👟 Shoe Size Converter
Convert between Australian, US, UK, and European shoe sizes for men, women, and kids.
Why are shoe sizes so confusing?
Shoe sizing is a global mess — there's no international standard, and every country did their own thing for centuries. Here's a quick explainer:
- Australian sizing follows the UK system almost exactly — it's based on barleycorns (yes, the grain) from the 1300s. One barleycorn = ⅓ inch. Size 0 = 4 inches. So a size 10 = 4 + (10 × ⅓) = 7.33 inches of last length.
- US sizing is offset from AU/UK by about 0.5–1 size depending on men's or women's.
- European sizing (Paris Points) is based on ⅔ of a centimetre per size. Far more sensible, but good luck converting in your head.
- Women's AU vs US: In Australia, women's sizes typically align with UK sizing. US women's sizes run about 1.5 sizes larger than AU/UK.
🦘 Fun fact: Despite Australia metrifying in the early 1970s, shoe sizes never got the memo. We still sell shoes by 1300s-era English grain measurements. Classic.