Buying a men's or unisex pair when you usually wear women's sizing? Here is the simple rule and a full chart.
More and more shoes are sold as unisex or men's only, especially sneakers, skate shoes, and limited releases. If you normally shop in women's sizing, that can feel like a problem, but the conversion between the two is actually one of the easiest in all of footwear. Once you know the rule, you can shop across both labels without second guessing yourself.
In US sizing, a women's size is about 1.5 sizes larger than the men's number for the very same foot. So if you wear a women's 9, you would look for a men's 7.5. To go the other way, add 1.5 to the men's number to find the women's equivalent. This 1.5 gap holds steady across almost the entire range, which is what makes it so reliable.
If a brand only offers full sizes and your converted number lands on a half, round up rather than down. A touch of extra room is easy to fix with an insole or thicker socks, while a shoe that is too short has no remedy at all.
| Women's US | Men's US | UK | EU | CM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 4.5 | 4 | 36.5 | 22.9 |
| 7 | 5.5 | 5 | 37.5 | 23.7 |
| 8 | 6.5 | 6 | 38.5 | 24.6 |
| 9 | 7.5 | 7 | 40 | 25.4 |
| 10 | 8.5 | 8 | 41 | 26.2 |
| 11 | 9.5 | 9 | 42 | 27.1 |
Here is a useful shortcut. European sizing does not split into men's and women's scales the way US sizing does. A EU 40 is a EU 40 for everyone. So if you are shopping from a brand that lists EU numbers, you can ignore the gender label entirely and just match the EU size to your foot. Many people who buy across men's and women's ranges learn their EU number and use it as a universal key.
Length converts cleanly, but width is a different story. Men's shoes are generally cut a little wider than women's at the same length, especially through the toe box and heel. For many people that extra room is comfortable, but if you have narrow feet you may find a converted men's shoe slips at the heel. When you can, read reviews that mention fit, and look for brands that offer width options.
The shape of the last matters too. A men's running shoe converted to your size may feel roomier than a women's version of the same model, because the women's last is often designed with a narrower heel. None of this changes the size number, but it is worth keeping in mind when a converted pair feels slightly off even though the length is right.
A handful of conversions come up far more often than the rest, usually around the most popular sneaker sizes. A women's 8 becomes a men's 6.5, a women's 8.5 becomes a men's 7, and a women's 9.5 becomes a men's 8. These middle sizes are exactly where unisex sneaker drops tend to sell out first, so knowing your men's equivalent in advance helps you move quickly when a release lands only in men's sizing.
It is worth writing your converted number down somewhere you can find it, because most online shops will only show one scale per listing. If you know both your women's size and your men's equivalent, you can shop confidently no matter which one a particular product page uses.
Want to check a specific number fast? Drop it into the converter on the homepage, switch between the men's and women's options, and read the matching sizes across every system at once.