There are several different standards for measuring the size of shoe and conversion from one type to another is often quite complicated.

The most important standards are English, US/Canadian and European. Actually, in US two different standards are used, differing by about 1/2 size, or 1/6 inch. Additionally, these standars have different methods with dealing with children/adults and men/women. Luckily, most shoe stores have conversion tables that you can borrow.

In the U.K., U.S. and Australia one shoe size equates to 1/4 inch. As the starting points differ, you will have to add a fixed amount of inches depening on what type of shoes you are dealing with. For women's shoes this is 8 3/8 inch in U.K., 8 1/8 inch in Australia and 7 3/4 inch in U.S. For men's shoes it is 8 1/4 inch in U.K. and Australia and 8 1/8 inch in U.S.

In Europe, 1 shoe size is equal to 1/5 inch, with always 2 extra inches added, independent of wether they are for children or women.

Shoe fabricants have somehow decided upon that women should not have feet larger that 10 1/2 inches while men should not exceed 11 1/2. If your feet exceed this, you might have to go to specialist stores, but conditions have greatly improved in the last decades.

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.