Shoe Size Chart: How Sneaker Sizes Work for Men, Women and Kids

A US shoe size stands for a foot length. Nike’s men’s chart lists 10 5/16 inches for a men’s 9, and each half size adds 1/8 to 3/16 of an inch. Brands set their own charts, so measure your foot, read the chart for the shoe you want, and size up between sizes, as Nike advises.

The number on the box is a label, not a measurement. Two pairs marked 9 from two brands can fit differently, and the same brand can run differently from one model to the next. The way around that is simple: know your foot length, then read the maker’s own chart.

What does a US shoe size measure?

A US size is a step on a length scale. Nike’s men’s chart pairs each size with a heel-to-toe foot length, plus the matching women’s, UK and EU sizes. These rows come straight from that chart.

On this chart, each full size adds 5/16 to 3/8 of an inch. Nike also points out that the centimeter size printed on its boxes and labels is not the same as foot length in centimeters, so compare your measurement with the chart, not the box.

Why does my size change from brand to brand?

No single chart binds every maker. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) says size may vary from brand to brand and from style to style. Its advice is to buy the pair that fits best, regardless of the size.

The conversions differ as well. Nike’s chart puts a men’s 8 at EU 41, while the Converse Chuck Taylor chart on Nike’s site lists a men’s 8 as EU 41.5. The Adidas chart, as printed by the retailer Marathon Sports, counts EU sizes in thirds, so a men’s 8 is EU 41 1/3.

Width is even looser. The Brannock Device Company, which makes the Brannock foot measuring device, says terms such as narrow, wide and extra wide are not standardized, and suggests asking the maker or retailer how their widths compare.

Men’s, women’s and kids’ sizes

Men’s and women’s sizes are separate scales for the same foot. On Nike’s charts, the women’s size is 1.5 higher, so a men’s 7 is a women’s 8.5. The Converse Chuck Taylor chart adds 2 instead (men’s 7, women’s 9). Men’s to women’s shoe size has the full table and explains unisex labels.

Kids’ sizes run on their own scale. Nike’s kids’ chart uses C sizes for babies, toddlers and little kids and Y sizes for big kids, and the count starts again at 1Y after 13.5C. A big kid 7Y matches a men’s 7 on that chart. The kids’ shoe size chart walks through each range.

Shopping a pair sized in EU or UK numbers? EU to US shoe size sets the Nike, Converse and Adidas conversions side by side.

Half sizes and when to size up

Every chart above runs in half sizes. If your foot falls between two of them, Nike’s advice is direct: “If the measurement is between sizes, we recommend sizing up.” Nike also says to use the longer of your two feet, since one is often slightly longer than the other.

Length on the chart is only half the story. AAOS advises 1/2 inch of space between your longest toe and the tip of the shoe, and notes that the longest toe is sometimes the second toe. A shoe that is too long can make your foot slide forward, which AAOS links to toe pain and blisters.

Measure first, then shop

AAOS says feet may swell up to 8% during the day, so it recommends buying shoes toward the end of the day. It also says to stand while your feet are measured and to have them measured every year, because feet can grow as we age.

The Brannock Device Company adds two habits: measure both feet and fit the larger one. Its device also reads arch length (heel to ball), and it says to use the larger of the arch and heel-to-toe readings as the shoe size. How to measure your feet covers the paper method at home and the store device step by step. Buying a pair from a reseller? Check the size label against the chart, and see how to spot fake sneakers.

Brannock devices and foot measuring tools

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What about width?

Width letters sit beside the size. On Brooks’s width chart, D is the standard men’s width and B the standard women’s width, with 2E and 4E as men’s wide and extra wide. Nike says its wide shoes have about 1/4 inch more girth in the toe box than regular width, and extra wide about 1/2 inch more.

The shoe width chart explains each letter for men and women. For sneakers that come in those widths, start at shoes for wide feet.

Guides in this section

• Men’s to women’s shoe size: the conversion on Nike, Converse and Adidas charts, and unisex sizing.
• How to measure your feet: length and width at home, and with a Brannock device.
• Kids’ shoe size chart: toddler, little kid and big kid sizes, and room for growth.
• EU to US shoe size: EU and UK conversions, including Adidas’s thirds.