Men's vs Women's Shoe Sizes

The 1.5-size rule

For most performance and lifestyle brands, women's US sizes sit 1.5 sizes above men's for the same shoe length. A men's 7 = a women's 8.5. A men's 10 = a women's 11.5. The last (the mold) is the same; only the number on the label changes.

When the shoe actually differs

Some brands build genuinely different women's lasts: narrower in the heel, higher instep, softer midsole tuning for a lighter average body weight. Nike's Pegasus women's version uses a slightly different foam density than the men's. Brooks and HOKA publish gendered midsole geometry for many running shoes.

For everything else — Air Force 1s, Converse Chuck Taylors, most Vans classics — the 'men's' and 'women's' versions are identical shoes with different color runs. The 1.5-size rule converts them cleanly.

EU doesn't have this problem

European sizing describes the shoe, not the wearer. An EU 42 is an EU 42 whether the box is marketed to men or women. When you buy across gender lines in the EU, you don't have to convert — you just have to check the width, which some brands do gender differently even on shared lasts.

Buying men's shoes as a woman (and vice versa)

• Subtract 1.5 from your women's US size to get the men's equivalent.
• Add 1.5 to your men's US size to get the women's equivalent.
• For running shoes, check if the brand publishes gendered geometry; if so, prefer your gendered version.
• For lifestyle sneakers (AF1, Chucks, Vans), the shoe is the same — buy whichever colorway you want in the converted size.