International Shoe Size Conversion Charts

Adult, Girl's and Boy's Shoe Sizes

Conversion tables for American, Australian, British, Canadian, European, Japanese, Korean, Mexican, Russian, Ukrainian, New Zealand, Inches, Centimeters, Mondopoint shoe sizes

If your little piggies are going to market, these shoe size conversion tables can help. You can use them to convert from the shoe size used in one country or region to the shoesize used in another country or region. However, store and manufacturer practice varies widely. Having studied many published shoe size tables on the net, I would not trust any of them. The best practice I can recommend, if the company allows this, is to place orders in terms of inches, millimeters, or centimeters. You can at least measure your foot and measure the shoe and determine if you received what you ordered. Otherwise, you might encounter a compounded error of the manufacturer having a variation and the store conversion table having a variation which makes the shoe significantly different in size. I also note that tables and companies cite rules which only work for men, or women but not both. But often the tables don't indicate gender or are used for both.

Find out about XenCraft's presentation:
My "Shoe Size Web Page" Fetish or How Companies are Losing Money on the Internet

A Quest for Understanding is a nice video from the perspective of a husband of a shoe lover. The transcript and more information is available. This comes from BBC's great series on digital storytelling.

The following tables demonstrate another aspect of globalizing products- shoe sizes are not measured in the same units around the world. e-Business applications need to provide users with appropriate units and be clear about which units are being referenced.

I am not responsible for any problems caused by reliance on this table. It's my best guess as to size conversions based on data found elsewhere on the web. I suggest you talk to the vendor or merchant about size conversions before ordering. Note that manufacturers vary on sizing as well. Differences from the values on this page by either plus or minus a size or half-size are not uncommon. In reviewing various tables on the web, I noted many tables with gross mistakes (easily detected by seeing values out of order). Compare the surrounding values in tables you find on-line and determine if they make logical sense, before ordering.

Using the Shoesize Convertors

To use these Shoesize convertors, first choose the adult, boys or girls convertor. Then find the row that represents the region of the world which you want to convert the size from. Let's call this the "FROM" row. Look across the "FROM" row to the size closest in value to the one you want to convert from. Now, in the same converter table, find the row with the sizes of the region that you want to convert to. Let's call this the "TO" row. Finally, by looking straight up and down in the column, that is the same column that has the size you identified in the "FROM" row, find the same column in the "TO" row. The size in this column in the "TO" row is the converted size.

For example, if you are an adult Japanese man, and know your size to be 26, and want to know your Mexican shoe size, then you would look in the adult table at the row labeled "Japan Men". Find the column with a "26". Now look at the row for "Mexico" and look across until you are in the same column as the "Japan Men 26". You should see a "6.5" as your Mexican shoe size.

Please also see the International ShoeSize Chart Notes below and the section on Other Shoe Size Web Sites.

On most browsers, you can use the mouse to highlight a country's row in the converter for easier reading and conversion.

You can make the tables larger or smaller by changing the text size setting of your browser. In Microsoft Internet Explorer, choose the menu items: View, Text Size

Adult Mens and Womens Shoe Size Conversion Table M/W indicates Men's or Women's Sizes. Other systems are for either gender.

System		Sizes																System
Europe		35	35½	36	37	37½	38	38½	39	40	41	42	43	44	45	46½	48½	Europe
Mexico							4.5	5	5.5	6	6.5	7	7.5	9	10	11	12.5	Mexico
Japan	M	21.5	22	22.5	23	23.5	24	24.5	25	25.5	26	26.5	27.5	28.5	29.5	30.5	31.5	Japan	M
	W	21	21.5	22	22.5	23	23.5	24	24.5	25	25.5	26	27	28	29	30	31	Japan	W
U.K.	M	3	3½	4	4½	5	5½	6	6½	7	7½	8	8½	10	11	12	13½	U.K.	M
	W	2½	3	3½	4	4½	5	5½	6	6½	7	7½	8	9½	10½	11½	13	U.K.	W
Australia	M	3	3½	4	4½	5	5½	6	6½	7	7½	8	8½	10	11	12	13½	Australia	M
	W	3½	4	4½	5	5½	6	6½	7	7½	8	8½	9	10½	11½	12½	14	Australia	W
U.S. & Canada	M	3½	4	4½	5	5½	6	6½	7	7½	8	8½	9	10½	11½	12½	14	U.S. & Canada	M
	W	5	5½	6	6½	7	7½	8	8½	9	9½	10	10.5	12	13	14	15.5	U.S. & Canada	W
Russia & Ukraine *	W	33½	34		35		36		37		38		39					Russia & Ukraine	W
Korea (mm.)		228	231	235	238	241	245	248	251	254	257	260	267	273	279	286	292	Korea
Inches		9	91/8	9¼	93/8	9½	95/8	9¾	97/8	10	101/8	10¼	10½	10¾	11	11¼	11½	Inches
Centimeters		22.8	23.1	23.5	23.8	24.1	24.5	24.8	25.1	25.4	25.7	26	26.7	27.3	27.9	28.6	29.2	Centimeters
Mondopoint		228	231	235	238	241	245	248	251	254	257	260	267	273	279	286	292	Mondopoint

