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A shoe size is an indication of the fitting size of a
shoe A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot. Though the human foot can adapt to varied terrains and climate conditions, it is vulnerable, and shoes provide protection. Form was originally tied to function, but ...
for a person. There are a number of different shoe-size systems used worldwide. While all shoe sizes use a number to indicate the length of the shoe, they differ in exactly what they measure, what unit of measurement they use, and where the size 0 (or 1) is positioned. Some systems also indicate the shoe width, sometimes also as a number, but in many cases by one or more letters. Some regions use different shoe-size systems for different types of shoes (e.g. men's, women's, children's, sport, and safety shoes). This article sets out several complexities in the definition of shoe sizes. In practice, shoes are often tried on for both size and fit before they are purchased.


Deriving the shoe size


Foot versus shoe and last

The length of a person's
foot The foot (: feet) is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is an organ at the terminal part of the leg made up o ...
is commonly defined as the distance between two parallel lines that are
perpendicular In geometry, two geometric objects are perpendicular if they intersect at right angles, i.e. at an angle of 90 degrees or π/2 radians. The condition of perpendicularity may be represented graphically using the '' perpendicular symbol'', � ...
to the foot and in contact with the most prominent toe and the most prominent part of the
heel The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg. Structure To distribute the compressive forces exerted ...
. Foot length is measured with the subject standing barefoot and the weight of the body equally distributed between both feet. The sizes of the left and right feet are often slightly different. In this case, both feet are measured, and purchasers of mass-produced shoes are advised to purchase a shoe size based on the larger foot, as most retailers do not sell pairs of shoes in non-matching sizes. Each size of shoe is considered suitable for a small interval of foot lengths, typically limited by half-point of the shoe size system. A shoe-size system can refer to three characteristic lengths: * The median length of feet for which a shoe is suitable. For customers, this measure has the advantage of being directly related to their body measures. It applies equally to any type, form, or material of shoe. However, this measure is less popular with manufacturers, because it requires them to test carefully for each new shoe model, for which range of foot sizes it is recommendable. It puts on the manufacturer the burden of ensuring that the shoe will fit a foot of a given length. * The length of the inner cavity of the shoe. This measure has the advantage that it can be measured easily on the finished product. However, it will vary with manufacturing tolerances and only gives the customer very crude information about the range of foot sizes for which the shoe is suitable. * The length of the "
last A last is a mechanical form shaped like a human foot. It is used by shoemakers and cordwainers in the manufacture and repair of shoes. Lasts come in many styles and sizes, depending on the exact job they are designed for. Common variations ...
", the foot-shaped template over which the shoe is manufactured. This measure is the easiest one for the manufacturer to use, because it identifies only the tool used to produce the shoe. It makes no promise about manufacturing tolerances or for what size of foot the shoe is actually suitable. It leaves all responsibility and risk of choosing the correct size with the customer. Further, the last can be measured in several different ways, resulting in different measurements. All these measures differ substantially from one another for the same shoe. For example, the inner cavity of a shoe must typically be 15 mm longer than the foot, and the shoe last would be 2 size points larger than the foot, but this varies between different types of shoes and the shoe size system used. The typical range lies between for the UK/US size system and for the European size system, but may extend to and .


Length

Sizing systems also differ in the units of measurement they use. This also results in different increments between shoe sizes, because usually only "full" or "half" sizes are made. The following length units are commonly used today to define shoe-size systems: * The
Paris point The Paris point is a unit of length defined as . It is commonly used for shoe sizes in Continental Europe. The unit was invented by French shoemakers in the early 1800s. Its origin probably lies in centimetre being very close to inch; a French ...
equates to . Whole sizes are incremented by 1 Paris point; this corresponds to between half sizes. This unit is commonly used in Continental Europe, and Russia and former USSR countries. * The barleycorn is an old
English unit English units were the units of measurement used in England up to 1826 (when they were replaced by Imperial units), which evolved as a combination of the Anglo-Saxon and Roman systems of units. Various standards have applied to English units at ...
that equates to . This is the basis for current UK and North American shoe sizes. "Today in America, the sizing generally adheres relatively closely to a formula of 3 times the length of the foot in inches (the barleycorn length), less a constant (22 for men and 21 for women). In the UK, shoe sizes follow a similar method of computation, except that the constant is 23, and it is the same for men and women". (12×3=36. US(m): 36−22=14, UK: 36−23=13, EU:30.5×1.5=45.75 then +2 "for comfort" plus rounding = 48) *
Metric Metric or metrical may refer to: Measuring * Metric system, an internationally adopted decimal system of measurement * An adjective indicating relation to measurement in general, or a noun describing a specific type of measurement Mathematics ...
measurements in millimetres (mm) or centimetres (cm), with intervals of 5 mm and 7.5 mm are used in the international Mondopoint system (USSR/Russia and East Asia). Since the early 2000s, labels on sports shoes typically include sizes measured in all four systems: EU, UK, US, and Mondopoint.


