What Size Sneakers Should I Buy? Men's Shoe Sizing Guide (2026)
Your US size is only half the answer. The other half is the size run printed on the shoe you are actually buying.
Last updated: September 2026
Buy the sneaker size that matches your measured foot length in centimetres, and round up to the next half size if you fall between two. A foot measuring 26.7 cm is a US 9, a UK 8.5 and a EU 42.5. That conversion is stable. What is not stable is the size run, because some sneakers are made in every half size from 6.5 to 14 and others jump straight from 8 to 9. Measuring takes a minute and saves the return.
In this article
- How to measure your foot in one minute
- US to UK to EU to cm conversion chart
- Why the size run matters more than the conversion
- Width, the size nobody checks
- How the material changes what you should order
- Best for you, at a glance
- Frequently asked questions
How to measure your foot in one minute
Put a sheet of paper flat against a wall. Stand on it in the socks you will wear, heel to the wall, weight on the foot. Mark the paper at the tip of your longest toe, which is not always the big toe. Measure from the wall edge of the paper to the mark in centimetres. Do both feet and use the larger number.
Measure in the late afternoon. Feet swell across a day, and a shoe fitted to a morning foot is the one that feels tight by six o'clock. If your measurement lands between two sizes, take the larger.
US to UK to EU to cm conversion chart
Men's sneaker sizing runs on foot length. This is the conversion to use when a shoe is listed in a system you do not think in.
| US (men's) | UK | EU | Foot length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 5.5 | 39 | 24.1 cm |
| 6.5 | 6 | 39.5 | 24.4 cm |
| 7 | 6.5 | 40 | 25.0 cm |
| 7.5 | 7 | 40.5 | 25.4 cm |
| 8 | 7.5 | 41 | 25.7 cm |
| 8.5 | 8 | 42 | 26.0 cm |
| 9 | 8.5 | 42.5 | 26.7 cm |
| 9.5 | 9 | 43 | 27.0 cm |
| 10 | 9.5 | 44 | 27.3 cm |
| 10.5 | 10 | 44.5 | 27.9 cm |
| 11 | 10.5 | 45 | 28.3 cm |
| 12 | 11.5 | 46 | 29.2 cm |
| 13 | 12.5 | 47 | 29.8 cm |
| 14 | 13.5 | 48 | 30.8 cm |
Two notes. UK sizes sit roughly half a size below US men's sizes, so a US 10 is a UK 9.5, and men who assume the two match order a full size small. EU sizing follows neither cleanly, so trust the centimetre column.
Why the size run matters more than the conversion
Here is the part most sizing guides leave out. Every Adam & Westcott sneaker is listed in US men's sizing, but the sizes actually made differ from shoe to shoe. Knowing you are a US 8.5 does not help if the shoe is built in whole sizes only.
| Sneaker | Size run (US men's) | Half sizes | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urban Oxford Sneakers | 6.5 to 14 | Every half size | $39.99 |
| Wide Fit Walking Shoes | 6.5 to 14 | Every half size | $49.99 |
| Wide Toe Knit Sneakers | 6 to 14 | Half sizes to 12.5 | $44.98 |
| Genuine Leather Sneakers | 6 to 11 | Every half size | $59.99 |
| Airstride Breathable Trainers | 5.5 to 14.5 | Whole sizes only in the middle | $59.99 |
Read that last row carefully. The Airstride Breathable Trainers run 5.5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 14.5, so there is no 8.5 and no 10.5. If you measure to a half size, order the next whole size up. Half an inch of extra toe room is a shoe you wear all day. Half an inch less is one you stop wearing.
The Genuine Leather Sneakers stop at US 11, so a man measuring 28.3 cm or more wants the Urban Oxford Sneakers or the Wide Fit Walking Shoes, both of which run to a US 14.
Our best selling sneaker, built in every half size from US 6.5 to 14 in black, white, khaki and grey.
Width, the size nobody checks
If your measured length is right and the shoe still pinches across the ball of the foot, the problem is width, and sizing up is the wrong fix. A full size up buys width by making the shoe too long, so your heel lifts and your foot slides forward into the toe box. You get the cramped toes you were trying to avoid.
Buy the shape instead. The Wide Fit Walking Shoes and the Wide Toe Knit Sneakers are cut with a broader forefoot and toe box at your true length. Order your measured size in either.
A roomier toe box in a stretch knit upper, US 6 to 14 in black, white and light green. Take your measured size.
How the material changes what you should order
Uppers behave differently once you wear them, and that changes how much room to leave on day one.
Knit and mesh uppers, like the Wide Toe Knit Sneakers and the Airstride Breathable Trainers, have give from the first wear and relax further over the first week. Buy them to your measured size. Do not buy them snug expecting them to stretch into shape, because the give is in the upper, not in the sole length under your foot.
Leather is different. The Genuine Leather Sneakers use a real leather upper that moulds to your foot over roughly two weeks of regular wear, easing across the widest part without gaining length. Buy leather to your measured size too, and expect the first few wears to feel firmer than knit.
What no upper does is get longer. Length is set by the sole, which is why the centimetre measurement is the number that matters most.
A real leather upper in black, grey, khaki and coffee, US 6 to 11. Take your measured size and let the leather do the shaping.
Best for you, at a glance
- Best if you measure to a half size: the Urban Oxford Sneakers at $39.99, every half size from US 6.5 to 14.
-
Best if you wear a US 12 or larger: the
Airstride Breathable Trainers at $59.99, which run to a US 14.5. -
Best if the width is the problem: the
Wide Fit Walking Shoes at $49.99, US 6.5 to 14. - Best if you want the shoe to mould to you: the Genuine Leather Sneakers at $59.99, US 6 to 11.
Frequently asked questions
What size is a 27 cm foot in men's sneakers?
A 27.0 cm foot is a US 9.5, a UK 9 and a EU 43. If the shoe is made in whole sizes only, order the 10.
Should I size up in sneakers?
Not by default. Size up only in two cases: your measurement falls between two sizes, or the shoe is not made in your half size. Sizing up for comfort alone gives you a shoe your heel lifts out of.
Are US and UK sneaker sizes the same?
No. UK men's sizes run about half a size below US men's sizes, so a US 10 is a UK 9.5 and a US 8 is a UK 7.5. Treating them as identical is the most common ordering mistake.
What if my two feet are different sizes?
Measure both and buy for the larger foot. A slightly roomy shoe on the smaller foot is solved with a thicker sock or an insole. A shoe too short on the larger foot cannot be fixed.
What should I order if the shoe has no half sizes?
Go up to the next whole size, never down. On the Airstride Breathable Trainers, which jump from 8 to 9 and from 10 to 11, a man measuring to an 8.5 should order the 9 and take up the extra room with a proper pair of socks.
Once the size is settled, the fit still has to be checked. Read How Should Sneakers Fit? A Men's Sizing Guide and, if width is your recurring problem, Shoes for Wide Feet: The Men's Buying Guide.
Getting the rest of the fit right matters just as much. See What Size Belt Should I Buy? Men's Belt Sizing Guide and How Long Should Men's Shorts Be? A Length Guide.
Order once, in the right size
Every size run listed in US men's sizing, from a 5.5 to a 14.5.
Shop men's sneakers →Free shipping on orders over $99.