An Insider’s Look at Chinese Shoe Sizes

Shoe sizes in China are not congruent with Western size charts unlike Chinese charts which can be arguably said to have a few neoteric elements but include a specific measure. In essence, Chinese shoes utilize foot length specifically the distance between the furthest heel and the edge of the toe or in simpler terms, a millimeter (m). Not to be confused with American shoes which run on numbers in succession starting from 6 like 7, 8,5. Rather, like clothing, a Chinese shoe is size proportionate, for instance a shoe measuring 240 means 240mm length.

It is critical to note that, like any measuring technique, there will be some intricacies when trying to size footwear and no single shoe size would appeal to all. While such charts can be instrumental in helping you narrow your options, it is best practice to consult a company specific size chart when available.

Converting Chinese Shoe Sizes To American Sizes: A Step by Step Guide

When navigating through the conversion, always upscale or downscale the intercontinental conversion instead of utilizing the US size guide. Follow the exact steps and dojo sizing technique to master the process of converting Chinese shoe size to US and American shoes:

Stage 1: Determine the length of your foot in millimeters from the heel to the tip of the big toe.

How to find the Chinese Shoe Size: The size of shoes in China is normally given as the length in foot size in millimeters. Looking at foot size as an example, if it measures 240 millimeters, it is equivalent to a Chinese shoe size of 240 or size 24.

Converting to US Shoe Size: A US size conversion chart aids in finding the US equivalent of a Chinese size shoe. Although there can be slight differences between brands, Chinese shoe sizes are 1 to 1.5 sizes smaller than women’s and 1 to 2 sizes smaller than men’s US sizes.

The size for Men’s Chinese shoe (US size) is as follows:

Illustrating with an example: if one’s foot measures 260 millimeters in length, then that would correspond to a 9.00 US men’s size.

Women’s Shoe Sizes Chinese Sizes To US Size Chart conversion

The table below converts women’s shoe sizes measured in the eastern Asian country of China into US footwear sizes.

If we take for example US women shoe size of 7, the conversion length required would be a shoe size foot of length around 240mm.

Formula for converting China’s shoe size to US shoe size

In converting China’s footwear sizes into US ones, the following broad principle applies:

• US size = (Chinese size / 5) – 1 (for US women sizes) For instance, assuming a Chinese shoe size of 240 mm, then 240/5 -1 translates to a US size of 7.
• For men’s shoes size US size = (Chinese size / 5) – 1.5 Depending on the size of your foot, assuming it were 260 mm, the equation translates into (260/5) – 1.5 = 9 US size.

Though this equation assists in working out an approximate size, one should use it hand in hand with the size charts provided by respective brands as small differences may exist among manufacturers.

Comparison of European Measurement with the Chinese Shoe Size System

Chinese shoe sizes are most often equivalent to European sizes but are not compatible with the US system. Below is the tabulated list containing the conversion of Chinese to European sizes for shoes.

The relation of shoe sizes is slightly different in Chinese and European systems for men as it is comparatively closer as well as the difference of centimeters.

International Sizes for Shoes: An Overview

International sizes for shoes may differ due to different regions having different ways of measuring the foot as well as the shoe. The following are the standard systems that are used all across the globe:

• US System: A half or whole number set, primarily indicating the foot length.
• UK system: Has similar foot length measuring systems but mostly a number smaller by one size than the prior to.
• European System: Uses centimeter sizes based on sizes increasing by 6.6 mm per shoe size.
• Chinese: This uses millimeters lengths for shoes.

Due to such differences, it is of utmost importance to check tables prior to purchasing shoes from foreign countries.

Shoe Size Conversion Blunders

Shoe sizes from different geographical regions can be diverse and converting them can lead to some errors. Some of the errors are listed below:

• Over Reliance on One System – Conversion charts are not completely accurate as they do not take into account the fact that some brands might be slightly bigger than others.
• Ignoring the Type of Shoe – There are various types of shoes that can be used for different occasions and some of them might differ a size or two, for example, athletic shoes can be tighter than dress ones.
• Width is Not Taken Into Consideration – Size transference goes over the length of the shoe, width does not come in the picture. Once a wide foot or a thin foot is taken into account, the sizes can be converted.

Steps To Take for Getting An Accurate Shoe Size

To attain an accurate size of a shoe, you need to follow the steps mentioned below carefully and measure your feet correctly.

• Stand straight next to a wall to where your toe can touch it but keep your foot as parallel as possible. The paper should be placed exactly on the floor where the wall ends.
• A simple step would be to mark where the toes end using a pencil.
• Grab an inches ruler and measure the distance between the pencil mark you made and the wall in millimeters or even inches.
• Repeat this process for both feet, as our feet can measure differently. Some buying guides recommend always going with the larger size for such cases.

The Sizing Options for Your Unfit Shoes

If the size conversion does not yield the expected results, and the size of the shoes is still not right, you have the following options:

• Change Order: Most of the online sellers have reasonable returns or replacement policies for mistakes however these policies should be viewed first before making the purchase.
• Change Size: Some shoes can be shrunk or some shapes can be stretched but it happens with a cobbler’s assistance sadly it mostly only applies to leather or canvas materials.
• Buy Gel Inserts: Inserts for the heel or a cushion inside the insole that adds comfort are amazing for shoes that fit a tad too tightly.

Basics You Need to Know About the Chinese to US Size Converter

• Can I use Chinese size converter for every brand? For a fair comparison between sizes, please keep in mind that most brands will fall into different categories and sizes. So while the conversion charts can serve as a good guideline, they aren’t usually 100% accurate.
• Is Chinese size more than the US size in shoes? Yes, however there are possible outliers to this as there are cases where a chart must be utilized to increase the size, like Chinese made shoes, as a rule they tend to be smaller.
• What happens when my foot falls between two sizes? The right insights indicate that it would most likely suit you best to obtain comfort by buying the bigger size when shopping for an international retailer.