Sizelane

Do shoes run big or small? What 16 brands say about their own fit

16 of the 107 brands on this site say in their own pages how their shoes run. Converse says its Chucks run large and Allbirds says the Tree Runner runs small. Vans, Nike and adidas do not say, and 46 of the 59 brands that print the size in cm list a men's US 9 as exactly 27 cm.

By Sizelane · Published 2026-11-01 · Numbers computed from the official charts on this site

What brands say about their own fit

The third column is our summary of each brand's statement; follow the link for its wording.

BrandIn shortWhat the brand says (our summary)
ConverseRuns largeChuck Taylor All Star and Chuck 70 run large. Source
ConverseRuns largeWomen's Chuck Taylor styles (Platform, Lift, Lugged) run large; Converse recommends a half size down. Source
VEJADepends on the modelSeveral models carry their own advice, e.g. Salar, Rio Branco, SDU, Dekkan and most running styles run small (order one size up), while the sandals run large (order one size down). Source
AllbirdsRuns smallThe Tree Runner tends to run small; Allbirds recommends sizing up from your usual size. Source
ReebokDepends on the modelClub C shoes run narrower, so Reebok recommends sizing up half a size; other ranges are true to size. Source
Steve MaddenDepends on the modelExact measurements vary by style; some styles may run smaller or larger than the regular sizing. Source
Rothy'sDepends on the modelFit differs by style: the fit guide lists each style as true to size, or recommends half a size up or down. Source
Xero ShoesDepends on the modelThe page also lists model-specific advice, e.g. size down half a size in the Tari II. Source
BlundstoneTrue to sizeBlundstone boots fit true to size; if you prefer a wider fit, choose a half size up. Source
MerrellTrue to sizeMerrell says its products, including hiking boots, tend to fit true to size; product-page size charts and reviews give model-specific feedback. Source
Dr. MartensTrue to sizeFit varies by silhouette, but most styles run true to size; check the fit notes on each product page. Source
KizikTrue to sizeKizik says its shoes are tested to fit true to industry-standard sizing. Source
OOFOSTrue to sizeOOFOS says it runs true to size: if you wear a whole size in another brand, order the same whole size. Source
SorelTrue to sizeMost SOREL items run true to size, but some styles fit differently. Source
TOMSTrue to sizeTOMS says its shoes run true to size; if you are between sizes, choose the smaller one because they stretch slightly as they break in. Source
TecovasTrue to sizeAdult boots fit true to standard US shoe sizes, measured on the Brannock Device; order what you would normally order. Source
Johnston & MurphyTrue to sizeJohnston & Murphy says this footwear fits true to size and to size up when between sizes. Source

Brands that do not say

On the pages we read, these brands explain how to measure and what to do between sizes, but not whether their shoes run big or small. This is what they print for a men's US 9. The two kinds of length are about one size apart, so compare like with like.

BrandUS men's 9 lists
Vans27 cm size in cm
Nike26.2 cm measured foot length
adidas26.3 cm measured foot length
New Balance27 cm size in cm
PUMA27 cm size in cm
Under Armour27 cm size in cm
UGG27 cm size in cm
DC Shoes27 cm size in cm

Do Vans run big or small?

Vans does not say on the pages we read. Its chart lists a men's US 9 as 27 cm. Vans labels that column foot length; we class it as a size in cm because its numbers sit on that scale, where most brands also print 27 cm. So the chart gives no sign of Vans being longer or shorter than those brands. It says nothing about the shape of any Vans model.

Converter result for Vans US men's 9 showing 27 cm and the same length at other brands
Vans US 9 in the converter: most brands in this list print the same 27 cm, though their US and UK labels do not always match. Open this example

Do Converse run big? Here the chart agrees

Converse says so, and it publishes two charts that show it. Its standard men's chart lists US 9 at 27 cm and UK 8. Its Chuck Taylor All Star and Chuck 70 chart lists US 9 at 27.5 cm and UK 9. For women's Chuck styles such as the Platform and Lift, it recommends a half size down.

Do Nike shoes run small?

Nike does not say. It lists 26.2 cm as the measured foot length for US 9, a little under the 26.35 cm median of the 24 charts that print one. Its advice is about what to do between sizes.

What charts can show: the spread on paper

Among those 24 charts, a men's US 9 runs from 25.9 cm (Crockett & Jones) to 26.7 cm (OluKai), a difference of 8 mm.

Converter result for a 26.5 cm foot listing the closest size in many brands
A 26.5 cm foot in the converter. Each brand's closest size is shown with the difference in mm. Try it with your foot length

What to do with this

Sources

Size data: the source register, read with the method described here.

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