do. Depending on the brand, an Australian size can align with either the US numbering or the UK numbering, so there is no universal offset that applies across every retailer.

Because of this inconsistency, checking the specific brand's own size chart is more important for Australian sizing than for the other systems covered on this page, where a general offset is usually close enough.

How do you convert between shoe sizing systems?

Since each system starts counting from a different reference point, conversion between them is generally done with an offset, adding or subtracting a set number of sizes, rather than a single mathematical formula that works cleanly across the whole range. This offset also changes depending on whether the conversion is for men's or women's sizing.

The sections below cover the specific offsets for the most commonly searched system pairs. These are close estimates based on widely used conversion practices, and brand-specific variation means the true fit can shift by half a size or more in either direction.

How do you convert US to UK shoe size?

For men's sizing, subtract about 0.5 to 1 size from the US number to estimate the UK size. For women's sizing, subtract about 2 to 2.5 sizes. A US men's 10 works out to roughly a UK 9 to 9.5, and a US women's 8 works out to roughly a UK 5.5 to 6.

The gap in the offset between men's and women's conversions reflects the same numeric gap covered in the men's to women's section further down this page, since UK sizing itself does not separate the two scales the way US sizing does.

How do you convert US to EU shoe size?

For men's sizing, add roughly 32 to 33 to the US number to estimate the EU size. For women's sizing, add roughly 31. A US men's 9 works out to roughly an EU 42, and a US women's 8 works out to roughly an EU 39.

This offset is not perfectly linear across the full size range, since the Paris point and the barleycorn do not scale against each other in an exact straight line. The table above is accurate for common adult sizes, but the gap can shift slightly at the very small or very large end of the range.

How do you convert EU to US shoe size?

This works as the reverse of the US to EU conversion above. Subtract roughly 32 to 33 from an EU size to estimate the US men's equivalent, or roughly 31 to estimate the US women's equivalent. An EU 42 works out to roughly a US men's 9, using the same offset already explained in the previous section.

How do you convert UK to EU shoe size?

Since both UK and EU sizing are largely unisex, converting between them is generally a matter of adding roughly 33 to 34 to the UK size to reach the EU equivalent. A UK size 8 works out to roughly an EU 42.

As with the other conversions on this page, brand-specific charts should be checked when the exact size matters, since the offset can shift slightly depending on how a particular brand rounds its sizing.

How do men's and women's shoe sizes differ?

US sizing uses separate numeric scales for men's and women's shoes, so the same number does not refer to the same foot length across the two charts. Some other systems, including EU and UK, use one shared numeric scale instead. This section covers both the numeric offset within US sizing, and whether that same separation carries over into UK and EU sizing.

How do you convert men's to women's shoe size?

In US sizing, add roughly 1.5 to 2 sizes to a men's size to estimate the equivalent women's size. A men's size 7 works out to roughly a women's 8.5, and a men's size 9 works out to roughly a women's 10.5.

Even at the same converted length, men's and women's shoes are usually built on different lasts, with women's shoes typically narrower through the midfoot than men's shoes at the same size number. This means the length may match while the overall fit still feels different, which matters most for unisex or men's-only shoe lines that women are sizing into.

Are UK and EU shoe sizes the same for men and women?

UK and EU sizing generally do not split into separate men's and women's numeric scales the way US sizing does. The same size number can appear on both men's and women's charts in these two systems, which is different from the US approach covered in the previous section.

This does not mean the shoes themselves are identical. The number stays consistent across genders, but the actual shoe width and last shape still typically differ between a men's and a women's version at that same labeled size.

How do you measure your foot size at home?

Measuring your own foot length is the most reliable way to choose a size when shopping across sizing systems, since it works from an actual measurement instead of assuming a size that fit once in one system will convert cleanly into another. The process only needs a few basic household items and a few minutes.

The sections below cover what is needed, the exact steps to follow, and how to turn that measurement into a usable size once it is done.

What tools do you need to measure foot size?

A blank sheet of paper larger than the foot, a pen or marker, and a ruler or tape measure are enough for a usable measurement. A hard, flat floor works better than carpet, since carpet can throw off where the pen marks land.

A Brannock device, the metal foot-measuring tool used in shoe stores, gives a more precise reading and can measure width as well as length, but it is not required for a reasonably accurate at-home measurement using the paper and pen method.

How do you measure foot length step by step?

Place the paper on a hard floor against a wall, then stand on it with the heel pressed firmly against the wall. Hold the pen straight up and down and mark the tip of the longest toe, which for most people is the big toe but is not always. Measure the distance from the edge of the paper at the wall to the pen mark using the ruler or tape measure.

Measure in the late afternoon or evening rather than first thing in the morning, since feet swell slightly over the course of the day and an evening measurement gives a more realistic sense of fit. Measure both feet rather than just one, since it is common for one foot to be slightly larger than the other, and use the larger of the two measurements when choosing a size.

How do you convert foot length in cm to shoe size?

Once foot length is measured in centimeters, it can be matched against a size chart to find the corresponding US, UK, or EU size, or read directly as the CM size itself, since that system's number is the foot length measurement. The table below shows how a few common foot lengths line up across systems.

