Shoe size isn't a problem that comes up daily for most people, but this calculator converts between US, UK, and EU shoe sizes. Use this when shopping online and shipping from one country to another.
Shoe sizes get computed according to set formulas in the different international domains.
Many retailers don't even seem to be aware of the difference, and will toss several shoes of size "9" together regardless of wither they're UK, US, or EU size 9.
To make matters more complicated, the US lists different shoe sizes for men and women.
Shoe manufacturers and retailers have begun to pay more attention to proper foot dimensions in recent years. For a long time they measured length only, but now track things like width and arch.
There are many people out there assuming that their shoes will either always pinch or be too big, without considering that feet vary widely in width too. Shoes that are too narrow can lead to all kinds of problems, including fallen arches, ingrown toenails, arthritis, and even posture problems.
There are three typical lengths used in shoe sizing:
• The median length of the foot: The standard measuring tape along the sole method, adjusting for toe length.
• Inner shoe length: Manufacturers tend to measure this way. The material of the shoe matters here; the same measurement made from thin nylon or steel-toed leather will have different interior room.
• The template length: This is that metal sliderule-type device they use to measure your foot at the shoe store.
In addition, sizing customs include:
• The Paris Point: 2/3rds of a centimeter. Whole sizes move up by one Paris Point, corresponding to 3.33 millimeters per whole size.
• The Barleycorn: An old English unit that works out to about 1/3rd of an inch. This is the current basis for both US and UK shoe sizes.
• International Mondopoint system: Metric measures in intervals of 5 millimeters or 7.5 millimeters.
And then we have length, sometimes designated by alphabet letters the same way bra cup sizes are noted. Shoe widths can go A, B, C, D, E, EE, EEE, and so on in the US, C through H in the UK, or be noted in other countries as N for narrow, M for medium, etc.
Even with our calculator, there are problems between different shoe manufacturers because sizes and systems of measurement are not fully standardized.
In addition, some people take a size to mean the absolute smallest possible size, while others take the size to include some "wiggle room" or "room to grow" for children.