Easy shoe size conversion and practical shoe size charts

Input "help" on the Shoe Size Calculator

Shoes for women, men or children

Please indicate whether the shoe size conversion is to be made for women's, men's or children's shoes. The European size system and the Mondopoint system do not make any difference in this case for the calculation of shoe sizes. However, in the UK and US size systems, the sizes for children and adults differ. In the US system, different sizes are also calculated for women and men.

Your size

Please select the shoe size you know and indicate it. You can choose from the following shoe size systems: EU shoe sizes, UK shoe sizes, US shoe sizes and Mondopoint shoe sizes. Combined with the above selection option for women's shoe sizes, men's shoe sizes and children's shoe sizes, this gives you the contents of different size charts for shoes. Meanwhile, the calculator uses the ISO 19407 specification.

EU sizes correspond to the usual "German", "French" or "Italian" shoe sizes. They apply in continental Europe, except in Great Britain. UK sizes are used in Great Britain (United Kingdom). Instead of centimetres, inches are the basic unit of measurement for shoe sizes. US sizes are also based on inches for length. Since these start at a different specific foot length than the UK sizes, they differ accordingly. Mondopoint sizes are the official size unit for shoes in Russia, China, Japan and many Southeast Asian countries. This system is commonly used worldwide in sports, such as ski boots. Likewise, it is widely used in the military. Further information on the individual size systems can be found by clicking on the info buttons in the results window of the Shoe Size Calculator.

General info on converting shoe sizes

The allocation of shoe sizes and the different size systems does not make it easy to reliably convert shoe sizes and create realistic shoe size tables. Why is it so difficult to calculate shoe size?

Shoe sizes and shoe size charts have historically evolved

Over the centuries, different methods and ways of working have developed in the shoemaking trade. On the one hand, there are different units of measurement for length (i.e., inches in England and America and centimetres and millimetres in continental Europe). In addition, there are different zero points for shoe sizes in England and America. In America, these are also differentiated between men and women. While in continental Europe, children's shoe sizes merge seamlessly into adult shoe sizes. In England and America, there are different shoe size tables for women, men and children.

Furthermore, different reference sizes are used to calculate shoe sizes. While some manufacturers use the length of the last used to make the shoe to determine the shoe size, other manufacturers use the interior length of the shoe, which should be 10 to 20 mm longer than the foot length, depending on the shoe type. In the meantime, many have switched to the average foot length as a reference value (i.e., as the basis for calculating shoe sizes and shoe size tables).

ISO specification as the basis for the shoe size calculation and the shoe size tables

The Shoe Size Converter uses the ISO specification to convert shoe sizes: ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is the independent international organization and develop international standards in almost all fields. With ISO/TS 19407:2015(E), the ISO developed the technical specification for the conversion of shoe size systems. The aim of this specification is to harmonise the historically developed different shoe size systems and the conversion of shoe sizes to an international standard.

The ISO specification sets the foot length in cm (instead of interior length or last length) as the basis for all calculations of shoe sizes and size tables. In addition to foot length as a reference value, toe clearance is also standardised and a corresponding conversion formula is derived for each of the most important shoe size systems. For children's shoe sizes, special regulations apply, especially for toe clearance. ISO/TS 19407:2015(E) is a specification that is intended to become an international standard as soon as development is sufficiently advanced.

Try on and test shoes

The shoe size conversion calculator implements the ISO specification. However, this does not yet constitute a binding international standard. As described, this standard is still missing today due to the size systems that have grown historically over many years and have neither been formalised nationally nor internationally. A direct one-on-one conversion into whole or half sizes is only possible by rounding because of the differences between inches and centimetres. Therefore, there is no exact solution. Most especially with sport shoes such as adidas, Nike, Puma or Vans, the sizes differ. The ISO specification and thus the calculation results and shoe size tables of the converter offer a theoretical calculation method and thus best possible compromise for calculating the correct shoe size for consumers. It is not only the different and partially standardised size systems that cause problems, but there are also factors such as:

• Different manufacturers' deviations due to different measuring methods, manufacturing processes and tolerances.
• Different shoe widths.
• Some shoe size tables already take into account an additional margin for the growth of the feet in children's sizes, while others do not.
• Depending on the shoe type, length specifications partly refer to the foot length and partly to the interior length of the shoe.
• There are several common US systems (some of which are proprietary) that vary widely.
• Many tables and specifications of certain manufacturers available on the internet contain errors.
• Sports shoes, in particular, often run much smaller than the size indicated. For example, this is the case with Nike.

Therefore, it is ultimately crucial to try on shoes or to fall back on proven shoe sizes of a manufacturer.

Printable shoe size chart for women and men

The following size chart for shoes is based on the ISO calculation formulas for shoe sizes.

For example, since an EU size of 40 results in a US women's size of 8.924, the table is rounded to the next possible shoe size or half size (here, US women's size of 9). This procedure is recommended by ISO to support consumers with an accurately derived size table for shoes.

Size chart for adults to print out

Shoe size chart for children to print

Basically, the European and thus, for example, the former "German", "French" and "Italian" shoe size system, does not differentiate between children's shoe sizes and adult sizes. However, in order not to apply a mathematical surcharge of two whole shoe sizes to small feet in the same way as to large feet in the conversion formula, the surcharge for toe clearance for children is applied according to ISO at 8 percent of the foot length. Furthermore, the calculated sizes are rounded to the nearest shoe size or half size in accordance with ISO to provide a well-defined table

As you have noticed, the size chart for shoes according to ISO leaves some fields open. Here, the official formula has not matched. The Shoe Size Calculator also determines the corresponding rounded sizes for the missing fields and gives you the derivation of calculation and rounding behind the respective info button of the result.

Size chart for children to print out