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British Shoe Sizing

why4009

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Hi,

Just had a quick question. How do shoes like Church's, loakes, grenson run in size? What I mean is I understand that a UK size is the equivalent of a larger US size shoe (UK9 = US 9.5), but let say for example a loake or grenson says it is the equivalent of a 9.5, does that run true generally?

Let me rephrase (turkey coma coming on). Will a loake or grenson that says it is equal to a 9.5 US be about the same as an AE in 9.5?

I bought a pair of church's that ran a bit larger than the conversion indicated and I am trying to avoid that mistake in the future.

I read this link http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=1512 but it didn't quite help.

Thanks.

Why4009
 

Golf_Nerd

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Hmmm. I would love to solve this problem, but there is no solution. It depends on the manufacturer, the last and the pair you actually wanna buy. It is not maths, it is shoes. And they are all different!!!
 

Spirit of 69

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A quick comparison on my own feet regarding Loake sizing

My size 9 (UK) Loake Oxfords are a good fit, snug, comfortable, not too loose and not too tight. In other words just right.

My size 9 (UK) Rockport brogues are a tad roomier but not loose.

My size 9 (UK) Ecco half-brogues are like my Loakes a good fit & perhaps a tad tighter than the Loakes

My size 9 (UK) Dr. Marten Gibson shoes are also a good fit but a bit loose now after 10 years and still going strong.

So from that I can conclude that a size 9 Loake is a true size 9 in comparison to 3 other pairs of leather shoes.

However, something you need to check out is the UK - US sizing equivalents. Because I've always seen that a size 9 Uk is equivlaent to a size 10 Us not a 9 ½.
Becasue whenever I buy a pair of UK size 9 training shoes or boots of any sort it always says US 10 on the inside of the tongue........hang on..... just checking the Dr. Martens boots I'm wearing today....

Right, it says the following on the tongue, rather strange with a medium and large US size, I don't know how that system works, but here is the legend anyway:

9 UK
10 M US
43 EUR
11 L US
 

academe

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Originally Posted by Golf_Nerd
Hmmm. I would love to solve this problem, but there is no solution. It depends on the manufacturer, the last and the pair you actually wanna buy. It is not maths, it is shoes. And they are all different!!!
+100 I think you need to just try them on. I've found that Loakes tend to run large, Edward Greens on last 202 tend to run a little bit too narrowly for my feet, C&J's - their lasts generally fit my feet the best, but width and actual fit vary depend on the model ... there's just too much variation for an easy "English shoe" generalisation...
 

ManofKent

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On the lasts I've tried, Loake seem a tad larger than Grenson, but not the equivalant of a half size.
 

Edward

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I once ordered two pair of shoes in the same size and style and by the same manufacturer but different colors. The black ones fit perfectly but the brown ones pinched. Since then I don't buy shoes without trying them on first, even if it involves missing nice shoes that can only be gotten (by me) online.
 

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