Shoe size by country varies internationally because many countries differ in their sizing charts for both men and women. The most common shoe size systems in the world are located in the United States and Canada, Great Britain, Europe, Australia, China, and Japan. As these are the most famous shoe size charts, you can get a good idea of your shoe size anywhere by knowing how your shoe size matches up to the shoe size by country in the most popular international shoe sizes.
The shoe size system in Great Britain is very similar to the shoe size system in the United States and Canada, who have the same shoe sizes. In Great Britain, shoe sizes will be higher than the American and Canadian shoe sizes by one number. In Europe, the system is not as standardized, but you still can locate the right shoe size by country.
When you are shopping for international shoes, measure your feet first. Do this by putting your feet on a flat ground and tracing your foot with a pencil. You want to keep the pencil or pen that you are doing that with as perpendicular as possible. Use a ruler to measure from the end of your heel to the end of your longest toe. Be sure that you are measuring both feet to get an accurate measurement of both sides.
That is your shoe size in inches using the American or Canadian system.
It is important to remember that these are just shoe sizes in inches. Every foot will still be different, and you need to take into account your own individual shoe needs. Among those are narrow shoe sizes, half shoe sizes, wide, extra wide. You may even see a medium width.
Narrow sizes are often denoted with an AA, average with a B, wide with a C or D beside them, and E with an extra wide. Medium sizes may have the initial M after them.
| US | UK | Europe | Australia | China | Japan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size | 5 | 2.5 | 35 | 3.5 | 35.5 | 21 |
| Size | 6 | 3.5 | 36 | 4.5 | 37 | 22 |
| Size | 6.5 | 4 | 37 | 5 | 38 | 22.5 |
| Size | 7 | 5 | 38 | 6 | 39 | 23.5 |
| Size | 8 | 6 | 39 | 7 | 40 | 24.5 |
| Size | 9 | 7 | 41 | 8 | 42 | 25.5 |
| Size | 10 | 7.5 | 42 | 8.5 | 43 | 26 |
| US | UK | Europe | Australia | China | Japan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size | 6 | 5 | 38 | 5 | 39 | 23.5 |
| Size | 7 | 6 | 39 | 6 | 41 | 24.5 |
| Size | 8 | 7 | 41 | 7 | 42 | 25.5 |
| Size | 9 | 8 | 43 | 8 | 43 | 27 |
| Size | 10 | 9 | 44 | 9 | 44.5 | 28 |
According to the official shoe size system, China's sizes tend to be the largest. However, in China, a size 44.5 shoe is equivalent to a size 10 in the US.