How to measure your shoe size
Every brand's size chart is really built on one number: your foot length in centimetres. Measure it once at home and you can find your size in any brand, region or gender — far more reliably than guessing from an old pair. All you need is paper and a ruler or tape measure.
Measure your foot in 6 steps
- Gather paper, a pencil, and a ruler or tape measure. A plain sheet of paper, a pencil or pen, and a ruler or tape measure marked in centimetres are all you need.
- Place the paper against a wall and stand on it. Put the sheet flat on a hard floor with one edge against a wall. Stand with your heel touching the wall and your weight on the foot so it spreads naturally.
- Mark the tip of your longest toe. Your longest toe is not always the big toe. Hold the pencil straight up and down and mark the furthest point on the paper.
- Measure heel to mark in centimetres. Measure the straight-line distance from the wall edge (your heel) to the mark. This number is your foot length — the most reliable input for sizing.
- Measure both feet and use the larger one. It is normal for one foot to be bigger. Always size to the larger foot. If you fall between two sizes, size up.
- Convert your cm length to any brand. Enter your foot length in our converter, or read it off a brand size chart, to get your US, UK and EU size in the exact brand you are buying.
What your foot length means — convert it now
Got your measurement? Drop it into the converter and pick the brand you're buying. It anchors on foot length in cm, so you get the most accurate cross-brand size rather than a rounded label.
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Tip: in the converter, set "Measure by" to Foot length (cm) and enter the number you just measured.
Jump straight to a brand size chart
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Nike shoe size chart US · UK · EU · CM -
Air Jordan shoe size chart US · UK · EU · CM -
Adidas shoe size chart US · UK · EU · CM -
New Balance shoe size chart US · UK · EU · CM -
Asics shoe size chart US · UK · EU · CM -
Vans shoe size chart US · UK · EU · CM
All brand size charts → · Kids' & toddler size charts →
Tips for an accurate measurement
- Measure in the afternoon. Feet swell through the day; an evening measurement reflects how the shoe will fit most of the time.
- Wear your real socks. Measure (or try on) with the socks you'll actually wear with the shoes.
- Stand, don't sit. Weight-bearing spreads the foot to its true length.
- Both feet, larger wins. Size to the bigger foot; differences of half a size between feet are common.
- Re-measure occasionally. Adult feet change with age and weight; kids' feet change every few months.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most accurate way to measure shoe size at home?
Measure your foot length in centimetres, heel to longest toe, with your weight on the foot. Foot length is what every brand size chart is actually built on, so it converts cleanly to US, UK and EU sizes — far more reliably than guessing from an old pair.
Should I measure my shoe size in cm or inches?
Centimetres are easier and more precise because brand charts publish foot length in cm (and a "CM" size is common in Japanese/Mondopoint sizing). Inches work too, but cm avoids fiddly fractions.
When is the best time of day to measure my feet?
In the afternoon or evening. Feet swell during the day, so measuring later gives you the size that will be comfortable for most of the time you are wearing the shoes.
How much toe room should a shoe have?
About a thumb-width (roughly 1–1.5 cm) between your longest toe and the end of the shoe is a common guide for everyday and running shoes. Some brands already build this into their size chart, which is why the per-model fit guides matter.
My foot length is between two sizes — should I size up or down?
Size up as a default; it is easier to take up a little extra room (insole, lacing, thicker socks) than to stretch a too-small shoe. Then check the specific model in our fit guides, since some shoes run big or small.
How do I measure a child's foot?
Exactly the same way — heel to longest toe, both feet, use the larger. Kids' feet grow fast, so measure every couple of months and match the length to our kids' size charts rather than buying by age alone.