Shoe size conversion charts UK to EU

If you have ever been shopping for shoes in Continental Europe, you must have noticed that the shoe size numbers differ from those you are familiar with. Two distinctive sizing systems developed because Continental Europe and UK took different units of length as the point of reference.

Great Britain and Scotland use the barleycorn as a customary unit determining the length difference between neighbouring shoe sizes, while the Paris point has been adopted in Continental Europe. The barleycorn is equal to 1/3 inch, while the Paris point is 2/3 cm.

For this reason, the UK sizes can be converted to EU scale only approximately. Moreover, shoe sizes tend to vary greatly from brand to brand. That is why it is always a good idea to check the individual manufacturer’s size tables instead of relying on your usual UK to EU size conversion.

Below you will find only a rough guide to EU shoe sizes:

UK women shoe sizes	EU women shoe size	Sole length in cm
3	35	21.6
3.5	36	22.1
4	36.5	22.5
4.5	37	23
5	37.5	23.5
5.5	38	23.8
6	38.5	24.1
6.5	39	24.6
7	39.5	25.1
7.5	40	25.4
8	40.5	25.9
8.5	41	26.2
9	41.5	26.7
9.5	42	27.1

UK men shoe sizes	EU men shoe size	Sole length in cm
6	39	24.1
6.5	40	24.4
7	40.5	24.8
7.5	41	25.4
8	41.5	25.7
8.5	42	26.0
9	42.5	26.7
9.5	43	27.0
10	43.5	27.3
10.5	44	27.9
11	44.5	28.3
11.5	45	28.6

UK baby to child shoe size	EU baby to child shoe size	Sole length in cm
1	17	9.3
1.5	17/18	9.7
2	18	10.2
2.5	18/19	10.6
3	19	11
3.5	19/20	11.4
4	20	11.9
4.5	21	12.3
5	21/22	12.7
5.5	22	13.1
6	23	13.5
6.5	23/24	14
7	24	14.4
7.5	25	14.8
8	25/26	15.2
8.5	26	15.7
9	27	16.1
9.5	27/28	16.5
10	28	16.9
10.5	29	17.4
11	29/30	17.8
11.5	30	18.2
12.5	31	19.2
13	32	20.4

Did you know?

Have you noticed that there are two separate scales for adults and children in UK but only one (from baby size 17 to men shoe size 45) in EU?

What about you? What is your usual EU shoe size equivalent?