EU to US Men's Shoe Size Conversion
| EU | US |
|---|---|
| 40 | 7 |
| 40.5 | 7.5 |
| 41 | 8 |
| 41.5 | 8.5 |
| 42 | 9 |
| 42.5 | 9.5 |
| 43 | 10 |
| 44 | 10.5 |
| 44.5 | 11 |
| 45 | 11.5 |
| 45.5 | 12 |
Sizing conventions vary by brand and by cut — this table shows the standard published conversion. Always check the garment's own size chart when one is available. See how these tables are compiled.
Reading a continental size for an American order
A EU men's shoe size is a Paris-point measurement — two-thirds of a centimetre per point — while the US scale is an arbitrary half-size run with no shared unit underneath it. Converting EU to US is a genuine cross-unit translation, and because the two scales don't share a ratio, a EU size sometimes converts to a US number that falls between two half sizes a retailer actually stocks.
US retailers generally carry a wider run of half sizes than most EU brands do for menswear, particularly at the small end (US 6–7) and large end (US 13+), so a EU size converting near either extreme is more likely to need rounding to the nearest size the US retailer's own run actually includes.
US width options open up on the American side
Where continental European shoemakers mostly build a single width per size, American dress-shoe brands commonly offer a width letter — C or D standard, E and EE wide — alongside the length. Someone converting a EU size who has always worn a single-width European shoe may not know their US width at all; if the shoe matters, it's worth measuring foot width in addition to length rather than assuming standard (D) width by default.
The safer route for a first US order
Convert your EU size to an estimated length in inches, then check it against the specific US brand's own chart — and if the brand publishes width options, measure your foot's actual width rather than guessing, since continental sizing doesn't give you a width reference point to convert from.
Buying secondhand or vintage complicates it further
European dress shoes bought secondhand or from an older collection can predate a brand's more recent last updates, meaning the printed EU size might convert differently than the same brand's current-season equivalent would. If you're converting a EU size from a vintage or resale listing rather than a current retail chart, treat the standard table as a looser starting point and rely more heavily on any stated insole length than on the size number alone.
Frequently asked questions
Is a EU 42 always a US 9?
It's the published pairing, but because the underlying step sizes don't divide evenly into each other (see below), that pairing is really one common rounding choice, not the only mathematically correct one — a different brand's last can round the identical EU 42 to a US 8.5 instead.
What US width should I choose if I've only ever worn EU sizing?
Standard (D) width is the default assumption, but if you know your foot runs wide, measure it directly — continental EU sizing doesn't carry a width designation to convert from the way US sizing does.
Why does my EU size sometimes fall between two US half sizes?
EU Paris-point increments and US half-size increments aren't built on the same ratio, so a straight conversion doesn't always land cleanly — retailers round to the nearest half size they carry.
Are US retailers more likely to stock my converted size at the small or large end of the range?
US brands generally carry a broader run of extreme sizes (very small or very large) than typical EU brands, so conversions near those ends are more likely to need rounding to what's actually in stock.
Does buying a secondhand or vintage EU-sized shoe change how I should convert?
Yes — older stock can predate a brand's last updates, so the printed EU size may not convert the same way the brand's current collection does. Rely on a stated insole length over the size number where one is given.