US to Korea Women's Shoe Size Conversion
| US | Korea (mm) |
|---|---|
| 5 | 220 |
| 5.5 | 225 |
| 6 | 230 |
| 6.5 | 235 |
| 7 | 240 |
| 7.5 | 245 |
| 8 | 250 |
| 8.5 | 255 |
| 9 | 260 |
| 9.5 | 265 |
| 10 | 270 |
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.
A finer-grained version of the same idea as Japan
Korean women's shoe sizing, like Japanese sizing, measures actual foot length rather than using an arbitrary running number — but where Japan sizes in whole and half centimetres, Korea sizes in millimetres, giving a finer-grained scale (230mm, 235mm, 240mm) than either the US or Japanese systems. Converting a US size to Korean sizing means estimating a length in millimetres from a US number that was never built around a length in the first place.
Because Korean retailers step in 5mm increments, a converted US size sometimes lands between two Korean sizes rather than squarely on one — in that case Korean shoppers and cross-border buyers generally round up rather than down, since a slightly loose length is easier to live with than a slightly short one.
Korean lasts and Western feet
Korean domestic brands frequently cut lasts for a narrower, lower-volume foot shape than mainstream US brands, particularly through the instep. A US shopper converting into Korean sizing for the first time may find the millimetre length correct but the shoe snugger overall than a US shoe of the 'same' converted size — a last-shape difference on top of the length conversion, not a flaw in the table.
Buy to the millimetre, not the converted step
Because Korean sizing is a direct length measurement, measuring your own foot in millimetres and buying to that number is more reliable than converting your US size twice removed. If a Korean brand publishes width or instep notes, check them — the length conversion alone doesn't capture a narrower Korean last the way a direct measurement plus the brand's own fit notes will.
K-fashion imports and grey-market sizing
A lot of Korean footwear reaches US shoppers through resellers and marketplaces rather than the brand's own storefront, and those listings don't always carry a reliable US-size conversion — some resellers convert loosely or copy a generic chart that doesn't match the specific shoe. Where possible, buy from the brand's own site or an authorized retailer with its own published US or cm chart rather than trusting a marketplace listing's converted size at face value.
Buying from a Korean retailer for the first time
Korean online marketplaces vary more in chart consistency than long-established Japanese retailers do, since much of the recent growth in Western interest has come through newer, fast-growing sellers — checking that specific seller’s own millimetre chart, not just this general conversion, is worth the extra step.
Frequently asked questions
Is Korean shoe sizing the same as Japanese sizing?
Similar in concept — both measure actual foot length rather than using an arbitrary scale — but Korea sizes in millimetres (e.g. 235mm) in 5mm steps, while Japan sizes in whole/half centimetres, so the two aren't interchangeable without their own conversion.
What if my converted US size falls between two Korean sizes?
Round up to the next 5mm Korean size rather than down — a slightly loose length is more comfortable to live with than a slightly short one, and Korean lasts already tend to run narrow through the instep.
Why do Korean shoes sometimes feel narrower than US shoes in the same converted length?
Korean domestic brands commonly cut lasts for a lower-volume foot shape, especially through the instep, so a correct millimetre length can still feel snugger than an equivalent US shoe.
Should I trust the converted US size on a Korean marketplace listing?
Be cautious — resellers don't always convert accurately or consistently. Where available, buy from the brand's own site or an authorized retailer with its own published chart instead.