Attention eBay Sellers and Buyers

Shoe sellers on eBay are now referring to these tables. Due to wide variations among shoe measurement systems, relying solely on these tables is not sufficient to guarantee everyone's happiness. I suggest sellers measure the inside of the shoe from toe to heel and list the measurement in inches and centimeters. Buyers should measure their foot from toe to heel. Buyers should request that sellers list the actual inside toe-to-heel measurement, if it is not provided. Without the actual measurements, insist on reasonable return policies.

Right-handed, Left-Footed

For most people, the larger foot is the opposite from the hand they write with. Try on shoes starting with your larger foot.

Girl's Shoe Sizes

Europe	26	26.5	27	27.5	28	28.5	29	30	30.5	31	31.5	32.2	33	33.5	34	35	Europe
Japan	14.5	15	15.5	16	16.5	17	17.5	18	18.5	19	19.5	20	20.5	21	21.5	22	Japan
U.K.	8	8.5	9	9.5	10	10.5	11	11.5	12	12.5	13	13.5	1	1.5	2	2.5	U.K.
U.S. & Canada	9.5	10	10.5	11	11.5	12	12.5	13	13.5	1	1.5	2	2.5	3	3.5	4	U.S. & Canada

"Size Matters Not!" Sure... If you are Yoda. Otherwise, you need to use a conversion table.

Size matters not. Look at me, judge me by my size do you, hmm? And well you should not, for my ally is the Force and a powerful ally it is.

Boys Shoe Sizes

Europe	29	29.7	30.5	31	31.5	33	33.5	34	34.7	35	35.5	36	37	37.5	Europe
Japan	16.5	17	17.5	18	18.5	19	19.5	20	20.5	21	21.5	22	22.5	23	Japan
U.K.	11	11.5	12	12.5	13	13.5	1	1.5	2	2.5	3	3.5	4	4.5	U.K.
U.S. & Canada	11.5	12	12.5	13	13.5	1	1.5	2	2.5	3	3.5	4	4.5	5	U.S. & Canada

