Convert shoe sizes between UK, EU and US men’s and women’s sizes, foot length in cm or inches and Mondopoint. Enter any one of them and see every other system, the exact value and the size you would actually buy.
| UK | EU | US men’s | US women’s | Foot cm |
|---|
Sizes are rounded to the nearest half size you can buy. Brands vary by up to about half a size, so check the brand’s own chart before ordering.
This shoe size converter turns a size from one country’s system into all the others, for anyone buying shoes online from another country, ordering ski boots or checking a size on a US website from the UK or Ireland. It works from the same last length behind every system, so the UK, EU, US and centimeter values always agree with each other. More length and weight conversions are on the unit converters page.
How do you convert UK shoe sizes to EU and US?
UK and EU shoe sizes are the same for men and women. For EU, add 25 to the UK size and multiply by 1.27, so a UK 8 is EU 41.9, sold as EU 42. US men’s is the UK size plus 1, and US women’s is usually the UK size plus 2.5. Brands vary by about half a size.
How is shoe size calculated?
Every shoe size is a measure of the last, the foot-shaped form a shoe is built around, not of your foot. UK and US sizes count in barleycorns, an old unit of one third of an inch (8.47 mm), so each full size adds 8.47 mm. European sizes count in Paris points of two thirds of a centimeter (6.67 mm), which is why EU numbers climb faster than UK ones.
EU size = 1.5 × last length (cm) = 1.27 × (UK size + 25)
US men’s = UK size + 1
US women’s = US men’s + 1.5 (common) or + 1 (FIA)
Foot length = last length − 2/3 in (about 17 mm)
The last is longer than the foot to leave room for your toes. In UK and US practice the allowance is about one half to two thirds of an inch, and European makers use 13 to 17 mm. This converter uses two thirds of an inch, which turns the UK formula into the familiar rule of thumb: UK size is about 3 × foot length in inches − 23.
Shoe size conversion chart
Adult sizes from the formulas above, with US women’s on the common scale and EU rounded to the nearest half size (exact value in brackets):
| UK | EU | US men’s | US women’s | Foot length | Mondopoint |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 35.5 (35.6) | 4 | 5.5 | 22.0 cm | 220 |
| 4 | 37 (36.8) | 5 | 6.5 | 22.9 cm | 229 |
| 5 | 38 (38.1) | 6 | 7.5 | 23.7 cm | 237 |
| 6 | 39.5 (39.4) | 7 | 8.5 | 24.6 cm | 246 |
| 7 | 40.5 (40.6) | 8 | 9.5 | 25.4 cm | 254 |
| 8 | 42 (41.9) | 9 | 10.5 | 26.2 cm | 262 |
| 9 | 43 (43.2) | 10 | 11.5 | 27.1 cm | 271 |
| 10 | 44.5 (44.5) | 11 | 12.5 | 27.9 cm | 279 |
| 11 | 45.5 (45.7) | 12 | 13.5 | 28.8 cm | 288 |
| 12 | 47 (47.0) | 13 | 14.5 | 29.6 cm | 296 |
| 13 | 48.5 (48.3) | 14 | 15.5 | 30.5 cm | 305 |
Worked example: ordering from a US shop in Dublin
Sinéad in Dublin wears a women’s UK 5 and wants trainers from a US website. The last length is (5 + 25) ÷ 3 = 10 inches. US men’s is 5 + 1 = 6, so US women’s is 7.5 on the common scale, or 7 if the brand uses the FIA scale. The EU size is 1.27 × 30 = 38.1, so she would pick EU 38 on a European site. Her foot should measure about 23.7 cm, and if she later buys ski boots, she looks for Mondopoint 235 (23.5).
Are UK and EU shoe sizes the same for men and women?
Yes, UK and EU sizes use one scale for everyone, so a women’s UK 6 and a men’s UK 6 are built on the same length of last. Only the US splits the two: women’s sizes sit 1 or 1.5 sizes above men’s for the same foot. That is why a unisex trainer often carries two US numbers on the label, such as M 6 and W 7.5, next to a single UK 5 and EU 38. The women’s and men’s buttons in the converter only change the US column.