A half size typically corresponds to only a few millimeters of foot length, so a measurement that is off by even a small amount can shift the result by half a size. This is why measuring both feet carefully, and rounding up rather than down when a length falls between two rows, gives a more comfortable result than rounding down.

How does kids shoe sizing work?

Children's shoe sizing runs on its own numbering that does not continue directly from adult sizing. Instead of one continuous scale, it is broken into several categories tied to a child's age and stage of foot growth, since a child's foot changes shape and proportion much faster than an adult's.

The sections below cover the categories themselves, how to measure a child's foot using the same basic method described earlier on this page, and how often that measurement is worth repeating given how quickly children's feet grow.

What are the different kids shoe size categories?

Kids sizing typically moves through five categories: infant, walker, toddler, little kid, and big kid, before resetting to adult numbering around size 13.5 to 1. Each category reflects a general stage rather than a strict age cutoff, since children grow at different rates.

Exact ranges can shift slightly by brand, so these categories are best used as a general guide rather than a fixed rule, especially right at the edges where one category transitions into the next.

How do you measure a child's foot size?

The same paper and pen tracing method described earlier for adults works for children, with a couple of adjustments. Have the child stand with their weight evenly distributed on both feet, and use a second person to help keep them steady if needed, since a shifting child can throw off the mark.

Measure both feet and use the larger measurement, the same as with adults. If the measurement falls between two sizes, choosing the larger size is generally the safer option for a growing foot, since a slightly loose shoe is less likely to restrict movement than a snug one.

How often should you re-measure a child's foot?

Children's feet grow quickly and often in uneven bursts rather than at a steady pace, which makes it worth re-measuring every couple of months rather than assuming a size from a previous season still fits. This matters most during recognized growth spurts, when a shoe that fit well only a few months earlier can already be too small.

This is a practical reminder rather than a strict schedule. A simple habit, such as re-measuring before each new season's shoe purchase, or whenever a child starts complaining about tight shoes, covers most of the growth that happens between fittings.

Why do shoe sizes vary between brands?

Even after converting correctly between sizing systems, two shoes labeled with the same size number can still fit differently. This comes down to the last, the mold each brand uses to shape its shoes, which varies from brand to brand and even from one shoe line to another within the same brand.

A conversion calculator can get a reader to the right ballpark size in another system, but it cannot account for a specific brand running narrow, wide, long, or short relative to that number. When the exact fit matters, checking the brand's own size chart, and where possible reading reviews that mention sizing feedback, remains more reliable than trusting a converted number alone. This is worth keeping in mind rather than treating any calculator, including this one, as a guarantee of fit.

How does finding the right shoe size relate to choosing the right shoe for your activity?

A correctly converted size is only part of choosing shoes that actually work well. The type of shoe matters too. Running shoes, for example, are commonly sized about half a size larger than a person's regular dress shoe size, to leave room for the foot to swell during activity, while a dress shoe is generally fitted closer to the actual foot length.

Width is a separate factor from length entirely, and someone with a narrow or wide foot may need to adjust their expectations even after finding the correct converted length. The sections below connect this page to related conversions and sizing topics that build on the same measurement and conversion logic, for readers who want to take their shopping further.

How do you choose the right running shoe size?

Running shoes are commonly sized about half a size larger than a person's everyday dress shoe size, since the foot swells slightly during a run and a snug shoe can cause discomfort or blisters over distance. See the Running Shoe Size and Fit Guide for the full sizing and fit framework.

What is the difference between shoe width sizes?

Shoe size, as covered throughout this page, measures length. Width is a separate measurement, typically labeled with letters such as N for narrow, M for medium, W for wide, and WW for extra wide. A correctly converted length size does not address width, so a reader with a noticeably narrow or wide foot may need this second measurement as well. See the Shoe Width Size Calculator for a full width conversion.

How do you convert inches to centimeters for foot measurement?

Some foot measuring guides work in inches while most international shoe size charts, particularly CM sizing, use centimeters. One inch equals 2.54 centimeters. See the Inches to Centimeters Calculator for the full conversion tool.

How do you convert centimeters to inches?

This is the reverse of the previous conversion, useful for a reader who has a CM foot measurement or CM shoe size and wants to compare it against an inch-based reference instead. See the Centimeters to Inches Calculator for the full tool.

How do you convert your ring size when shopping internationally?

Shoe sizing is not the only measurement that changes by country. Ring sizing follows a similar country-by-country pattern, which matters for readers shopping from the same international retailers for more than just footwear. See the Ring Size Conversion Calculator for that tool.

How do you convert clothing sizes between countries?

Clothing sizes, like shoe sizes, differ between US, UK, and EU systems. Readers converting a shoe size for an international order often need to convert clothing sizes in the same shopping session. See the Clothing Size Conversion Calculator for that tool.

How do you convert height between feet and centimeters?

Height is another measurement that comes up in the same international shopping context, particularly since some clothing is sized partly by height. See the Feet to Centimeters Height Calculator for that conversion tool.