EU to US boot sizing, and why conversion charts lie

Every boot we sell is manufactured on a European last and numbered in European sizes. The US number you see on a product page is a conversion, and conversions are approximate by nature. Measuring your foot takes a minute and is the only method that survives contact with a factory in another country.

Why the conversion is approximate

EU sizing is based on the Paris point, which is two thirds of a centimetre. US sizing is based on the barleycorn, which is a third of an inch. The two scales do not divide evenly into each other, so a conversion table always rounds, and different manufacturers round in different directions.

On top of that, US sizing splits into men's and women's scales that are offset from each other by roughly one and a half sizes. A boot listed as EU 40 can therefore be a US 7 women's or a US 7 men's depending on which table the seller used, and those are not the same boot.

Measure the foot, not the shoe

Stand on a sheet of paper with your heel against a wall, late in the day when your feet are at their largest. Mark the end of your longest toe, which is not always the big toe. Measure from the wall to the mark in centimetres.

Do both feet. Most people have one foot several millimetres longer than the other, and the boot has to fit that one.

Add between 5mm and 10mm for a boot you intend to wear with socks. That is the number to size from.

A working conversion

As a rough guide, EU 36 is about 23cm, EU 38 about 24.3cm, EU 40 about 25.6cm, EU 42 about 27cm, EU 44 about 28.3cm. Each EU size is about 6.7mm of length.

If your measurement falls between two sizes, take the larger one. A boot that is slightly long can be fixed with an insole or a thicker sock. A boot that is slightly short cannot be fixed at all.

What this means for buying from us

We do not take returns on footwear, so a guess costs you the price of the boot. If you are between sizes or unsure which scale a chart is using, email us before ordering and we will go and read the supplier's own numbers for that specific boot rather than quoting a general table.

The three boots we sell are The Lace Up Boot, The Platform Boot and The Work Boot, and they do not all run the same. The platform in particular sits differently because of the wedge.

Width, which no chart covers

Length is the only dimension most sizing systems describe. Width is set by the last and is rarely published at all.

A lugged, chunky boot is usually cut generously through the forefoot, which is why people with wide feet often get on better with a combat boot than with a dress boot in the same length. If you know you are wide-footed, that is a point in favour of the chunkier sole rather than a reason to size up in length.

Socks change the answer more than people expect

A thin cotton sock adds very little. A thick ribbed or boot sock can add 2mm to 3mm of effective length and considerably more across the width, which on a boot that was already snug is the difference between wearable and not.

Decide what you will actually wear with the boot before you size it. If the honest answer is thick socks all winter, measure in the thick socks.

Half sizes, and what to do when a maker does not offer them

European sizing has no true half sizes. The 6.7mm step between whole sizes is roughly the same as a US half size, which is why EU sizes sometimes appear in half-size conversions and sometimes do not.

If you are a US half size, you are between two EU sizes and there is no third option. Take the larger one and use an insole, which both takes up length and lifts the foot slightly so the instep sits better.

The check to do the moment the box opens

Try them indoors, on carpet, with the socks you intend to wear. Stand up. You want roughly a thumb's width between your longest toe and the end, and your heel should lift very slightly when you walk, because a new sole has not flexed yet.

What you must not feel is pressure across the widest part of the foot. Length can be adjusted. Width cannot, and a boot that is tight across the joint will still be tight in a year.

Questions people actually ask

Should I size up or down in boots?

Up, if you are between sizes. Length that is slightly too long can be taken up with an insole or a thicker sock. Length that is too short cannot be corrected.

Are EU sizes the same for men and women?

Yes. EU sizing is a single scale based on foot length. US sizing splits into separate men's and women's scales, which is where most conversion errors come from.

When is the best time to measure my feet?

Late in the day. Feet swell over the course of a day, and a boot fitted to a morning measurement can be tight by evening.