How do you measure your foot for shoe size?
Measure in the afternoon, when feet are largest, standing with your weight on the foot. Put a sheet of paper against a wall, stand with your heel touching the wall and mark the tip of your longest toe. Measure from the wall to the mark in centimeters, repeat for the other foot and use the longer one. Enter that number with “Foot length (cm)” selected. If your tape is in inches, you can enter inches directly, or check the figure with the cm to feet converter. Do not add any extra for toe room: the converter adds the standard allowance for you.
What is Mondopoint and when do you need it?
Mondopoint is the foot length in millimeters that a shoe is made to fit, set out in the international standard ISO 9407:2019. Unlike the UK, US and EU systems, it measures the foot rather than the last, so a Mondopoint 265 shoe is meant for a 265 mm foot. You will meet it on ski boots and some climbing and military footwear, often written as 26.5, and it is the main system in Japan, China and South Korea. Ski boot shells come in 5 mm steps, which is why the converter rounds Mondopoint to the nearest 5.
Why do shoe sizes vary between brands?
The formulas fix the length of the last, but each brand chooses its own toe allowance, last shape and rounding, and many round EU sizes to whole numbers or add half sizes. Running shoes, football boots and fashion shoes from the same brand can also fit differently. Use the converter to find the right starting size, then compare the foot length in the brand’s own chart with your measurement. If you are between two sizes, the larger one is usually safer for running and walking shoes.
How Do You Use the Shoe Size Converter?
Choose women’s or men’s
Tap Women’s or Men’s. This only changes the US sizes, because UK and EU sizes are the same for both.
Enter the size you know
Pick the system in “Convert from” and type your size, such as UK 5, EU 42 or a foot length of 26.5 cm. For US women’s, choose the scale your brand uses.
Read every size at once
Your UK, EU and US sizes appear in large type, with the exact values, foot length in cm and inches and the Mondopoint size underneath.
Check the sizes either side
The chart shows the half sizes around yours, with your size highlighted, so you can compare it with a brand’s own chart.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a UK 8 in EU and US sizes?
A UK 8 is an EU 42 (41.9 exactly), a US men’s 9 and a US women’s 10.5 on the common scale, or 10 on the FIA scale. It fits a foot about 26.2 cm long. Some brands label the same shoe EU 42.5, so check their chart.
Are women’s and men’s shoe sizes the same in the UK?
Yes. UK sizes, like EU sizes, use one scale for everyone, so a women’s UK 7 and a men’s UK 7 are built on the same last length. Only US sizes differ, with women’s sizes running 1 or 1.5 sizes higher than men’s for the same foot.
How do I convert women’s shoe size to men’s?
In UK and EU sizes there is nothing to convert, because the numbers are unisex. In US sizes, subtract 1.5 from the women’s size for most brands, or 1 for brands on the FIA scale. A US women’s 8.5 is therefore usually a US men’s 7.
What is my Mondopoint size?
Your Mondopoint size is simply your foot length in millimeters, as defined by ISO 9407. Measure your longer foot from heel to the tip of the longest toe. A 26.4 cm foot is Mondopoint 264, and for ski boots you would usually start with the 26.5 shell.
Should I size up or down when I am between sizes?
For running, hiking and everyday shoes, the larger size is usually the safer choice, because feet swell during the day and toes need room at the front. For shoes that stretch, such as leather, the smaller size can work. Compare your foot length with the brand chart first.
Does this converter work for children’s shoes?
No, it covers adult sizes from about UK 1. UK children’s sizes run on their own scale up to 13.5 and then continue at adult size 1, and kids’ feet grow fast, so measure their foot length and use the brand’s children’s chart.
Sources and Further Reading
- Shoe size: systems and formulas, Wikipedia
- ISO 9407:2019 Footwear sizing, Mondopoint system of sizing and marking
- Barleycorn (unit), Wikipedia
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Last reviewed: October 2026