Designer Shoe Sizing — EU to US, and Why Your Size Changes Between Brands
European shoe sizing is the standard across Italian and French footwear, and the conversion is different for men and women — which is why the same EU 40 appears as two different US sizes depending on the shelf you found it on.
Women
| EU | US |
|---|---|
| 34 | 4 |
| 34.5 | 4.5 |
| 35 | 5 |
| 35.5 | 5.5 |
| 36 | 6 |
| 36.5 | 6.5 |
| 37 | 7 |
| 37.5 | 7.5 |
| 38 | 8 |
| 38.5 | 8.5 |
| 39 | 9 |
| 39.5 | 9.5 |
| 40 | 10 |
| 40.5 | 10.5 |
| 41 | 11 |
| 41.5 | 11.5 |
| 42 | 12 |
Women's US size is the EU number minus 30.
Men
| EU | US |
|---|---|
| 36 | 3 |
| 36.5 | 3.5 |
| 37 | 4 |
| 37.5 | 4.5 |
| 38 | 5 |
| 38.5 | 5.5 |
| 39 | 6 |
| 39.5 | 6.5 |
| 40 | 7 |
| 40.5 | 7.5 |
| 41 | 8 |
| 41.5 | 8.5 |
| 42 | 9 |
| 42.5 | 9.5 |
| 43 | 10 |
| 43.5 | 10.5 |
| 44 | 11 |
| 44.5 | 11.5 |
| 45 | 12 |
| 46 | 13 |
| 47 | 14 |
Men's US size is the EU number minus 33. The two scales do not line up: an EU 40 is a women's US 10 and a men's US 7.
Buy on the EU number
Go by the EU number. It is the size the shoe was actually made to, and it is the one printed inside.
The US column is a conversion, not a standard. A few houses publish their own, half a size either way, and where a style carries the brand's own figure we show it as the brand states it rather than overwriting it. If the US size on a product looks half a size off this table, that is why — and the EU number is still the one to trust.
What actually changes between brands
Shoe size is a length measurement, and length is the only thing it tells you. Width, toe shape and instep height are not in the number at all, and they are where the discomfort comes from.
- A pointed toe takes up length that your foot cannot use. Pointed court shoes and dress boots often need a half size up.
- A sneaker on a chunky or lugged sole usually runs true or slightly large, because the last is built roomier.
- A loafer or a flat has nothing to adjust. If it is tight when you try it, it will be tight in a year.
- Boots have to accommodate a sock. A boot fitted over bare skin in summer is a boot you will not wear in winter.
Measuring, if you are starting from nothing
Stand on a sheet of paper with your heel to a wall, mark the longest toe, and measure heel to mark in centimetres. Do it late in the day, when your feet are at their largest, and measure both — most people have one foot slightly longer, and that is the one to fit.
As a rough guide, the EU number is roughly your foot length in centimetres plus 32 for women, or plus 33 for men.