As you can imagine this is a question I get asked a lot and I'll try my best to answer it here. The short answer is that it could be either and is completely dependent on whether manufacturers decide to round their sizes up or down. Most commonly a UK 5 will be referred to as an EU 38.
What is a size 38 in UK shoes?
The majority of the shoes available in the UK are made in EU sizes. This is then converted into the equivalent UK size. The issue here is that these sizing systems aren't directly comparable. The exact dimensions of a UK 5 (measured by foot length) as defined by ISO 19407 is 237.06mm, whereas an EU 38 is 240mm. As you can see, a UK 5 is actually slightly smaller than an EU 38.
| UK |
Foot Length (mm) |
EU |
|
233.3
|
37
|
5
|
237.06
|
|
|
240
|
38
|
Additionally, to accommodate a foot length of 237.06mm (UK 5), the shoes internal length (or length of the last) would need to be between 244-256. The individual manufacturer will use this information to decide upon the appropriate size and/or conversion to use that will best suit their customer.
Click here and let us help you measure your feet
The individual product pages will offer the sizes stated by the manufacturer and we will regularly update these pages with our own sizing suggestions. However, my best advice is to just try them. We offer free UK delivery and hassle free returns.
