Paris Point Shoe Sizing Explained
Paris Point is the EU shoe sizing unit. 1 Paris Point = 6.67mm. EU shoe size 42 = 42 × 6.67 = 280mm foot length. Origin of the EU shoe scale you see on every shoe label.
The Chart
| EU (Paris Points) | Foot Length (mm) | US Men | US Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 233 | 3 | 4.5 |
| 36 | 240 | 4 | 5.5 |
| 37 | 247 | 5 | 6.5 |
| 38 | 253 | 5.5 | 7 |
| 39 | 260 | 6.5 | 8 |
| 40 | 267 | 7.5 | 9 |
| 41 | 273 | 8 | 9.5 |
| 42 | 280 | 9 | 10.5 |
| 43 | 287 | 10 | 11.5 |
| 44 | 293 | 10.5 | 12 |
| 45 | 300 | 11.5 | - |
| 46 | 307 | 12.5 | - |
Notes
The Paris Point came from 1830s French shoemakers using the barleycorn (1/3 inch) as a length unit. Standardized at 6.67mm in 1887. EU 42 just means 42 Paris Points worth of foot length. Same system used by Italy, Germany, Spain — entire EU shoe industry.
FAQs
Paris Point vs UK barleycorn?
Same origin (1/3 inch unit) but different scaling. UK barleycorn = 8.46mm; Paris Point = 6.67mm. UK shoe size 8 ≠ EU 8. EU shoe sizing is finer-grained, allowing more precise fit.
Why isn't Paris Point used in US?
US adopted Brannock device sizing in early 1900s — a different scale based on inch + 1/3 inch increments. Brannock and Paris Point are unrelated systems for the same body part.
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