Shoe sizes: US, UK, EU and Japan compared

5 minute read · updated 2026-11-01

Quick answer: Women's US sizes are two above UK sizes (UK 5 is US 7, EU 37.5). Men's US sizes are about half a size above UK (UK 8.5 is US 9, EU 42.5). Japanese sizes are simply your foot length in centimetres. Full charts are below.

Shoe sizes are one of the few measurements where every country has its own system and none of them line up neatly. A UK 6 is a US 8 for women but a US 6½ for men, and an EU 39 sits somewhere in between. The reliable way through is to start from your foot, not from a label.

Why the systems differ

The UK and US systems count in barleycorns, a third of an inch, and start from different zero points, with separate women's and men's scales in the US. The European system counts in Paris points, two thirds of a centimetre, and uses one scale for everyone. The Japanese system skips all of that and uses the length of the foot in centimetres, which is why it is the most useful number to know.

Women's shoe sizes

US	UK	EU	AU	Foot length (cm)
5	3	35.5	5	22
5.5	3.5	36	5.5	22.5
6	4	36.5	6	23
6.5	4.5	37	6.5	23.5
7	5	37.5	7	24
7.5	5.5	38	7.5	24.5
8	6	38.5	8	25
8.5	6.5	39	8.5	25.5
9	7	40	9	26
9.5	7.5	40.5	9.5	26.5
10	8	41	10	27
10.5	8.5	42	10.5	27.5
11	9	42.5	11	28

Men's shoe sizes

US	UK	EU	AU	Foot length (cm)
6	5.5	38.5	5.5	24
6.5	6	39	6	24.5
7	6.5	40	6.5	25
7.5	7	40.5	7	25.5
8	7.5	41	7.5	26
8.5	8	42	8	26.5
9	8.5	42.5	8.5	27
9.5	9	43	9	27.5
10	9.5	44	9.5	28
10.5	10	44.5	10	28.5
11	10.5	45	10.5	29
11.5	11	45.5	11	29.5
12	11.5	46	11.5	30
13	12.5	47.5	12.5	31

How to measure your foot

Measure in the afternoon or evening, when feet are slightly larger.
Stand on a sheet of paper with your heel against a wall and your weight on that foot.
Mark the tip of your longest toe, which is not always the big toe, and measure from the wall to the mark in centimetres.
Do both feet and use the longer one.

That length in centimetres is your Japanese size and the best figure to compare against a brand's own chart.

Why your size changes between brands

These charts are the standard conversions, but brands cut their shoes differently, and sports brands in particular often run small. When you buy online, check the brand's own chart against your foot length, and read whether reviewers say the shoe runs large or small. Children's sizes follow a separate scale altogether.