Men's US
3 × inches − 24
Shoe size converter
Men's to Women's Shoe Size Converter — and Back
There is no standard that says a men's 9 equals a women's 10.5. US shoe shops measure on a Brannock device, and its two scales differ by exactly 1.5 sizes for the same foot; a lot of retailer charts round that to 2. This tool converts through foot length so you can see which answer you are getting and why.
Men's ↔ Women's Shoe Size Converter
Converts through foot length, so you can see where the number comes from
The arithmetic
Women's US
3 × inches − 22.5
Difference
1.5 sizes
How to use it
Pick what you know
Enter a men's size, a women's size, or your foot length in centimetres. Foot length is the most reliable input if you have a tape measure.
Choose the convention
Brannock +1.5 is what a US shoe shop measures. Retail +2 is what many size charts publish. The tool shows both so you can compare.
Read across systems
The table gives men's, women's, UK, EU and foot length together, all derived from the same measurement.
Questions people actually ask
Is it 1.5 or 2 sizes?
Both are in use. The Brannock device — the metal plate US stores measure on — puts the men's and women's scales exactly 1.5 apart. Many retailer charts simplify to 2. Individual brands land anywhere from 1 to 2, so if a brand publishes its own chart, that chart wins.
What is a men's 9 in women's?
10.5 on the Brannock scale, 11 on the common retail chart. Both correspond to a foot about 27.9 cm long.
Why does the converted size sometimes not fit?
Length is only half of fit. Women's lasts are cut narrower at the same length, so a correctly converted size can still feel tight across the foot. Look for a wide fitting, or size on foot length and try the shoe.
Do UK and EU sizes convert the same way?
UK sizes run about one below US men's. EU sizes are Paris points — two thirds of a centimetre each — so they scale with foot length rather than with the US scales, which is why the tool derives them from length.
Are kids' sizes the same?
No. Children's US sizing uses its own scale and restarts, so adult conversions do not carry over. This tool covers adult US, UK and EU only.
Where the numbers come from
The two formulas are the Brannock device's published men's and women's scales, which US shoe retailers have measured on since the 1920s. EU sizes use the Paris point (1 point = 2/3 cm). UK sizes are taken as one below US men's, the convention used across British retail.
Fit varies by brand, last and width. Treat the output as a starting point, then check the maker's own size chart.