About the US to UK Shoe Size Converter
This tool converts a US adult shoe size into the equivalent UK size using the standard offset that shoe retailers on both sides of the Atlantic have used for decades: subtract 1 from a US Men's size, or subtract 2 from a US Women's size. It also estimates an approximate EU/Continental size and the foot length in inches and centimeters that the US size implies.
The core formula
- Men's: UK size = US size − 1 (US 9 = UK 8, US 10.5 = UK 9.5)
- Women's: UK size = US size − 2 (US 8 = UK 6, US 9.5 = UK 7.5)
The offset is constant, so half sizes carry straight through — there is no separate rounding rule for .5 sizes. The reason the offset differs by two full sizes for women's shoes instead of one is that the UK uses a single continuous scale for adult feet, while the US runs two separate scales, and the US Women's scale sits about 1.5 sizes above the US Men's scale for the same physical foot length.
Where the EU size and foot length come from
The EU/Continental size uses the common rule of thumb of adding 33 to the UK size (for example, UK 8 → EU 41). It is a widely used approximation, not an exact conversion — European brands round their own lasts differently, so treat it as a starting point rather than a guarantee.
Foot length is estimated from the standard US Men's sizing formula, where each whole US size corresponds to 1/3 inch of foot length: foot length (inches) = (Men's-equivalent US size + 22) ÷ 3. For a Women's size, the Men's-equivalent size is the entered size minus 1.5 before applying the formula.
How to get the best results
- Pick the correct category first — Men's and Women's sizing use different offsets even though the numbers look similar.
- If you know your measured foot length instead of a US size, compare it against the estimated foot length shown here rather than relying on the size number alone.
- Brand-specific lasts vary. Treat the UK size as your starting point and check the retailer's own size chart before buying, especially near a half size.