Here's How to Determine Your International Shoe Size

With the hustle and bustle of our busy lives, it can be difficult to take the time to measure your feet. Online shopping for shoes can be quite a pain, especially when it feels like there are not enough hours in the day to work and shop! Even if you think it's one size, it could be a completely different size and you didn't even know! Especially when it comes to international shoe sizing. Because we'd never want to make any situation more stressful, stay tuned for some great info on how to find the perfect shoe for you no matter the country you're in.

Whether you're an in-store or online shopper, there's something oddly satisfying about locking eyes with a pair of shoes and deciding to try them on—that is, unless you find a slew of international sizes listed. Suddenly, the shoes just got a little less attractive, and you're wondering if you like them enough to invest the time Googling the correct conversion. What's more, shopping for shoes online can be even more daunting, and you've likely made the mistake of ordering your U.S. size on a global shoe (hi, that's us). Thankfully, we're breaking down everything you need to do (and know) about choosing your perfect shoe size, and it's easier than you think.

Keep scrolling to find our handy international shoe size chart for men and women.

Measure Your Feet

Serious about getting the perfect fit the first time around? Measure your feet. While you could visit a shoe store and have a salesperson do it for you, it's easy to do yourself. First, make sure you're standing on a flat surface. Then, trace the outline of your foot on a piece of paper. Keep your pen as perpendicular to the paper as possible to produce the most accurate outline. On the tracing you've created, use a ruler to measure from edge of your heel to the tip of your longest toe. You can make a fun game of this and even have a drawing after to mail to your parents to show them how much you've grown!

Men's International Shoe Sizes

When you know your true U.S. shoe size, you can buy shoes from around the world both in-store and online. Here are the conversions for men's U.S. shoe sizes for China, Australia, Europe, Mexico, Japan, and the United Kingdom. Pretty cool, right?

U.S./Canada	China	Australia	Europe	Mexico	Japan	U.K.
5	38	4.5	37.5	-	-	4.5
5.5	39	5	38	-	-	5
6	39.5	5.5	38.5	25	24	5.5
6.5	40	6	39	-	24.5	6
7	41	6.5	40	26	25	6.5
7.5	-	7	40.5	-	25.5	7
8	42	7.5	41	27	-	7.5
8.5	43	8	42	-	26	8
9	43.5	8.5	42.5	28	26.5	8.5
9.5	44	9	43	-	27	9
10	44.5	9.5	44	29	27.5	9.5
10.5	45	10	44.5	-	28	10
11	46	-	45	30	29	10.5
11.5	-	11	45.5	-	29.5	-
12	47	-	46	31	30	-
13	48.5	12	47.5	32	31	-

Women's International Shoe Sizes

Here are the conversions for women's U.S. shoe sizes for China, Australia, Europe, Mexico, Japan, and the United Kingdom. Who would have thought that your shoe size could be very different from one country to another?

U.S./Canada	China	Australia	Europe	Mexico	Japan	U.K.
5	35.5	5	35	-	21	2.5
5.5	36	5.5	35.5	-	21.5	3
6	37	6	36	-	22	3.5
6.5	37.5	7	37	-	22.5	4
7	38	7.5	37.5	-	23	4.5
7.5	39	8	38	4.5	23.5	5
8	39.5	8.5	38.5	5	24	5.5
8.5	40	9	39	5.5	24.5	6
9	41	10	40	6	25	6.5
9.5	-	11	41	6.5	25.5	7
10	42	12	42	7	26	7.5

How to Shop for Shoes Online

If you're buying shoes online, keep these tips in mind:

• Always check the retailer's return policy for any shoes you buy, there's nothing more stressful than spending hours trying to return something.
• These measurements don't take into account the thickness or width of your foot, so check if the shoes come in varying widths. These are usually denoted by "AA" (narrow), "B" (average), "C/D" (wide), or "E" (extra wide). Additionally, you might see "M," indicating a "medium" width.
• Consider the socks you plan to wear, if any. They can take up room and make shoes feel tighter.
• Just like your eyebrows, no two feet are exactly the same size—measure them both and use the larger measurement.
• Feet tend to swell a bit as the day goes on, or after you stand on them for a while. Measure your feet when they're at their largest.
• Consider the materials, manufacturing techniques, embellishments, and other factors that can affect the way a shoe fits.
• Check the reviews for the shoes you're considering and look for comments regarding how true to size they run.
• Have fun and remember, if the shoe fits...buy it in every color!

Lead image product provided by Nike.