Korean Shoe Size Converter

The conversion is easier than it looks because the Korean number already tells you the most useful thing — your foot length. Find your KR (mm) figure in the first column of the chart above and read straight across, or divide the millimetres by ten to get your foot length in centimetres and match that in the "Foot (cm)" column. On the women's chart a KR 240 lines up with a US 7.5; a KR 250 sits at a US 8.5 (UK 6.5, EU 38–39); and a KR 255 reads across to a US 9, UK 7 and EU 39. The men's scale runs about one and a half US sizes lower for the same length, so a KR 270 reads as a men's US 9.5–10 rather than the women's number.

Two habits keep this accurate. First, always convert from your measured length, not from a US size you think you are — rounding errors compound when you hop between systems. Second, treat the EU column as Paris-point sizing, which advances in two-thirds of a centimetre rather than half-sizes, so some KR values map to an EU range such as "38-39" rather than a single number. For the full background on how Korean retail settled on millimetres and why the same number suits men, women and children, see our in-depth guide to Korean shoe sizes.

Korean and Japanese sizing share one logic and differ in one detail: both quote the length of your foot, but Korea uses millimetres while Japan uses centimetres. That makes the conversion between them trivial — shift the decimal point. KR 250 is JP 25.0, KR 240 is JP 24.0, and KR 265 is JP 26.5. There is no half-size offset or gender adjustment to apply between the two, because the underlying measurement is identical; only the unit on the label changes.

This matters most when you cross-shop Asian listings. A trainer sold on a Korean storefront might show 270, the identical pair on a Japanese site shows 27.0, and a reseller might quote the foot length as 27 cm — all three describe the same shoe. Knowing they are interchangeable stops you second-guessing a listing or paying for a return. If a Japanese seller lists only centimetres and you have memorised your Korean number, divide by ten and you are done; reverse it to go the other way.

Korean marketplaces and homegrown brands almost always list footwear in millimetres, which is good news: you can order against your own measurement instead of guessing at a foreign US or EU equivalent. Measure your longer foot at the end of the day, when it is at its largest, and record the length in millimetres. Korean sizing advances in 5 mm steps, so if your foot falls between two sizes — say 252 mm, between KR 250 and KR 255 — choose the nearest 5 mm step and round up rather than down. A few extra millimetres of toe room are far more comfortable than a shoe that pinches.

Remember that these conversions are approximate and that the last — the internal shape a shoe is built around — varies by brand and even by model. A running shoe cut for a narrow foot will feel different from a chunky lifestyle trainer at the same KR number, so check each product's own size notes and reviews before committing. When a Korean listing offers a half-step or a brand-specific chart, lean on your measured millimetre length as the deciding figure, and use the chart above only to sanity-check the US, UK or EU label you might be more familiar with.