Size number decoder: what does size 38 mean?
Size 38 is a US women’s 7.5 shoe, a US 8 dress when the label is German, a US 6 when it is French and a US 2 when it is Italian. Enter any number to see all its meanings.
Enter a number from a label to see what it means in each size system.
How to use the decoder
- Type the number from the label or the listing, for example 38, 9 1/2 or 110. Words such as size, EU or US around the number are ignored.
- The decoder lists every system in the charts of this site that uses that number, grouped into shoes, clothing, and rings, hats and gloves.
- Pick the line that matches the product and, if you know it, the country of the seller. Open its chart to check the neighbouring sizes and the sources.
Without JavaScript the decoder is unavailable. The table below shows which numbers each system uses, and every chart is complete without JavaScript.
How the meanings are found
Every meaning comes from a chart on this site; the decoder adds no values of its own. Shoe sizes come from the foot-length formulas of the shoe charts, clothing and accessory sizes from their charts, and children’s height labels from the retailer charts on the children’s clothing page.
A number can have many meanings because the systems count different things. EU shoe sizes count steps of two thirds of a centimetre of foot length, German and French dress sizes are labels that are 26 and 28 above the UK number, a men’s jacket size is the chest in inches, and a children’s label such as 110 is a height in centimetres.
Only exact matches are listed. A shoe size of 43 has no line for EU shoes, because the men’s and women’s charts, calculated in half sizes of the US scale, contain EU 42.5 and 43.5 but not 43.
| System | Numbers | Chart |
|---|---|---|
| EU shoe size | 34 to 49 | Men's shoe sizes |
| US men's shoe size | 6 to 15 | Men's shoe sizes |
| US women's shoe size | 4 to 13 | Women's shoe sizes |
| UK adult shoe size | 2 to 14 | Men's shoe sizes |
| EU children's shoe size | 17 to 31 | Kids' shoe sizes |
| UK children's shoe size | 2 to 13 | Kids' shoe sizes |
| US children's shoe size | 2 to 13.5 | Kids' shoe sizes |
| Chinese or Korean shoe size (mm) | 220 to 300 | Chinese, Korean, Japanese shoes |
| Japanese shoe size (cm) | 22 to 30 | Chinese, Korean, Japanese shoes |
| Chinese shoe size, older scale | 34 to 50 | Chinese, Korean, Japanese shoes |
| Women's clothing, UK or Australian size | 6 to 24 | Women's clothing sizes |
| Women's clothing, US size | 2 to 20 | Women's clothing sizes |
| Women's clothing, German size | 32 to 50 | Women's clothing sizes |
| Women's clothing, French size | 34 to 52 | Women's clothing sizes |
| Women's clothing, Italian size | 38 to 56 | Women's clothing sizes |
| Men's suit or jacket, US and UK size | 34 to 50 | Men's suit sizes |
| Men's suit or jacket, European size | 44 to 60 | Men's suit sizes |
| Shirt collar in inches | 14 to 18.5 | Shirt collar sizes |
| Shirt collar in centimetres (label) | 36 to 47 | Shirt collar sizes |
| Children's clothing height label | 50 to 170 | Kids' clothing by height |
| Trouser waist in inches (W) | 26 to 44 | Waist and inseam sizes |
| US and Canadian ring size | 3 to 13.5 | Ring sizes |
| ISO (European) ring size | 44 to 72 | Ring sizes |
| Japanese ring size | 4 to 30 | Ring sizes |
| Hat size in centimetres | 53 to 65 | Hat sizes |
| US hat size | 6 5/8 to 8 1/8 | Hat sizes |
| UK hat size | 6 1/2 to 8 | Hat sizes |
| Glove size | 6 to 11 | Glove sizes |
Worked example: a label that says 38
You see a size 38 without a country. The decoder lists these meanings:
- EU shoe size 38: US women’s 7.5 or US men’s 6.5, for a foot of 24.1 cm. The older Chinese shoe scale uses 38 for a foot of 24 cm.
- Women’s clothing: German 38 is US 8 and UK 12; French 38 is US 6 and UK 10; Italian 38 is US 2 and UK 6.
- Men’s jacket: US and UK 38 is a chest of 38 inches, European 48.
- Shirt collar: a continental label of 38 is a 15 inch collar.
- Trousers: W38 is a waist of 96.5 cm.
For a dress from a French shop the French line applies: order a US 6. For a pair of trainers the shoe line applies, and the brand’s own chart decides.
Common mistakes
- Reading every European 38 as the same size. A German 38 and a French 38 differ by one dress size.
- Treating an EU label on clothing as a standard. For a UK 10, the retailer charts we checked print 36, 38 or 40 under EU.
- Reading a children’s 110 as an age. It is a height in centimetres.
- Assuming a men’s and a women’s US shoe size with the same number fit the same foot. A women’s 8 is about one size smaller than a men’s 8.
Sources and checks
The decoder uses only the charts linked below; each one lists its own sources and the date of its last check. Last checked against the sources on September 29, 2026, by building the list from the same data files as the charts.
Frequently asked questions
- What is size 38 in US size?
- It depends on the product. EU shoe 38 is US women’s 7.5 or men’s 6.5. In women’s clothing, German 38 is US 8, French 38 is US 6 and Italian 38 is US 2. A men’s jacket 38 is European 48.
- What is size 42 in US size?
- EU shoe 42 is US men’s 9.5 or women’s 10.5. In women’s clothing, German 42 is US 12, French 42 is US 10 and Italian 42 is US 6. A US men’s jacket 42 is European 52.
- Is European size 40 the same for clothes and shoes?
- No. EU shoe 40 fits a foot of about 25.4 cm, US women’s 9 or men’s 8. German women’s clothing 40 is US 10 and French 40 is US 8. The number is a different measure in each system.
- Why does the decoder find nothing for my number?
- It only knows the systems in the charts of this site. Letter sizes, Japanese women’s clothing numbers and UK letter ring sizes are not included, because we could not check a source for them.
Last updated: September 29, 2026