Zero point

The sizing systems also place size 0 (or 1) at different locations: * Size 0 as a foot's length of 0. The shoe size is directly proportional to the length of the foot in the chosen unit of measurement. Sizes of children's, men's, and women's shoes, as well as sizes of different types of shoes, can be compared directly. This is used with the Mondopoint system (USSR/Russia and East Asia). * Size 0 as the length of the shoe's inner cavity of 0. The shoe size is then directly proportional to the inner length of the shoe. This is used with systems that also take the measurement from the shoe. While sizes of children's, men's and women's shoes can be compared directly, this is not necessarily true for different types of shoes that require a different amount of "wiggle room" in the toe box. This is used with the Continental European system. * Size 0 (or 1) can just be simply a shoe of a given length. Typically, this will be the shortest length deemed practical; but this can be different for children's, teenagers', men's, and women's shoes - making it difficult to compare sizes. In America, the baseline for women's shoes is seven inches and for men's it is 7 in.; in the UK, the baseline for both is 7 in.


Width

Some systems also include the width of a foot (or the girth of a shoe last), but do so in a variety of ways: * Measured foot width in millimetres (mm) – this is done with the Mondopoint system. * Measured width as a letter (or combination of letters), which is taken from a table (indexed to length and width/girth) or just assigned on an ad-hoc basis. Examples are (each starting with the narrowest width): ** AAA, AA, A, B, C, D, E, EE, EEE is the typical North American system and follows the brannock device standards, per the system B is narrow, C is regular, D is medium, E is wide, EE is extra wide and so on. The unlettered D size is the norm for men and B for women. ** 4A, 3A, 2A, A, B, C, D, E, 2E, 3E, 4E, 5E, 6E (variant North American). ** C, D, E, F, G, H (common UK; "medium" is usually F but varies by manufacturer—makers Edward Green and Crockett & Jones, among others, use E instead, but one maker's E is not necessarily the same size as another's). ** N (''narrow''), M (''medium'') or R (''regular''), W (''wide''), XW (extra wide). ** For children's sizes in North America, typical letters used are M or B (medium), W or D (wide), EW or 2E (extra wide). The width for which these sizes are suitable can vary significantly between manufacturers. The A–E width indicators used by most American, Canadian, and some British shoe manufacturers are typically based on the width of the foot, and common step sizes are inch (4.8 mm).


Difficulties

There could be differences between various shoe size tables from shoemakers and shoe stores. They are usually due to the following factors: * Different methods of measuring the shoes, different manufacturing processes, or different allowances even when the same system is used. * An indication in centimetres or inches can mean the length of the foot or the length of the shoe's inner cavity. * Differing amounts of wiggle room required for different sizes of shoes. * For wide feet, a shoe several sizes larger (and actually too long) may be required and may also result in inconsistent size indications when different typical widths are attributed to specific shoe sizing systems. * Some tables for children take future growth into account. The shoe size is then larger than what would correspond to the actual length of the foot. Conversion tables available on the Web often contain obvious errors, not taking into account different zero points or wiggle room. Although shoe size systems are not fully standardised, the ISO/TC 137 had released a technical specification ISO/TS 19407:2015 for converting shoe sizes across various local sizing systems. Even though the problem of converting shoe sizes accurately has yet to be fully resolved, this standard serves as "a good compromise solution" for shoe-buyers.