International ShoeSize Chart Notes

• The Mondopoint system is the same as measuring the foot (not the shoe) in Millimeters (or Millimetres, mm.). However, some companies treat Mondopoint as Centimeters (Centimetres, cm.). So a shoe may be labeled either 240 (mm) or 24 (cm) if it is designed for a foot that is 240 millimeters long (including some wiggle room for socks). You may see mondopoint sizes with two numbers separated by a slash, e.g. 240/95. The second number is the width of the foot in millimeters.
• American Women's shoe sizes are the same as American Men's shoe sizes plus 1½.
• Canadian shoe sizes are equivalent (identical) to American shoe sizes for both Adult and Children's, Men and Women.
• Mexican shoe sizes plus 1½ are the same as American Men's shoe sizes.
• British shoe sizes plus 1 are the same as American Men's shoe sizes. However, I see many tables using a formula of British size plus 1½. Check with the manufacturer.
• I saw one table on the web indicating British womens running shoe sizes were 1.5 plus mens size. I think this is incorrect and mistakenly applied the United States sizing rule to the U.K.
• Japanese shoes sizes are American Men's shoes sizes plus 18. (Some companies say add 19.)
• Europe uses a system that came from the French called Paris Points (aka Parisien Prick). One Paris Point equals two-thirds of a centimeter. The system starts at zero centimeters and increases. There are no half sizes. American size 0 is the same as 15 Paris Points.
• 1 Centimeter (Centimetre) is 10 Millimeters (Millimetres).
• 1 Inch is 2.54 Centimeters (Centimetres).
• Length in Inches = 71/3 + (US Men's shoe size)*1/3
• Paris Points = 311/3 + (UK shoe size)*4/3.
• A Chinese 7 is a UK 4. That's all I know at the moment about sizes of shoes in China.
• Australia and New Zealand use the same shoe sizes as the United Kingdom for boys, men and girls. However, I have seen women's shoe charts where Australia is 1 or 2 sizes bigger than U.K... I added an entry with one size bigger.
• Korea measures shoe sizes in millimeters (mm.).
• I am told Turkey uses European shoe sizes.
• There are two scales used in the U.S. The standard (or "FIA") scale and the common scales. The "common" scale is more widely used. The scales are about ½ size different.
• Although different kinds of shoes prefer different measurement systems, I believe the charts work for all kinds of shoes. (With the caveat of the variations mentioned above.) I have been looking into army, military, ski, hiking, climbing boots, ladies pumps, high-heeled, spike and dress shoes, as well as sneakers, designer shoes, gentlemen's shoes, causal, penny loafers, sandals, and other styles. I have not been researching children's shoes in much detail. The sizes above are also good for soccer, golf, running and other sports shoes. I have not tried bowling shoes or blue suede sneakers. I intend to get more detail on Nike, Reebok, and Adidas due to the strong interest in running shoes for people coming to this page.
• If you have information or can point me at information about additional measurement systems of systems used by different countries I would be grateful. (I am interested in Latin America and Eastern Europe.)
• Russian and Ukraine shoe sizes taken from Global7Network.com NOTE I am told these values are incorrect. Russia, Ukraine and other countries of the former USSR use European shoe sizes. There is no difference for men, women, girls and boys.
  In the 1980s a system using shoe sizes measured in centimeters was introduced. The change was not widely accepted. You can occasionally find shoes measured in centimeters, but most are marked with European system.

Other Shoe Size Web Sites

A good site: Human Foot Morphology. Studies Japanese feet, but seems generally applicable. Also foot measurements.
When measuring feet for shoe size, measure to the longest toe. The longest is not always the big toe. I couldn't find any data on this other than Toe Size Poll.

According to Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things, shoe sizes were first standardized in 1305 by Britain's King Edward I. An inch was defined as the length of three contiguous dried barleycorns. A common children's shoe size was 13 barleycorns, hence the size 13. From Origins at Happy Woman magazine.
Also see: Shoe tips

Most business sites have poorly designed shoe size tables, that are prone to user errors and result in high return rates and a loss of repeat business. Bata had some well designed pages, but is now reorganizing its site so I can no longer point to specific links, with the exception of one great diagram in an Acrobat PDF file: Bata Comparative Shoe Size Chart.
(I am not endorsing products of any companies, or the contents of the tables. I am just noting the page is well structured and is much better than most.)

What is the Largest Shoe Size?

I don't know, but Shaq (NBA Basketball player Shaquille O'Neal) wears a 22G shoe. Here is his shoe size growth chart.
This shoe in the Philippine Shoe Capital, Marikina City is 5.5 meters/16.5 feet (French size 273).
This shoe in Hungary is size 217 (Euro system) or 145 cm. = 1.45 meters = 4.5 feet.
Zappos in the online Shoppes at Wellington Square carries a U.S. men's size 18EEEEE shoe.
Bill Clinton and Abraham Lincoln were the presidents with the biggest feet. Both wore size 13 shoes. Clinton is 13C.

Industry Notes

If you are looking for FIA (Footwear Industries of America, www.fia.org) for information on the FIA scale, it is no longer there. In August 2000, the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) resulted from the merger of the two trade associations: the American Apparel and Manufacturers Association and Footwear Industries of America.

(Clearly these guys don't understand the web. Otherwise they wouldn't have just abandoned their web address, making it hard for anyone to find their new home...)