Sneaker Size Guide for South Africa: UK, EU and US Explained

South African retailers list sneakers in UK sizing, but the shoes themselves often carry UK, EU and US markings on the same label. If you have ever ordered a UK 8 and received something that felt like a UK 9, this guide is for you.

Why South Africa uses UK sizing

South Africa inherited British shoe sizing conventions, which is why local retail runs on UK numbers. Imported stock, however, is manufactured for global distribution, so the box will usually show three or four systems at once. The UK number is the one to trust when shopping locally.

Conversion table

UK	EU	US Men	US Women	CM
5	38	6	7.5	24.0
6	39–40	7	8.5	25.0
7	41	8	9.5	26.0
8	42.5	9	10.5	27.0
9	44	10	11.5	28.0
10	45	11	12.5	29.0
11	46	12	13.5	30.0

Treat EU conversions as approximate. They vary by half a size between manufacturers, which is exactly why measuring beats guessing.

How to measure your foot properly

1. Put on the socks you would normally wear with the shoes.
2. Stand on a sheet of A4 paper against a wall, heel touching the skirting.
3. Mark the paper at the tip of your longest toe — which is not always your big toe.
4. Measure from the edge of the paper to the mark in centimetres.
5. Add roughly 0.5 cm of wiggle room, then match to the CM column above.

Measure late in the afternoon. Feet swell over the course of the day, and a shoe fitted first thing in the morning can feel tight by 4pm.

Measure both feet

Most people have one foot slightly larger than the other. Always size to the bigger foot — you can adjust a marginally loose shoe with lacing or an insole, but you cannot make a tight one bigger.

How popular models actually fit

• Air Force 1 — runs roughly half a size large. Consider sizing down if you are between sizes.
• Dunk Low — generally true to size, with a snug midfoot.
• Air Max Plus (TN) — fits snug through the toe box. Sizing up half is common.
• Air Jordan 4 — true to size for most wearers, though the lacing system is firm across the instep.
• P-6000 — true to size with a roomier forefoot than most runners.

These are general patterns reported consistently by wearers, not guarantees. Foot shape matters as much as length — a wide foot in a narrow model will feel a half size smaller regardless of the number on the box.

Between sizes? Go up

If your measurement lands between two sizes, take the larger one. A thicker sock or an insole solves a slightly loose fit. Nothing solves a shoe that is too short, and forcing it will damage both the shoe and your toenails.

If you get it wrong

RetroKicks offers 14-day returns on unworn pairs in original packaging, so a sizing mistake is not a write-off. Try them on indoors, on a clean surface, before committing.

Shop the range or read our full size guide.