Common sizing systems


United Kingdom

Shoe size in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
,
Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
,
Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
and
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
is based on the length of the
last A last is a mechanical form shaped like a human foot. It is used by shoemakers and cordwainers in the manufacture and repair of shoes. Lasts come in many styles and sizes, depending on the exact job they are designed for. Common variations ...
used to make the shoes, measured in barleycorns ( inch) starting from the smallest size deemed practical, which is called size zero. It is not formally standardised. The last is typically longer than the foot heel to toe length by to in or to 2 barleycorns, so to determine the shoe size based on actual foot length one must add 2 barleycorns. A child's size zero is equivalent to 4 inches (a
hand A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered appendage located at the end of the forearm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs. A few other vertebrates such as the Koala#Characteristics, koala (which has two thumb#O ...
= 12 barleycorns = 10.16 cm), and the sizes go up to size (measuring barleycorns, or ). Thus, the calculation for a children's shoe size in the UK is: : equivalent to: : . An adult size one is then the next size up (26 barleycorns, or ) and each size up continues the progression in barleycorns. The calculation for an adult shoe size in the UK is thus: : equivalent to: : . Although this sizing standard is nominally for both men and women, some manufacturers use different numbering for women's UK sizing. In
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
and
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
, the UK system is followed for men and children's footwear. Women's footwear follows the US sizings.


Mexico

In
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
, shoes are sized either according to the foot length they are intended to fit, in cm, or alternatively to another variation of the barleycorn system, with sizes calculated approximately as: : equivalent to: : .


United States

In the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
and
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
, the traditional system is similar to the British system but there are different zero points for children's, men's, and women's shoe sizes. The most common is the customary system where men's shoes are numbered higher by one than the UK equivalent, so that the same shoe would be marked 13 in the US and 12 in the UK.


Customary

The customary system is offset by barleycorn or compared to the UK sizes. The men's range starts at size 1, with zero point corresponding to the children's size 13 which equals barleycorns or . However, most US manufacturers are using offsets greater than that standard; some offset by barleycorn, others by 1 barleycorn. In current practice, US men's size 1 is expected to equal 25 barleycorns, or , so the calculation for a male shoe size in the United States is: : equivalent to: : . In the "standard" or "FIA" (Footwear Industries of America) scale, women's sizes are men's sizes plus 1 (so a men's is a women's ): : equivalent to: : . There is also the "common" scale, where women's sizes are equal to men's sizes plus . Children's shoes start from size zero, which is equivalent to inches ( barleycorns = 99.48 mm), and end at . Thus the formula for children's sizes in the US is : equivalent to: : . Alternatively, a Mondopoint-based scale from K4 to K13 and then 1 to 7 is also in use for children's shoes. K4 to K9 are
toddler A toddler is a child approximately 1 to 3 years old, though definitions vary. The toddler years are a time of great cognitive, emotional and social development. The word is derived from "toddle", which means to walk unsteadily, as children at thi ...
sizes, K10 to K13 are
pre-school A preschool (sometimes spelled as pre school or pre-school), also known as nursery school, pre-primary school, play school, is an educational establishment or learning space Learning space or learning setting refers to a physical s ...
and 1 to 7 are
grade school A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...
sizes.


Brannock Device

The Brannock Device is a measuring instrument invented by Charles F. Brannock in 1925 found in many shoe stores. The recent formula used by the Brannock device assumes a foot length of 2 barleycorns less than the length of the last; thus, men's size 1 is equivalent to a last's length of and foot's length of , and children's size 1 is equivalent to last's length and foot's length.. The device also measures the length of the arch, or the distance between the heel and the ball (metatarsal head) of the foot. For this measurement, the device has a shorter scale at the instep of the foot with an indicator that slides into position. If this scale indicates a larger size, it is taken in place of the foot's length to ensure proper fitting. For children's sizes, additional wiggle room is added to allow for growth. The device also measures the width of the foot and assigns it designations of AAA, AA, A, B, C, D, E, EE, or EEE. The widths are  inches apart and differ by shoe length. Some shoe stores and medical professionals use optical 3D surface scanners to precisely measure the length and width of both feet and recommend the appropriate shoe model and size.


Continental Europe

In the Continental European system, the shoe size is the length of the
last A last is a mechanical form shaped like a human foot. It is used by shoemakers and cordwainers in the manufacture and repair of shoes. Lasts come in many styles and sizes, depending on the exact job they are designed for. Common variations ...
, expressed in
Paris point The Paris point is a unit of length defined as . It is commonly used for shoe sizes in Continental Europe. The unit was invented by French shoemakers in the early 1800s. Its origin probably lies in centimetre being very close to inch; a French ...
s or , for both sexes and for adults and children alike. The last is typically longer than the foot heel to toe length by to , or 2 to Paris points, so to determine the shoe size based on actual foot length one must add 2 Paris points. Because a Paris point is of a centimetre, a centimetre is Paris points, and the formula is as follows: : equivalent to: : The Continental European system is used in
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
,
Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
,
Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
,
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
,
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
,
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
,
Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...
, the
Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
,
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
,
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
,
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
,
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
,
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
,
Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
, and most other continental European countries. It is also used in Middle Eastern countries (such as
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
),
Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
—which uses the same method but subtracts 2 from the final result, in effect measuring foot size instead of last size—and, commonly,
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
. The system is sometimes described as Stich size (from ''Pariser Stich'', the German name for the Paris point), or ' size (from a German name of a micrometer for internal measurements).


