India Uses UK Sizing
India follows the British (UK) shoe sizing system. If a shoe sold in India is labelled “size 8,” that is a UK 8 — which equals US Men's 9 (not US 8). This is one of the most common sources of confusion for shoppers converting between Indian and American sizes.
The formula is UK/India = 3 × foot (inches) − 23, the same barleycorn-based system used in the UK, Australia, and South Africa. Key offsets: US Men's = India + 1, US Women's = India + 2.
Indian brands like Bata, Woodland, Liberty, Metro, and Khadim's typically use UK/India sizing on their labels. Some Indian e-commerce sites also list US and EU equivalents — always check which system is displayed.
India (UK) Men's Size Chart
| India/UK | US Men's | EU | JP/MX | CN | cm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 7 | 39 | 24.5 | 39 | 24.6 |
| 6.5 | 7.5 | 39 | 25 | 40 | 25 |
| 7 | 8 | 40 | 25.5 | 41 | 25.4 |
| 7.5 | 8.5 | 41 | 26 | 42 | 25.8 |
| 8 | 9 | 41 | 26 | 42 | 26.2 |
| 8.5 | 9.5 | 42 | 26.5 | 43 | 26.7 |
| 9 | 10 | 43 | 27 | 44 | 27.1 |
| 9.5 | 10.5 | 43 | 27.5 | 45 | 27.5 |
| 10 | 11 | 44 | 28 | 46 | 27.9 |
| 10.5 | 11.5 | 45 | 28.5 | 47 | 28.4 |
| 11 | 12 | 45 | 29 | 48 | 28.8 |
| 11.5 | 12.5 | 46 | 29 | 48 | 29.2 |
| 12 | 13 | 46 | 29.5 | 49 | 29.6 |
India (UK) Women's Size Chart
| India/UK | US Women's | EU | JP/MX | CN | cm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 5 | 35 | 22 | 34 | 22 |
| 3.5 | 5.5 | 36 | 22.5 | 35 | 22.4 |
| 4 | 6 | 36 | 23 | 36 | 22.9 |
| 4.5 | 6.5 | 37 | 23.5 | 37 | 23.3 |
| 5 | 7 | 38 | 23.5 | 37 | 23.7 |
| 5.5 | 7.5 | 38 | 24 | 38 | 24.1 |
| 6 | 8 | 39 | 24.5 | 39 | 24.6 |
| 6.5 | 8.5 | 39 | 25 | 40 | 25 |
| 7 | 9 | 40 | 25.5 | 41 | 25.4 |
| 7.5 | 9.5 | 41 | 26 | 42 | 25.8 |
| 8 | 10 | 41 | 26 | 42 | 26.2 |
| 8.5 | 10.5 | 42 | 26.5 | 43 | 26.7 |
| 9 | 11 | 43 | 27 | 44 | 27.1 |
Worked Examples
- India 8 (men's) → US Men's 9: foot = 26.2 cm. Add 1 to India/UK for US Men's.
- India 5 (women's) → US Women's 7: foot = 23.7 cm. Add 2 for US Women's.
- India 10 (men's) → EU 44: foot = 27.9 cm. EU = 1.5 × 27.9 + 2 = 44.
Common Mistakes
- Treating India sizes as US sizes: India/UK 9 = US Men's 10, not US 9. This is the most common mistake.
- Using a different offset for women: India/UK to US Women's is +2, not +1.
- Assuming all Indian brands use UK sizing: A few brands list EU numbers. If the label says “42,” it is EU, not India/UK.
Enter your India/UK size in the shoe size converter (the “UK / India” field) to see US, EU, Japan, and China equivalents.