Each shoe company has its own manner of measuring shoes. One of the popular sizing’s that many shoe stores have in the store is European sizing. For first time buyers of European size shoes, the switch can be intimidating. Buyers should not be weary though, as the switch can be explained easily and is fairly easy to remember.
The conversion between American and European sizing runs between half sizes. For example, a woman’s 4.5-5 in American sizing would be a 35 in European. Each European size continues on in this manner. The following chart explains the rest of the size conversions that we have in our stores.
| American | 4.5-5 | 5.5-6 | 6.5-7 | 7.5-8 | 8.5-9 | 9.5-10 | 10.5-11 | 11.5-12 | 12.5-3 |
| European | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 |
Among the popular brands that offered in European sizing are Dansko’s. For first time Dansko wearers, the fit can be slightly intimidating and shy the customer away; do not fear! Dansko shoes are supposed to fit like a backless clog, so the wearer’s heel will slip up and down when walking. Women LOVE the uniqueness of hand-painted Dansko’s, but if they’ve never worn them, they are unsure of the sizing and fit. There should be enough space between the wearer’s heel and the back of the shoe to place a full finger. No toes should be hitting the end of the shoe either, which means there should be space on both ends of the shoe.
Americans have a tendency to wear their shoes too tightly, which causes many foot problems. Dansko seeks to fix this problem, which may cause the shoes to seem too big. Most of us are used to shoes that hug, but the back of a Dansko clog is really there for protection, not to keep the foot inside the shoe. Along with the conversion between American and European sizing, these shoes offer new opportunities for the wearer.
Other popular brands that use European sizing are MBT (known as shape-ups) and Naot shoes.
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