Shoe Size Conversion (EU, UK, US)
Indicative conversion between European, British and American adult shoe sizes.
| EU | UK | US men | US women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 5 |
| 36 | 3.5 | 4 | 5.5 |
| 37 | 4 | 5 | 6.5 |
| 38 | 5 | 6 | 7.5 |
| 39 | 6 | 6.5 | 8.5 |
| 40 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 9 |
| 41 | 7.5 | 8.5 | 10 |
| 42 | 8 | 9 | 10.5 |
| 43 | 9 | 10 | 11.5 |
| 44 | 9.5 | 10.5 | 12 |
| 45 | 10.5 | 11.5 | 13 |
| 46 | 11 | 12 | 14 |
| 47 | 12 | 13 | - |
How it works
The table shows the approximate conversion between European (EU), British (UK) and American (US) adult shoe sizes. Find your size in one column and read off the matching size in the others. Shoe sizes are not standardized and vary between brands and models, so use this as a guide.
About this tool
The size table shows conversion between European (EU), British (UK) and American (US) adult shoe sizes for both men and women. Perfect when shopping shoes online from foreign stores and needing to know whether "US 9" equals "EU 42" or "UK 8". The table covers common adult sizes from EU 35 to EU 47, roughly UK 2.5-13 and US 3-14 men or 5-16 women. The size systems descend from different historical measurements (Paris point in EU, English barleycorn in UK and US), so conversion isn’t strictly linear and can drift half a size depending on brand.
How to use it
- Find your usual size in one of the columns (e.g. EU or UK).
- Read the equivalent size in the other columns on the same row.
- For the US table, note whether it’s men or women (different columns).
- When in doubt, check the store’s own sizing guide (foot length in cm), which is more accurate.
Examples
EU 42 (a common men's size).Equals UK 8 and US 9 (men). For women, US 42 would be roughly 10.5-11.Common use cases
- Online shopping shoes from American or British stores.
- Buying work shoes, safety shoes or sports gear with foreign labels.
- Gifts for family abroad when you only know their "home" size.
- Trip prep when you’ll shop shoes on holiday.
- Advice in sports, ballet or dance with international brands.
Frequently asked questions
- Why are women’s and men’s US sizes different?
- US women’s sizes are about 1.5 sizes larger than US men’s for the same physical foot length, so US W 8.5 = US M 7 = EU 40. Historical marketing reason, modern stores keep the tradition. UK and EU use the same scale for men and women.
- What if a brand uses its own sizes?
- Many sports brands (Nike, Adidas) and Italian shoe brands are known to vary ½-1 size from standard. Always check brand-specific guides, and consider ordering two sizes if unsure (send back what doesn’t fit). Foot length in cm/mm is most reliable when uncertain.
- How do I measure foot length correctly?
- Stand on an A4 sheet and trace the foot outline with the pencil vertical. Measure the longest distance from heel back to longest toe (usually the big toe). Take the measurement in the afternoon since feet swell slightly over the day. Add 5-10 mm toe room when picking the size.
- Is there a simple formula?
- Roughly: EU size ≈ (foot length in cm + 1.5) × 1.5, while UK and US use barleycorn (1/3 inch) from a zero point. EU to US men is about -33, EU to UK is about -33.5. But deviations occur due to rounding and brand differences, so the table is more reliable than any formula.
Technical background
Systems: EU (Paris point) is based on 1 point = 2/3 cm, size equals last length in points. UK and US use barleycorn (1/3 inch = 8.47 mm) as half-size steps, with different zero points: UK men start at 0 = 4 inches (10.2 cm) heel-to-toe, US men = UK + ½, US women = US men + 1.5. Conversion is therefore not perfectly linear; especially the transition between whole and half sizes causes ½-size rounding drift. The on-page table is a static lookup using industry-standard conversions (as used by Adidas, Nike and Wiggle), no dynamic computation. For accurate fit, always use brand-specific foot-length tables when available.