Shoe size

Shoe size is a numerical measurement of the length of a shoe for a person. As such it can refer to the shoe size of a shoe, or to the shoe size of a person—the size needed by their feet.

Shoe size scales are complicated because there are so many of them, varying by country and often being different depending on gender (i.e, a 6 men’s shoe is a different size than a 6 women’s). Furthermore, size 0 may not indicate a shoe of no length, and generally the scales are not proportional to standardised measurements of length.

In the United Kingdom there are both children’s and adult’s shoe sizes, starting at about 4 inches foot length (for children) and 8 inches (for adults). Each size is one barleycorn, a distance of one third of an inch, larger than the previous. Lengths of shoes are typically around one third of an inch larger than the foot length, for example a size 8 shoe adult shoe would be inches. Shoes are typically marked in both British and EU sizes nowadays due to links with the continent, and the import of shoes from the Far East.

In Australian and New Zealand men’s scale, shoe sizes are the same as in the UK. The Australasian Women’s scale typically has sizes 2 greater than the UK/Aus men’s.

The US men’s scale can be obtained from the British by adding one half unit. The standard US women’s scale is 1½ sizes greater than the British. However, an alternate "FIA" scale also exists, which is ½ of a size smaller.

European shoe sizes for all, men, women, boys and girls, are based upon the Paris Point, which is exactly two-thirds of a centimetre. There is no offset, so adult sizes start around 35.

Japanese shoe sizes however are nearly exactly equivalent to the centimetre size, but actually UK men sizes plus 19. Korean sizes however are exact millimetres or Mondopoints.

The shoe size of a person has at times been a controversial factor. For example, in recent times there has been a widespread belief that the shoe size of a man is directly proportional or at least has a positive correlation to the size of his penis. However, scientific studies [1] have actually been done on this effect and the results have largely disproven the possibility of any correlation. Nevertheless, urban myths die hard.

External links

• International shoe size conversion charts