Mondopoint

The Mondopoint shoe length system is widely used in the sports industry to size athletic shoes, ski boots, skates, and pointe ballet shoes; it was also adopted as the primary shoe sizing system in the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
,
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
,
East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...
,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
,
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
,
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
, and
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
, and as an optional system in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
,
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
, and European countries. The Mondopoint system is also used by
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
and other military services. The Mondopoint system was introduced in the 1970s by International Standard ISO 2816:1973 "Fundamental characteristics of a system of shoe sizing to be known as Mondopoint" and ISO 3355:1975 "Shoe sizes – System of length grading (for use in the Mondopoint system)". ISO 9407:2019, "Shoe sizes—Mondopoint system of sizing and marking",International Standard ISO 9407:2019, Shoe sizes—Mondopoint system of sizing and marking is the current version of the standard. The Mondopoint system is based on average foot length and foot width for which the shoe is suitable, measured in millimetres. The length of the foot is measured as horizontal distance between the perpendiculars in contact with the end of the most prominent toe and the most prominent part of the heel. The width of the foot is measured as horizontal distance between vertical lines in contact with the first and fifth
metatarsophalangeal joints The metatarsophalangeal joints (MTP joints) are the joints between the metatarsal bones of the foot and the proximal bones (proximal phalanges) of the toes. They are analogous to the knuckles of the hand, and are consequently known as toe knuck ...
. The perimeter of the foot is the length of the foot circumference, measured with a flexible tape at the same points as foot width. The origin of the grade is zero. The labeling typically includes foot length, followed by an optional foot width: a shoe size of 280/110 indicates a foot length of and width of . Other customary markings, such as EU, UK and US sizes, may also be used. Because Mondopoint takes the foot width into account, it allows for better fitting than most other systems. A given shoe size shall fit every foot with indicated average measurements, and those differing by no more than a half-step of the corresponding interval grid. Standard foot lengths are defined with interval steps of 5 mm for casual footwear and steps of 7.5 mm for specialty (protective) footwear. The standard is maintained by ISO Technical Committee 137 "Footwear sizing designations and marking systems."


East Asia

In Japan, mainland China, Taiwan, and South Korea, the Mondopoint system is used as defined by national standard
Japanese Industrial Standards are the standardization, standards used for industrial activities in Japan, coordinated by the Japanese Industrial Standards Committee (JISC) and published by the Japanese Standards Association (JSA). The JISC is composed of many nationwide co ...
(JIS) S 5037:1998 and its counterparts
Guobiao The National Standards of the People's Republic of China (), coded as , are the standards issued by the Standardization Administration of China under the authorization of Article 10 of the Standardization Law of the People's Republic of China. ...
(GB/T) 3293.1-1998, Chinese National Standard (CNS) 4800-S1093:2000 and Korean Standards Association (KS) M 6681:2007. Foot length and girth (foot circumference) are taken into account.靴のサイズ表示について・分かっているようで分かっていない話
''tr. About shoe size display ... A story that seems to be known but not known'' ''Rakuten.co.jp''
The foot length is indicated in centimetres; an increment of 5 mm is used. The length is followed by designators for girth (A, B, C, D, E, EE, EEE, EEEE, F, G), which are specified in an indexed table as foot circumference in millimetres for each given foot length; foot width is also included as supplemental information. There are different tables for men's, women's, and children's (less than 12 years of age) shoes. Not all designators are used for all genders and in all countries. For example, the largest girth for women in Taiwan is EEEE, whereas in Japan, it is F. The foot length and width can also be indicated in millimetres, separated by a slash or a hyphen.


