Shoe Size Converter
Convert shoe sizes across US, UK and EU: all worked out from foot length, so they agree with each other.
US Men 9 converts to
9
US Men
10
US Women
8
UK
42
EU
Foot length
26.2 cm
In inches
10.33"
Your size
This converts shoe sizes between the US, UK, EU and Japanese systems, for men, women and children.
Sizing is not standardised between brands, so conversions are approximate and foot length is the reliable measure.
How shoe sizing works
Shoe size conversion charts are approximate, and it is worth knowing why: there is no international standard that brands are required to follow. Two shoes labelled US 9 from different manufacturers frequently do not fit the same.
Only two systems in common use are actually defined by a measurement. Japanese sizing is foot length in centimetres, and Mondopoint is foot length in millimetres. A 26 cm foot is JP 26 and Mondopoint 260, with no interpretation involved.
The US, UK and EU systems all derive from historical last-length conventions rather than the foot itself, and each brand applies them slightly differently. Measuring your foot in centimetres is the only input that transfers reliably between brands and regions.
US, UK and EU sizes are conventions rather than measurements, which is why the same nominal size varies between brands.
What to enter
- Foot length in centimetres
- The most reliable input. Measured heel to longest toe, standing, late in the day.
- Known size in another system
- US, UK, EU or Japanese, and men's, women's or children's.
- Width
- Narrow, standard or wide. Length alone does not describe fit, and width is where a lot of discomfort comes from.
The sizing systems
- US
- Separate men's and women's scales, roughly 1.5 sizes apart. A women's 8.5 is about a men's 7.
- UK
- Roughly one size below US men's. A UK 8 is about a US 9.
- EU
- Based on Paris points, where each size is about 6.67 mm. Not directly proportional to the US scale.
- Japan
- Foot length in centimetres. Unambiguous, which makes it the most useful reference point.
- Mondopoint
- Foot length in millimetres. Used for ski boots and by the military.
What this assumes
Conversions are approximate. Brands vary, and athletic brands in particular differ noticeably from each other.
Feet swell during the day and are largest in the evening, which is why fitting in the morning tends to produce shoes that are too small.
How to calculate shoe size conversion
Measure the foot, then work from centimetres rather than from a nominal size.
- US, UK, EU
- Conventional scales, converted approximately from foot length
- the reliable input
- Foot length itself, which does not vary between brands
Measure both feet. Stand on paper against a wall, mark the longest toe, and measure heel to mark. Most people have one foot slightly larger; use that one.
Measure late in the day. Feet swell over the course of a day. Measuring in the morning is a reliable way to end up with shoes that pinch by evening.
Add a little room. Most guidance suggests about 1 cm between the longest toe and the end of the shoe, more for running shoes.
Convert from centimetres, and check the brand's own chart. Japanese sizing is the measurement directly. For US, UK or EU, use the brand's chart rather than a generic one.
See a worked example: starting from a measurement
- Foot length
- 26 cm
Japanese: 26, since the system is centimetres directly.
Mondopoint: 260, the same measurement in millimetres.
US men's: approximately 8, UK approximately 7, EU approximately 41.
Those last three are approximations. Two brands both labelling a shoe US 8 can differ by most of a size, which is why the centimetre figure is the one to carry between them.
JP 26, Mondopoint 260, about US men's 8
Frequently asked questions
Because there is no binding international standard. Each manufacturer builds shoes on its own last, and applies the size scale to it as it chooses.
Athletic brands vary particularly noticeably. This is why size-related complaints dominate shoe reviews, and why brand-specific charts beat generic conversions.
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 centimetres.
Do both feet and use the larger. Measure late in the day, since feet swell, and wear the socks you would wear with the shoes.
Roughly 1.5 sizes. A women's 8.5 is approximately a men's 7 in the same length.
Width usually differs too: women's lasts are typically narrower for the same length. A conversion by number alone does not account for that.
Japanese or Mondopoint, because both are the foot length itself: centimetres and millimetres respectively.
There is nothing to interpret. If you know your foot is 26 cm, you know your Japanese size is 26, and it means the same thing everywhere.
About 1 cm between the longest toe and the end of the shoe, or roughly a thumb's width. Running shoes usually want a little more, since feet swell during a run.
Too little room causes bruised toenails; too much causes the foot to slide and blister. Both are common, and the first is more common in shoes bought online.
Often more, for comfort. A correctly-sized shoe in the wrong width causes pinching or slipping regardless of length.
US brands commonly offer B (narrow), D (standard) and 2E (wide) for men. Many people who size up are actually solving a width problem, which makes the length wrong as well.
Problems people actually run into
Trusting a generic conversion chart
There is no international standard, so a generic US-to-EU chart can be most of a size out for any given brand.
Use the manufacturer's own chart, and carry your foot length in centimetres as the reference. It is the only figure that means the same thing everywhere.
Measuring or fitting in the morning
Feet swell over the day and are largest in the evening. Shoes fitted first thing frequently feel tight by afternoon.
Measure and try shoes late in the day, wearing the socks you intend to use with them.
Results are estimates for general information only and are not professional financial, medical, or legal advice. Read our full disclaimer.
Last updated: September 4, 2026