I'm confused about men's shoe sizing

kbreit · Jul 2, 2012

I've been trying to update my wardrobe which means getting a couple new pairs of nice shoes for work. I went into the men's store and asked for a size 8.5. This is the same size as I've worn for years. Bowling alleys, gym shoes, even the dress shoes I have at home are 8 or so. I tried on a very comfortable pair of Johnston & Murphy shoes and I was swimming in them. They measured my foot and according to their scale, I am a 6.5 on my left foot and 6 on my right. Why the huge discrepancy between sizes?

jlewis · Jul 2, 2012

All brands are sized differently. I wear anywhere from a 6.5 to 10.5 depending on the brand.

Beatlegeuse · Jul 2, 2012

Most people find that when they wear a real dress shoe, they fit into a much smaller size than they are used to. For years I had worn size 14 Nikes, and when I started wearing nicer dress shoes, I found out my "true" size was 12.5, and I even wear a 12 in some shoes that run large.

Hayward · Jul 2, 2012

Have you lost weight recently? You feet may have shrunk.

Or maybe you have narrow feet, so you fill up a more pointed toe box?

Is AE using English sizes?

In any case, style and maker will have different fits in the same size. My RMW boot size is 9H (US 10W), But can do 9(US10, EU43) regular in Paraboot , my New Balance Sneakers are 10W, but I find my best size for Sebago boat shoes is 9.5 W, I can fit size 9 Chucks, but for Jacks I prefer 10.5.

ballmouse · Jul 3, 2012

All the sneakers I used to wear are at least half a size larger than my dress (leather) shoes.

GBR · Jul 3, 2012

This demonstrates that you should select your shoes in a shop, not from the Internet.

JustDucky · Jul 3, 2012

Quote:
Alternatively, you could buy your shoes from Mr. Porter or any of the other lovely online boutiques that offer free shipping and free returns.

I buy shoes online frequently and rarely have any trouble. In fact, I hardly ever have to return anything since so many shops specify if a style doesn't run TTS.

Quadcammer · Jul 3, 2012

jlewis said:
All brands are sized differently. I wear anywhere from a 6.5 to 10.5 depending on the brand.

I severely doubt that you range 4 whole sizes depending on manufacturer.

kbreit · Jul 3, 2012

I don't think it even comes down to brand as much as how measurements are done. I didn't even try on a 6.5 shoe to see if it fits. They measured me and it came in at 6-6.5 D.

I must look into this Mr. Porter a bit.

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I'm confused about men's shoe sizing

kbreit

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ballmouse

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