Soviet Union (Russia, Commonwealth of Independent States)

Historically the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
used the European (Paris point) system, but the Mondopoint metric system was introduced in the 1980s by GOST 24382-80 "Sizes of Sport Shoes" (based on ISO 2816:1973) and GOST 11373-88 "Shoe Sizes" (based on ISO 3355:1975), and lately by GOST R 58149-2018 (based on ISO 9407:1991) Standard metric foot sizes can be converted to the nearest Paris point ( cm) sizes using approximate conversion tables; shoes are marked with both foot length in millimetres, as for pointe ballet shoe sizes, and last length in European Paris point sizes (although such converted ''Stichmaß'' sizes may come to 1 size smaller than comparable European-made adult footwear, and up to sizes smaller for children's footwear, according to ISO 19407 shoe size definitions). Foot lengths are aligned to 5 mm intervals for sports and casual shoes, and 7.5 mm for protective/safety shoes. Optional foot width designations includes narrow, normal (medium or regular), and wide grades. Infant sizes start at 16 (95 mm) and pre-school kids at 23 (140 mm); schoolchildren sizes span 32 (202.5 mm) to 40 (255 mm) for girls and 32 to 44 (285 mm) for boys. Adult sizes span 33 (210 mm) to 44 for women and 38 (245 mm) to 48 (310 mm) for men.


ISO 19407 and shoe size conversion

ISO/TS 19407:2023 ''Footwear - Sizing - Conversion of sizing systems'' is a technical specification from the
International Organization for Standardization The International Organization for Standardization (ISO ; ; ) is an independent, non-governmental, international standard development organization composed of representatives from the national standards organizations of member countries. M ...
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It contains basic description and conversion tables for major shoe sizing systems including Mondopoint with length steps of 5 mm and 7.5 mm, European Paris point system, and UK -inch system. The standard has also been adopted as Russian GOST R 57425-2017. The standard is maintained by ISO/TC 137, which also developed ISO/TS 19408:2015 ''Footwear - Sizing - Vocabulary and terminology''; in development are companion standards ISO/TS 19409 "Footwear - Sizing - Measurement of last dimensions" and ISO/TS 19410 "Footwear - Sizing - Inshoe measurement".


Shoe sizing

The adult shoe sizes are calculated from typical last length, which is converted from foot length in millimetres by adding an allowance of two shoe sizes: \begin \text &= \frac = \frac\times + 2 \\ pt \text &= \frac - 25= \frac\times - 23 \end where ''L'' is foot length in millimetres. Direct conversion between adult UK, Continental European and Mondopoint shoe size systems is derived as follows: \begin L &= \frac \times\left(\text - 2 \right) = \frac \times\left(\text + 23 \right) \\ pt \text &= + 2 \\ pt \text &= - 23 \end Using these formulas, the standard derives shoe size tables for adults and children, based on actual foot length measurement (insole) in millimetres. Typical last length ranges are also included (13 to 25 mm over foot length for adults, 8% greater than foot length plus 6 mm for children). Exact foot lengths may contain
repeating decimal A repeating decimal or recurring decimal is a decimal representation of a number whose digits are eventually periodic (that is, after some place, the same sequence of digits is repeated forever); if this sequence consists only of zeros (that i ...
s because the formulas include division by 3; in practice, approximate interval steps of 6.67 mm and 8.47 mm are used, and sizes are rounded to either the nearest half size or closest matching Mondopoint size.


Size marking

It is recommended to include size marking in each of the four sizing systems on the shoe label and on the package. The principal system used for manufacturing the shoe needs to be placed first and emphasized with a boldface. The standard includes quick conversion tables for adult shoe size marking; they provide matching sizes for shoes marked in Mondopoint, European, and UK systems. When converted values require rounding, they are rounded to a larger shoe size rather than a smaller one, to increase comfort.


Conversion between US and UK sizing


See also

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Clothing sizes Clothing sizes are the sizes with which garments sold off-the-shelf are labeled. Sizing systems vary based on the country and the type of garment, such as dresses, tops, skirts, and trousers. There are three approaches: * Body dimensions ...
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List of shoe styles This is a list of shoe styles and designs. A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot while doing various activities. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration. The design of shoes has varied enormously throug ...
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Shoe A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot. Though the human foot can adapt to varied terrains and climate conditions, it is vulnerable, and shoes provide protection. Form was originally tied to function, but ...
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References


External links


IS 8751-1 (1978)
Footwear sizes in mondopoint system, Part 1: Fundamental characteristics
IS 8751-2 (1978)
Footwear sizes in mondopoint system, Part 2: Length grading {{DEFAULTSORT:Shoe Size Anthropometry Footwear Sizes in clothing