# Footwear sizes **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 26, 2010, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/footwear-sizes/551500 "2010-08-26T05:00:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/footwear-sizes/551500/1 "2010-08-26T05:00:46Z")
Obviously for as long as people have been wearing footwear, it has come in various sizes. But how long ago were standardized sizes established? When could you go into a cobbler’s shop and tell them you want particular footwear in a particular size? ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/footwear-sizes/551500/2 "2010-08-26T13:04:34Z")
Yes, there is an American system and European system for sizing. I don’t know how long the American measurement system has been in place. But much like women’s dress sizes, the application has changed through the years. I used to wear a 9.5 American running shoe decades ago. Then the manufacture turned to Taiwan and ultimately China. I suppose in an attempt to charge more for making bigger sizes, the marked size began to change. I got up to buying size 11 and 11.5 at times. The Chinese have seen the light and now they are more accurately marked for sale in the US market. Nothing beats actually measuring the foot at the time of shoe selection and of course trying the shoe on and testing it. This supersedes all measurement schemes. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/footwear-sizes/551500/3 "2010-08-26T15:59:48Z")
> [@Al\_Bundy](#): > > Yes, there is an American system and European system for sizing. I bought a new pair of trainers yesterday and there were no less that four different sizing systems noted on the box. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/footwear-sizes/551500/4 "2010-08-26T16:36:20Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > But how long ago were standardized sizes established? When could you go into a cobbler’s shop and tell them you want particular footwear in a particular size? In the UK, we’ve had the same shoe size system since [1324](http://www.internationalshoesizes.com/uk-shoe-sizes.htm): > [@](#): > > The British shoe sizing system was created by Edward II in 1324 and that sizing system is still used to manufacture footwear for the UK. The King’s system is based on the size of a barleycorn. > > The Romans had used the barleycorn as a measurement for years, so the King agreed that that system made perfect sense. Each barleycorn measures 1/3 of an inch and 36 barleycorns placed end to end was the size of Edward’s foot. His shoe size was labeled 12. The longest foot measured 13 inches or 39 barleycorns at that time, so it was labeled a size 13. Smaller sizes were graded down by 1/3 of an inch and marked accordingly. > > … > > The British sizing system is used throughout the UK and South Africa, the Indian subcontinent and the British West Indies. The US did use the British sizing system until the late 1890s