Shoes are the item people most often order in the wrong size, and it is usually not the buyer's fault. A pair marked 42 by one maker can feel a full size different from another pair marked 42. The fix takes two minutes: measure your foot in centimetres once, write that number down, and order against the number instead of the size you believe you are.
How to measure your foot properly
You need paper, a pen, a wall and a measuring tape. Work on a hard floor - tile, cement or wood - because carpet lets the heel sink in and gives a short reading.
- Lay the paper flat with one short edge pushed firmly against the wall.
- Stand on it with your heel against the wall and your weight on both feet. A standing foot spreads and lengthens, which is how it will sit inside the shoe.
- Have someone mark the paper at the tip of your longest toe - for many people the big toe, for plenty of others the second toe.
- Step off and measure in a straight line from the wall edge to the mark, to the nearest half centimetre.
- Repeat for the other foot.
Two details decide whether this works. Almost nobody has two identical feet, so order for the bigger one: a roomy shoe can be settled with a thicker sock, a tight one cannot be fixed. And measure in the evening, because feet swell a little through the day and an evening figure is closer to how the shoe must feel at its worst.
UK, EU and centimetre conversion chart
These figures are approximate. Read them as a starting point for imported footwear rather than a promise, and keep your own centimetre measurement as the number you rely on.
| Foot length | UK | EU |
|---|---|---|
| 22.0 cm | 3 | 36 |
| 23.0 cm | 4 | 37 |
| 23.5 cm | 5 | 38 |
| 24.5 cm | 6 | 39 |
| 25.5 cm | 7 | 41 |
| 26.5 cm | 8 | 42 |
| 27.5 cm | 9 | 43 |
| 28.0 cm | 10 | 44 |
| 29.0 cm | 11 | 45 |
When a foot falls between two sizes
Order the larger size. A foot measuring 26.0 cm sits between UK 7 and UK 8, and UK 8 is the safer order. Spare length in front of the toes is barely noticeable and can be taken up with a sock or a thin insole; half a centimetre too little presses the toes into the front of the shoe on every step.
Socks and winter layers
Measure the foot bare, then think about what goes on it. Thin cotton socks need no allowance, but thick woollen socks, or two pairs together, take up real room. If you are buying closed shoes for cold mornings, go up to the larger size even when your measurement lands on a line. Warmth comes mostly from still air around the foot, so a shoe packed tight with sock is colder, not warmer.
Why the same marked size fits differently
Every shoe is built around a last, the foot-shaped form the upper is shaped over, and no two factories use the same one. Makers also round the conversion between systems differently, which is why 26.5 cm is called UK 8 by one supplier and UK 7.5 by another. Add the shape of the shoe itself - a pointed flat and a rounded jogger of identical internal length feel nothing alike - and the printed number cannot carry the decision alone.
This is the whole argument for centimetres. A centimetre is the same in every country and every factory, so it is the only number that travels. The pairs in our footwear collection come from several different makers, which is why each one lists the sizes it is actually available in on its own page.
Width and high insteps
Length is the number everybody checks; width is the number that causes the pain. If your feet are broad across the ball, or the top of the foot is high, a pair correct in length can still feel tight. Lace-ups and buckles can be let out, while a slip-on has a fixed opening, so for a broad or high foot go up one size in a slip-on even when the length is right. Open designs are the most forgiving: house slippers and open sandals - what most people simply call chappal - leave the sides and the top of the foot free.
Buying shoes for children
Children's feet are not simply small adult feet. They are wider in proportion, softer in the bone, and they grow in bursts rather than steadily - a child can stay in one size for eight months and then move two sizes in a season. Measure the same way, standing, both feet, and check again every two to three months while they are growing.
Please do not buy two sizes up to grow into. A shoe that is too long lets the foot slide forward on every step, bunching the toes and lifting the heel out at the back, and that is how blisters and ruined shoes happen. Roughly a thumb's width of room in front of the longest toe is right - a few months of growth, not a year of it. Our kids' footwear range is a small, focused selection, so ask us before ordering if you need one particular size.
What the product page tells you
Every pair lists the sizes it comes in and, where the maker supplies it, the inner length in centimetres - the figure to hold your own measurement against. The listing also gives the material and the closure, which both affect fit. Orders are dispatched within 1 to 2 working days, delivery usually takes 3 to 6 working days, and there is a 7-day replacement if the item arrives damaged or incorrect. For the current price, check the product page.
Frequently asked questions
My measurement is not on the chart. What should I order?
Read it against the nearest lines and round upward. A 24.0 cm foot sits between UK 5 and UK 6, so order UK 6. A 26.0 cm foot sits between UK 7 and UK 8, so order UK 8.
Can I order the size I wear in my current shoes?
Only if you know that pair fits well and came from the same maker. Otherwise, measure. People carry a size in their head from shoes bought years ago, and feet genuinely change with age and weight.
Should I measure a child's foot in the evening too?
Yes, and with their weight on it. A child is the person least likely to tell you clearly that a shoe hurts, so measuring standing, at the end of the day, takes the guesswork out.
What if the pair still does not fit when it arrives?
Message us before they are worn outside. The 7-day replacement covers an item that arrives damaged or incorrect, and for anything else we will go through what you measured and which size was right.
If you are unsure about a size, message us on WhatsApp at 0345 6650894 with your measurement in centimetres and the pair you are looking at, and we will tell you which size to order. Cash on delivery is available nationwide.