If you’re looking to buy a pair of shoes online, sizing can be a bit tricky. While there is a rough conversion formula, it can vary based on the brand.
For the most part, men’s European shoe sizes can be converted to US sizing by adding 31 to the size you wear in your shoe. Women’s EU sizing is more complex.
Unisex
Although men’s and women’s shoe sizes are different, there is some overlap between genders depending on the manufacturer and style of shoes. It’s essential to reference an accurate unisex shoe size chart to find the right fit.
There is no single formula for converting European shoe sizes to US, as differences vary by brand and country. However, it’s generally safe to subtract 31 from a woman’s EU size to arrive at the equivalent US shoe size. Men should add 33 to find the correct US shoe size.
Shoe sizing can differ based on the manufacturer and country of origin, as well as how narrow or wide a particular shoe is. To ensure the best fit, you should measure your feet or try on a pair of shoes to determine your current shoe size in the measurement system used by the manufacturer. Then, use a size conversion chart to convert your shoe size to the desired measurement system.
Inches vs. Centimeters
When it comes to shoe sizing, it’s important to understand how your foot is measured. Since your feet are three-dimensional, any two-dimensional measuring tool such as a Brannock device or shoe size conversion chart can only approximate your true shoe size. Also, manufacturers use different lasts to construct their shoes, so sizing can vary between brands.
The Continental European system (also known as Stichmass, Paris point, or millimetre) is the most common. This system is used in Germany, France, Italy, Austria, and most other continental European countries.
The Continental European system is also used in Brazil and Hong Kong, although there are differences between the systems used in these countries. Most of these differences are due to manufacturing processes and allowances, rather than a difference in sizing standards. This makes it difficult to accurately convert between the various sizing systems. However, there are some easy-to-use conversion charts available online to help make the process easier.
Brannock Device
The Brannock Device is the standard foot-measuring tool in the footwear industry. Invented in 1925 by Charles Brannock, the device measures a customer’s foot length and width without repositioning. It is simple to use and easy to clean.
Brannock discovered that a shoe salesman’s responsibility to his customers went beyond just selling a pair of shoes. He wanted to make sure the feet were fitted properly to avoid future problems. He awoke at night in his Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity house in Syracuse and drew sketches of a device that would measure the foot in three ways: heel to toe length, arch length, and width.
Brannock’s device proved to be an instant success, so much so that he moved the company from his Park-Brannock Shoe Store into a small machine shop at 509 East Fayette Street. In the late 1980s, when Brannock’s health began to decline, he refused to sell his business. He insisted that any new owner would be required to keep the device’s accuracy and high manufacturing standards.
Mondopoint
Unlike traditional shoe sizing systems that are based on historical origins and can vary between manufacturers, the Mondopoint is a globally standardized system. It includes not only the length but also the width of the mean foot for which the shoe is suitable, both of which are measured in millimeters.
Mondopoint is particularly important for the ski industry because it provides a precise fit, ensuring the best possible performance from the boot. In addition, the system allows for different width sizes per length size, which accounts for individual foot shapes.
To determine the Mondopoint shoe size, you need to measure your foot length with a ruler or tape and mark it at its longest point. Then, the appropriate ISO conversion formula is used based on your foot length, and the calculation result is then rounded to the nearest whole or half Mondopoint size. This is how we determine our Mondopoint Shoe Size Tables. The other shoe size tables on this website are calculated according to the same ISO standard.european shoes sizes to us