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Size Guide

Clothing & Shoes

Size Guide for Clothing and Shoes

What size do I need? This question is sometimes not so easy to answer, especially when buying online. There are international unisex sizes, European sizes and French sizes as well as UK and US sizes - to name just a few. Because it is easy to lose track of all the different numbers, we have summarized the most important information and tips for converting the most common sizes.

Clothing sizes

Very different size systems can be used for clothing. While the international unisex sizes - i.e. Small (S), Medium (M), Large (L) - are still quite easy to classify, it gets more complicated with the numbers. For example, for one woman the sizes 38, 10, 8, 42 or 40 can fit, depending on whether the European, British, American, Italian or French size is meant. Therefore, when choosing a size, you should always pay close attention to which system is used.

For comparison and conversion you can find the different size systems for women and men here. However, the tables only serve as an orientation. Depending on the manufacturer, the sizes may vary.

Size Chart  Women
EU INT UK US FR IT
34 XS 6 4 36 40
36 S 8 6 38 42
38 M 10 8 40 44
40 L 12 10 42 46
42 XL 14 12 44 48
44 XXL 16 14 46 50

 

Size Chart Men
EU INT UK/US FR IT
44 XS 34 42  34
46 S 36 44 36
48 M 38 46 38
50 L 40 48 40
52 XL 42 50 42
54 XXL 44 52 44

Special case: Pants

With pants, things can get a bit more complicated. Because the ratio of hip circumference and leg length does not always match the clothing size, a further distinction is often made here between short, normal and long sizes. For European sizes, most manufacturers halve the standard sizes (for short sizes) or double them (for long sizes). A standard size 40 thus becomes a short 20, and a long 80. Long and short sizes are also available for tops.

Alternatively, inch sizes are also used for pants. These indicate the waist circumference and the inner leg length in inches. For example, size 34/32 for men indicates that the waistband is 34 inches (~86 cm) wide and the inner leg is 32 inches (~81 cm) long. This corresponds approximately to the European clothing size 50.

Children sizes

Children
Children's sizes are based on body size (© Bergans)
Clothing sizes for children are primarily based on body size. The sizes range from 50 to 176, i.e. for children up to a height of 176 centimeters. Some manufacturers also give the age as a guideline, for example "9-12 months". However, you should bear in mind that age specifications for sizes are based on the average physique of the respective age and therefore do not fit all children.

Size Chart Kids
Body Size Age Clothing Size
to 50 cm 1 month 50
51 - 56 cm 1 - 2 months 56
57 - 62 cm 2 - 3 months 62
63 - 68 cm ca. 6 months 68
69 - 74 cm ca. 9 months 74
75 - 80 cm ca. 12 months 80
81 - 86 cm ca. 18 months 86
87 - 92 cm ca. 2 years 92
93 - 98 cm ca. 3 years 98
99 - 104 cm ca. 4 years 104
105 - 110 cm ca. 5 years 110
111 - 116 cm ca. 6 years 116
117 - 122 cm ca. 7 years 122
123 - 128 cm ca. 8 years 128
129 - 134 cm ca. 9 years 134
135 - 140 cm ca. 10 years 140
141 - 146 cm ca. 11 years 146
148 - 152 cm ca. 12 years 152
153 - 158 cm ca. 13 years 158
159 - 164 cm ca. 14 years 164
165 - 170 cm ca. 15 years 170
171 - 176 cm ca. 16 years 176


Shoe sizes

The size for shoes is usually given in EU, UK or US sizes. For ski boots there is also the Mondopoint size. The basis for all sizes are again your own measurements, so primarily the foot length.

Measuring your foot length

To determine your foot length, stand up straight on a piece of paper and draw the outline of your foot with a pencil. Then measure the distance from the heel to the tip of the foot, i.e. to the end of the longest toe.

For hiking boots, add 1.5 to 2 cm to the foot length. (© La Sportiva)
For hiking boots, add 1.5 to 2 cm to the foot length. (© La Sportiva)
To ensure that there is enough room in the shoe in the end, add about 1.5 to 2 centimeters to the length for hiking boots and running shoes. For casual shoes, an addition of 1 to 1.5 centimeters is sufficient for the inside length. The foot length with the extra clearance is called the "last length". It is different for climbing shoes. Since here there should usually be no space at the front of the toes, the foot length usually corresponds to the inside length of the shoe.

Calculating the shoe size

With the foot and last length you can now calculate your shoe size. To determine the European shoe size, multiply the last length in centimeters by the value 1.5. For example, a last length of 28 centimeters results in size 42.

For UK sizes, the last length is usually also used as a reference point. For adults, take the last length in inches, multiply it by 3, and then subtract 25. For children, you just subtract 12 instead of 25. For our example, the last length of 28 centimeters equals about 11 inches. The 11 inches times 3 is 33. When you subtract 25, you get the size 8.

Formulas for calculating the shoe size
  • EU sizes: last length (cm) x 1,5
  • UK sizes: last lenght (in) x 3 – 25 resp. for kids: last length (in) x 3 – 12
  • (Last length = foot length + 1,5 cm)

If you don't like to calculate the size yourself, you can simply use our size configurator to find the right size. Attention: These are rounded values!

25 cm
For a foot length of 25 cm we recommend EU size 40 and UK size 6

US sizes are also based on length in inches, but depending on the manufacturer, sometimes based on foot length and sometimes based on last length. The calculation is also more complicated, because there are different zero points for women, men and children. Our tip: For US sizes, just check the manufacturer's size chart. That way you can find out which size is the right one, even without having to calculate.  

Shoe Size Chart
Women Men
EU UK US EU UK US
35 2,5-3  4,5 38 5 5,5
36 3-3,5 5 39 5,5-6 6,5
37 3,5-4,5 6 40 6-6,5 7
38 4,5-5 6,5 41 7-7,5 8
39 5-6 7,5 42 7,5-8,5 8,5
40 6-6,5 8 43 8,5-9 9,5
41 7-7,5 9 44 9-10 10
42 7,5-8,5 9,5 45 10-10,5 11
43 8,5-9 10 46 11-11,5 11,5

Again, the sizes may vary depending on the manufacturer. The tables therefore only serve as orientation.

Mondopoint for ski boots

Mondopoint sizes are mostly used for ski boots. These simply correspond to the foot length and are specified in millimeters or centimeters, depending on the manufacturer. So with a foot length of 26.5 centimeters, you need size 265 or 26.5. Mondopoint sizes are usually available in 5-millimeter increments (260 / 265 / 270 / 275, etc.).

Attention: The Mondopoint size refers to the foot length and thus to the inner dimensions of the shoe. It must not be confused with the sole length! This refers to the outer dimensions of the ski boot and is needed to adjust the binding. The sole length can often be read off the outside of the boot.

Individual size charts of the manufacturers

The size charts are linked with the products
The size charts are linked with the products
Especially when buying online, it is helpful to know your own measurements. This makes it easier to choose the right size. To make sure that the selected garment or shoes fit, it is best to compare your measurements with the individual size charts of the manufacturers. After all, there are often differences here as well. The same size can be different for two brands. The respective size charts are linked to each product and are also listed in detail under the product description. There you will also find tips on how to measure correctly.

An overview of the size tables of all our brands can also be found here: >> Size charts for all brands from A to Z