Ordering shoes from China without understanding the sizing system is the fastest way to end up with an expensive box of disappointment. Chinese sizes follow a different scale than the US, EU, and UK systems you are used to, and sellers often list only one or two of them. Get the conversion right — and measure your actual foot — and you can buy with confidence.
How Chinese shoe sizing works
Chinese shoe sizes are based on foot length in millimeters or centimeters, not on an arbitrary scale like US sizes. A CN size 260 simply means a foot about 260 mm (26 cm) long. That is actually the most reliable system in the world if you know your foot length — because there is no brand drift the way US sizing drifts. The catch is that many sellers also print a US or EU number on the box, and that printed number is frequently off by a full size. Trust the millimeter, not the label.
Conversion tables
Men's shoes
| Foot length (cm) | CN | US Men | EU | UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25.0 | 250 | 7 | 40 | 6 |
| 25.5 | 255 | 7.5 | 40.5 | 6.5 |
| 26.0 | 260 | 8 | 41 | 7 |
| 26.5 | 265 | 8.5 | 42 | 7.5 |
| 27.0 | 270 | 9 | 42.5 | 8 |
| 27.5 | 275 | 9.5 | 43 | 8.5 |
| 28.0 | 280 | 10 | 44 | 9 |
Women's shoes
| Foot length (cm) | CN | US Women | EU | UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22.5 | 225 | 5.5 | 35 | 3 |
| 23.0 | 230 | 6 | 36 | 3.5 |
| 23.5 | 235 | 6.5 | 37 | 4 |
| 24.0 | 240 | 7 | 37.5 | 4.5 |
| 24.5 | 245 | 7.5 | 38 | 5 |
| 25.0 | 250 | 8 | 39 | 5.5 |
Measure your foot before you order
Stand on a sheet of paper with your heel against a wall, trace the outline of your longer foot, and measure from the heel to the tip of your longest toe in centimeters. Do it at the end of the day when your feet are slightly swollen, and add about 0.5 cm of toe room for a comfortable fit. That final number in centimeters is your CN size — a 26.5 cm foot with toe room becomes a 270, not a 265.
Wide feet, narrow lasts, and other special cases
Foot length is only half the story. Many Chinese shoes run narrow, so a 26.0 cm foot in a wide width may need a 265 or 270 just to stop pinching at the toes. If you have wide or high-arch feet, add a full extra 5 mm on top of the usual toe-room, and prefer brands or listings that note width. Reviews are your best guide here — search them for "narrow," "wide," and "true to size" before committing, because the millimeter chart cannot tell you how the last is shaped.
For slides, sandals, and loafers, sizing behaves differently again: closed-toe shoes need the most margin, while open styles are more forgiving since your foot has room to breathe. And if a listing only shows a printed US or EU size with no millimeter reference, treat it with suspicion — that printed number is the most likely thing to be wrong.
A quick note on kids and half sizes
Children's Chinese sizes also follow foot length in millimeters, but kids' feet grow fast, so add a full 1 cm of room for growth instead of the adult 0.5 cm. Half sizes are rarer in CN sizing than in US sizing, which is another reason to buy by millimeter: when there is no 7.5, you simply pick the length that matches your actual foot rather than guessing which whole size to round to.
Finally, remember that the insole length printed by some sellers measures the removable insert, not your foot. A 26.5 cm insole fits a foot around 26 cm once you account for the shoe's internal curvature. When a seller gives an insole measurement, subtract roughly 0.5 cm to estimate the foot it actually fits.
The "size up" rule, explained
Chinese-made shoes, especially sneakers and replicas, frequently run a half to full size small and narrow. The safest default is to order one size up from your usual US size unless reviews or the seller's chart clearly say otherwise. When a listing shows a printed US number, ignore it and match by foot length instead — that single habit prevents the majority of sizing disasters. For planning a full haul of shoes and clothing, the Oopbuy Spreadsheet guides and the tools at sheetquik.com help you keep every item's measurements straight before you commit.