"Is a US 9 a 42 or a 42.5?" One last size check before you order from abroad
How to use
- Choose Shoes, Tops or Pants. Shoes and tops have separate men's and women's charts, so pick the gender first.
- Under the size system you know, choose your usual scale (US, EU, UK, Korean mmโฆ) and then your size. Every other scale appears on the card.
- Save as my size keeps it in this browser only โ nothing is sent anywhere โ so the page opens on your size next time.
- Show full chart expands the whole table for that tab; Copy result puts a one-line summary on your clipboard.
Shoe sizes: US, UK, EU and centimetres
Korea and Japan simply use foot length in millimetres or centimetres. The US and UK share the barleycorn (โ inch) scale but start counting from different points, which is why a men's US size is one number higher than the UK size. Europe uses Paris points (โ cm), so one EU size is a little smaller than a full US size. The chart below is the widely used general conversion:
| Men mm | 240 | 250 | 260 | 270 | 280 | 290 | 300 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| UK | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| EU | 38.5 | 40 | 41 | 42.5 | 44 | 45 | 46 |
| Women mm | 220 | 230 | 240 | 250 | 260 | 270 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| UK | 2.5 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 5.5 | 6.5 | 7.5 |
| EU | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38.5 | 40 | 41 |
For the same foot length a women's US size is roughly 1 to 1.5 higher than the men's number โ 250 mm is a men's US 7 but a women's US 8 โ so always use the right gender chart. Unisex sneakers are usually labelled in men's sizes.
Clothing: Korean 95/100, S/M/L, US and EU
Korean men's tops are numbered by chest circumference in cm: 90, 95, 100, 105. The most common mapping is 90 = S, 95 = M, 100 = L, 105 = XL, though some brands shift it by one step, so go by your measured chest rather than the label. US menswear uses chest inches (36, 38, 40) and European brands use 46, 48, 50.
Korean women's sizes 44, 55, 66, 77 come from a 1980s standard body (55 = 155 cm tall, 85 cm bust). Read them as XS, S, M, L. US women's sizes are even numbers (0, 2, 4, 6, 8), Europe uses 34, 36, 38, the UK 6, 8, 10, 12 and Japan 7, 9, 11 ๅท.
Waist inches to centimetres
One inch is 2.54 cm, so a 30-inch waist is 76.2 cm and 32 inches is 81.3 cm. Korean brands sometimes round to 76, 79, 81. Women's US pants sizes 0, 2, 4 correspond to roughly 24, 25, 26-inch waists, but the spread between brands is wide โ measure your waist and use the brand's chart.
Tips for ordering abroad
| Measure your foot | Stand on paper, mark heel and longest toe, measure in the afternoon when feet are slightly swollen, and use the larger foot. Add about 5 mm for socks. |
|---|---|
| Brand chart first | This page is a general chart. A brand's own chart on the product page always wins, especially for European labels. |
| Read the reviews | "True to size", "runs small" and "go half a size up" are the most reliable hints you'll get. Check for wide options if you need them. |
| Returns are expensive | International returns cost real money. When in doubt, pick the size closest to your measurement and try one pair before buying several. |
FAQ
My foot is 265 mm. Which US size?
Men's US 8.5 or women's US 9.5 on the general chart. Go half a size up for wide feet or thick socks; stick to the chart for slim dress shoes.
Why do US and UK differ by one?
Same unit, different starting point. Men's US is one size above UK; for women the gap is about 1.5 to 2, which is why UK sizing shows a smaller gender difference than US.
Do EU sizes have halves?
Not originally โ the โ cm step has no half โ but sportswear brands print 42.5 or 44.5 to line up with US half sizes. If a brand's chart shows it, use it.
Related tools
- Currency converter โ the price in your own currency
- Volumetric weight calculator โ what that shoe box will cost to ship
- Unit converter โ inches and centimetres