If there’s one single factor that comes above all others in terms of the ideal shoe, it’s the fit.

No matter how cool a shoe looks, how comfortable the insoles are, or how soft the material is, none of that matters if the shoe doesn’t fit on your foot. 

Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to find a perfect match for the size and shape of your foot. After all, each pair of shoes must conform to average size standards, while every person has completely unique feet.

It doesn’t help that many of the places you might look for shoes use different values to represent shoe sizes. If a shoe is a size 6 in your country, it might be a US size 3.5, a UK size 3, or a Euro size 35.5. Beyond international sizing conventions, different brands might even have their own methods and measurements. 

This can be especially difficult when looking for shoes outside your assigned gender, like when a woman looks for her women’s shoe size equivalent to a men’s shoe.

There can be various reasons for a woman to wear men’s shoes. For instance, men’s shoes may fit better with your foot shape or foot width. Or maybe you just like how men’s shoes look and want to incorporate those styles into your wardrobe.

Whatever your reason, it’s essential to find shoes that fit your feet just right, and the shoe experts at Kizik are here to help.

When things get tricky with shoe sizes, we’ve got your back. Our guide today is all about finding your shoe fit, and specifically how to convert your women’s shoe sizes to men’s shoe sizes.

How can you find your shoe size?

Understanding shoe sizes can get complicated. Often, different numbers mean the same measurement, and sometimes there are unspoken factors to consider.

To make this easier for you, we’ll cover the differences between the actual size notation for men’s and women’s shoes, and then we’ll talk about the width specifically, where the differences aren’t always as clear.

First, however, let’s quickly cover how to find your shoe size to ensure you are getting the right measurements.

Measuring your feet at home

One of the easiest ways to do this is to trace your foot on a piece of paper—preferably on a hard surface. From there, you can use a measuring tape or ruler to measure your foot length and width. 

You’ll want to measure the length from the heel to the tip of the longest toe. Measure the width at the widest point of your foot. This method can be much easier than trying to awkwardly position a tape measure or a ruler around your foot.

Measuring your feet at the store

You can also measure your feet at a department store. Store employees will have a variety of tools for measuring foot sizes. If you have had your feet measured in the past, those measurements will come in handy now. 

Using your measurements

Here’s where it gets a little tricky. The measurement you take won’t translate directly to an accurate shoe size for most shoe brands, at least in US shoe sizes. International sizing conventions can vary. You’ll need to use a standard shoe size chart to find your shoe size based on the measurement you took of your foot. 

For example, a foot length of 8.2 inches is actually a women’s size 4—in US sizing. Add 0.2 inches—or 8.4 total—and you’ve got a women’s size 4.5. However, a size 5 is only 8.5 inches, a mere difference of 0.1 inches. 

As a rule of thumb, each half size up is either a 0.2 or 0.1 inch difference.

Kizik shoe sizes

Here at Kizik, our shoes are carefully tested to ensure they fit true to industry standard sizing, so you can trust the standard shoe sizing guide to help you find an accurate size based on your measurement.

Remember that men’s sizes are different from women’s sizes and that unisex shoes use men’s shoe sizing. 

You can either find your women’s size and then convert to a men’s size using the method below, or use the men’s measurement chart and compare it directly to the measurement you took of your foot. 

We’ll talk more about what to do with the width you measured a little bit later, so hang tight with that number on hand.

Converting women’s size to men’s size

If you already know your women’s shoe size, this is the easiest way to get started.

In US sizing, going from women’s size to men’s size is easy. Just subtract 1.5 from your women’s size, and you have your men’s size.

For example, if you wear a women’s size 10.5, you’ll know to go for a men’s size 9. The size difference is always 1.5, but if you want to save yourself some math, you can use our handy Kizik shoe size chart.

Women’s and men’s width differences

What many people may not know is that there is also a width difference between men’s and women’s shoes.

You can compare your own foot width to the industry standard sizing charts. In the shoe industry, shoe widths range from AAA (the narrowest) to EEE (the widest). 

However, most women’s shoes have a B width, which is relatively narrow. However, most men’s shoes generally have a D width, which is relatively wide.

For women with narrow feet, fitting into standard size shoes may not be an issue for you. However, if you have wide feet, you may find that standard women’s shoes leave you with too much room around your toes while squishing the sizes of your feet.

In these cases, you may benefit from a switch to a men’s shoe size. This way, the proportions of length to width may be more suited to your feet.

In the end, men’s D width might not be much better for you compared to women’s B width, and you may have to look for specially sized shoes. At Kizik, however, we offer Wide EE fits for all your favorite women’s or men’s styles, such as our Women’s Athens shoe or the Men’s Lima shoe.

If you’d prefer to stick to women’s shoes, or men’s shoes still aren’t wide enough, then Wide EE sizes may be the perfect solution for you!

Choosing the right shoe for you

If you’ve always worn women’s shoes but have struggled to find the right fit, switching to men’s shoes could be worth a try. Be sure to measure your foot width and see if it’s close to D width, which most men’s shoes measure in at.

At the end of the day, you might just prefer the look of men’s styles, and that’s okay too! However, here at Kizik, we offer all colors for each style in men’s and women’s sizes, so you won’t have to base your choice on aesthetics alone.

Once you find the right fit for you, we’re confident our convenient slip-on shoes will keep you comfortable all day long, thanks to innovations like our HandsFree Labs® technology and Rabbit Foam™ outsoles. No more worries about trying on a shoe happily at the store, only to realize your feet are sore a few hours later!

For all things footwear, answers to footwear FAQs, and more, stay tuned right here at our Kizik blog.

Sources:
What Is the Average Shoe Size for Men? The Answer Might Surprise You | Yahoo
Shoe Width: Sizes, Measurement, Foot Issues, and Home Remedies | Healthline
The Official International Shoe Size Conversion Chart | Shoe Sizes