Uk to Us Shoe Size Womens

US women's shoe sizes are 2 larger than UK women's sizes. UK 3 = US 5, UK 4 = US 6, UK 5 = US 7, UK 6 = US 8, UK 7 = US 9, UK 8 = US 10. The rule applies in half-size increments too: UK 5.5 = US 7.5, UK 6.5 = US 8.5. This is one of the cleanest size conversions in clothing because both systems use the same length-based 'last' (the foot mould the shoe is built around) and just label them differently.

Mens-to-mens UK-to-US is +0.5 (UK 8 = US 8.5), which is much closer; women's-to-women's needing the larger +2 jump comes from the historical accident of how each country numbered its first standard women's-shoe size in the early 20th century. Both systems mean the same physical foot length; the labels are just translated. The calculator handles the half-sizes automatically and gives the EU equivalent if you also need that for European brands.

EU shoe sizing uses the Paris Point system: each size is 2/3 of a centimetre. UK 6 women's = US 8 = EU 39 = 25 cm foot length. EU sizing does not use half-sizes for women's shoes (it goes 39, 40, 41); some Italian brands offer half-sizes (39.5) but these are uncommon. When buying European brands online, the EU number is usually the most reliable to use because it is more directly tied to actual foot length than the UK or US numbers.

The conversion table in the calculator includes all three (UK, US, EU) so you can cross-reference. If you are buying from a US brand that ships to the UK (Zappos, Nordstrom, certain Amazon listings), the US number is what they will use; if buying from European brands (Aldo, Mango, COS), the EU number is the cleanest reference. The [UK to EU shoe size](/uk-to-eu-shoe-size) converter handles that direction directly.

Even with a clean conversion, two pairs of women's shoes labelled UK 6 from different brands can fit differently. The 'last' (mould) varies by brand: French and Italian brands often run narrow, American brands often run wide, British brands tend to sit in the middle. Width fittings (the letter after the size: B for narrow, D for medium, EE for wide) are widely available in the US and largely absent from UK retail. If you have particularly narrow or wide feet, US brands often offer a better fit because they openly support multiple width options on the same length.

Trainers (sneakers in US English) are an exception. Nike, Adidas, New Balance and similar global brands use a 'unisex' length system where men's and women's sizes are 2 numbers apart (men's UK 6 = women's UK 8). This is independent of the country-specific sizing, which is why size charts on running-shoe sites can look confusing. Always check the brand's chart for the specific shoe; one size up or down from your usual is often the right call when starting with an unfamiliar brand.

Online ordering of US-labelled shoes from a UK address (or vice versa) is the most common reason this conversion gets searched. Three practical tips: order one size up if you usually have width issues (the standard US last is slightly wider than the UK last); check if the seller ships internationally with simple returns (Amazon and Zappos do; some smaller US brands do not); and budget for return-shipping costs even if the listing says 'free returns' (many free-returns offers are US-only).

The size conversion is the easy part; logistics usually causes more problems than the size labelling. UK customers ordering US shoes pay UK VAT (20%) plus customs duty (typically 8 to 16% on footwear) on imports above £135. This adds significantly to the headline price; factor it in before deciding the US listing is cheaper than the UK equivalent. The opposite direction (US customers ordering UK shoes) avoids customs duty in many cases under the de minimis threshold but pays state sales tax on arrival.