There are various systems of shoe sizes in use nowadays—designed,
perhaps, to deceive those with vanity afflicted who will insist they can
wear a smaller size than they can wear—or should wear. So if one asks
for 6½A he can depart in peace and comfort wearing 40–1, or 185, or
28–1, or otherwise as the system may be.
Yet for that matter an 8½A by one maker may not be 8½A in some other
maker’s shoes, although both use the old numbering system, as many still
do.
The best known of the “blind numbering systems” is that known as “French
Sizes” and corresponds thus:
Size 1 1½ 2 2½ 3 3½ 4 4½
Written 33 33- 34 34- 35 35- 36 36-
5 5½ 6 6½ 7 7½ 8 8½
37 37- 38 38- 39 39- 40 40-
9 9½ 10 10½ 11 11½ 12 12½
41 41- 42 42- 43 43- 44 44-
13 13½ 14 12 13½
45 45- 46 45 45-
A dash indicates half sizes.
Widths A B C D E EE
Written 0 1 2 3 4 5
In marking, the size is first written, then the width, close together;
thus 37–0 means 5½A, 40–1 means 8B, etc.
Another widely used system is more obvious, in that ½ is the decimal .5
without the decimal point, thus:
Size 1 1½ 2 2½ 3 3½ 4 4½ 5
Written 1 15 2 25 3 35 4 45 5
5½ 6 6½ 7 7½ 8 8½ 9 9½
55 6 65 7 75 8 85 9 95
10 10½ 11 11½ 12 12½ 13 13½ 14
10 105 11 115 12 125 13 135 14
Widths A B C D E EE
Written 1 2 3 4 5 6
In marking, the width is written first, so that 1½A is 115, 4½C is 345,
etc.
A third system has a valueless figure prefixt thus:
Size 1 1½ 2 2½ 3 3½ 4
Written 21 21- 22 22- 23 23- 24
4½ 5 5½ 6 6½ 7 7½
24- 25 25- 26 26- 27 27-
8 8½ 9 9½ 10 10½ 11
28 28- 29 29- 210 210- 211
11½ 12 12½ 13 13½
211- 212 212- 213 213-
The dash indicating the half sizes.
Widths AA A B C D E EE
Written 00 0 1 2 3 4 5
Or
1 2 3 4 5
In marking, the widths are written last, thus 22–0 means 2½A, 281 means
8B or 8A.
A system largely used in marking men’s shoes consists in letting the
last figure indicate the width and dividing the first figure or figures
by 2 to obtain the size, thus:
Size 1 1½ 2 2½ 3 3½ 4 4½
Written 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
5 5½ 6 6½ 7 7½ 8 8½
10 11 12 12½ 14 15 16 17
9 9½ 10 10½ 11 11½ 12 12½
18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Widths A B C D E EE
Written 1 2 3 4 5 6
Thus size 7½A is written 151, size 8B is written 162, and so on.
Another system, and one that is used by the Douglas Shoe Co., has the
width written first, and the size next, a third figure being used to
indicate whether a whole or half size is meant, thus:
470 means width 4 or (D) size 7
345 means width 3 or (C) size 4½
This system retains the regular size numbers from 1 upward, the whole
number being indicated by 0 and a half size by 5 added as the third
figure. After size 9½ four figures are used, the two middle ones
indicating the size. Widths are designated thus:
Width A B C D E EE W
Written 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Doubtless, like in all things else, woman was at the bottom of the
invention of these systems, which were fittingly applied first of all to
woman’s shoes, but nowadays they are quite universal. Hence he is a
happy man whose shoes fit and who knows it.
Shoe sizes for the various ages are usually divided thus:
Infants’, 3 to 8
Children’s, 8½ to 12
Misses’, 12½ to 2
Ladies’, 2½ to 6
Youths’, 12 to 2
Boys’, 2½ to 6
Men’s, 6 to 14
while widths are clast
A or 1 narrow
B or 2 medium narrow
C or 3 medium
D or 4 wide
E or 5 extra wide
EE or 6, widest usually made
W or 7 exceptionally wide.