Chinese shoe size chart: convert CN to US, UK and EU sizes
Measure your foot once, read the listing’s chart the right way and check the insole before your pair ships.
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A Chinese shoe size chart can list sizes as numbers like 42, as millimeters like 260, or both. Measure your foot, match it to that listing’s chart and use the conversion table below as a starting point. Our size tool converts your US, UK or EU size, or your foot length.
Sizing differs between brands and sellers, so check the insole length in QC before the pair ships.
How Taobao and Weidian listings show shoe sizes
Three formats to know:
- Numbers like 39, 40 or 42. Read them like EU sizes, which use the same number for men and women. 码 just means size, so 42码 is size 42.
- Millimeters like 260. Under China’s shoe size standard, GB/T 43293-2022, that’s the foot length in mm, so 260 is for a 26.0 cm foot.
- A size chart with columns like 尺码 (size), 脚长 (foot length), US and UK.
A size marked CN can be either kind of number. And the cm printed on sneaker boxes and labels isn’t your foot length. On one big sneaker brand’s official chart, US men 9 has 27 cm on the label but is meant for a 26.2 cm foot.
So check the column heading. No 脚长? Ask the seller through your agent what the number means. More words in Chinese words on listings.
How to measure your foot length
- Measure in the evening. Foot specialists say that’s when your feet are largest.
- Tape paper to a hard floor. Stand with one foot on it and your weight spread evenly on both feet.
- Have someone mark the back of your heel and the tip of your longest toe, with the pen held upright.
- Measure the straight line between the two marks in millimeters.
- Repeat with the other foot. Most people have one foot that’s bigger, so use the longer number.
Chinese shoe size chart and conversion
This table is approximate. It comes from the men’s chart linked above, with the foot length that brand lists for each size. Other brands, women’s charts and Chinese sellers can be half a size or more apart, so the listing’s own chart wins.
| EU | US men | US women | UK | Foot length, cm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 4 | 5.5 | 3.5 | 22.0 |
| 36.5 | 4.5 | 6 | 4 | 22.4 |
| 37.5 | 5 | 6.5 | 4.5 | 22.9 |
| 38 | 5.5 | 7 | 5 | 23.3 |
| 38.5 | 6 | 7.5 | 5.5 | 23.7 |
| 39 | 6.5 | 8 | 6 | 24.1 |
| 40 | 7 | 8.5 | 6 | 24.5 |
| 40.5 | 7.5 | 9 | 6.5 | 25.0 |
| 41 | 8 | 9.5 | 7 | 25.4 |
| 42 | 8.5 | 10 | 7.5 | 25.8 |
| 42.5 | 9 | 10.5 | 8 | 26.2 |
| 43 | 9.5 | 11 | 8.5 | 26.7 |
| 44 | 10 | 11.5 | 9 | 27.1 |
| 44.5 | 10.5 | 12 | 9.5 | 27.5 |
| 45 | 11 | 12.5 | 10 | 27.9 |
| 45.5 | 11.5 | 13 | 10.5 | 28.3 |
| 46 | 12 | 13.5 | 11 | 28.8 |
Here US women is US men plus 1.5, and UK is 0.5 to 1 below US men. Other brands can use different steps, so compare your foot length, not the cm on the label. The size converter works both ways: pick your size system and type in your size, or pick foot length and type in your measurement in cm. The result also shows the foot length in mm.
Half sizes and width
A half size is only a few millimeters: about 3.3 mm in EU sizes and about 4.2 mm in UK and US sizes. Chinese mm sizes usually go up in 5 mm steps, like 255, 260 and 265.
Width matters too. The ball of your foot, the widest part just before your toes, should sit comfortably in the widest part of the shoe. China’s standard lets makers add the foot width in mm, written like 260/94. If a listing shows it, compare it with your own foot at its widest point.
Got wide feet? A bigger size is also longer, so you can end up with spare toe room and a heel that slips. Your heel shouldn’t slip when you walk.
When to size up
- Your foot length falls between two sizes on the chart.
- Your feet land on different sizes. Fit the bigger one.
- You’ll wear thick socks with them.
- The listing says 偏小 (runs small). 偏大 means runs large. Treat both as hints and still check the chart.
Don’t size up blindly. If the chart’s foot length already matches yours, a bigger size just adds length. And don’t count on shoes stretching to fit.
Check the insole length in QC
QC photos show your actual pair before it ships. The size tag only shows the label, and outsole length doesn’t show the space inside. The insole gets you closer.
- Check that both shoes show the size you ordered.
- If the insole is removable, ask your agent to take it out and measure it flat from heel to toe in mm, with the tape’s zero visible.
- Compare it with the insole of a pair that fits you. No reference pair? Foot specialists suggest 3/8 to 1/2 inch (about 1 to 1.3 cm) of room in front of your longest toe, so an insole that’s barely longer than your foot is a warning sign.
- Insole glued in? Ask what they can measure instead, or go by the chart and the tag.
Extra photos and measurements can cost a bit: Superbuy’s fee page lists detailed photos as a paid extra, so ask the price first. If the size is really off, ask about an exchange before you ship. The QC photo checklist covers the rest of the pair.
Questions?
How do I convert a Chinese shoe size to US?
Read numbers like 42 as EU sizes: on one big sneaker brand’s chart, EU 42 is US men 8.5 or US women 10. Then check the listing’s own chart against your foot length.
What does 260 mean on a Chinese shoe size chart?
Under China’s national standard it means the shoe is for a 260 mm (26.0 cm) foot. A cm number copied from a sneaker tag can mean something else, so check that the column says 脚长 (foot length).
Do Chinese shoes run small?
Some do, so don’t guess. Compare your foot length with the listing’s chart, and if you’re still in doubt, size up.
Should I size up for wide feet?
Not automatically. A bigger size is also longer, which can leave your heel loose, so compare widths if the listing shows them.
How do I measure my foot for shoe size?
In the evening, stand on paper, mark your heel and longest toe and measure the distance in mm. Do both feet and use the longer one.
How much longer than my foot should the insole be?
There’s no exact rule. Foot specialists suggest about 1 to 1.3 cm (3/8 to 1/2 inch) of toe room, so an insole barely longer than your foot is a warning sign, and the insole of a pair that fits you is the best comparison.