Footwear serves many functions: they protect our feet, they cushion our body weight, and they make our feet feel great and comfortable. Finding the right shoes and making sure they fit properly is important for keeping your feet and body happy. While poorly fitting shoes can cause a plethora of foot problems, we reviewed the sizing of two popular sneaker brands on the market: Vans sizing compared to Converse.
Vans Sizing Compared to Converse: Overview
Known for their minimalist versatility, and excellent comfort level, Vans is one of the biggest brands in the world, certainly among the most iconic shoes around. In fact, Vans have been constantly copied but never beaten on their comfort, style, and durability.
Since their first outlet in the ’60s, the design has remained relatively unchanged, proving their popular status and timelessness among skate communities and beyond. So whether you’re buying this for the first time, here’s a quick comparison review about all you need to know concerning Vans styles, fit, and how they compare to their direct counterpart: Converse.
The converse is undoubtedly one of the most iconic and unmistakable brands in the shoe industry. Offering some of the most beloved silhouettes ever made, you can easily find a pair. We’ve developed a quick comparison review to make sure your Converse fits well and also to see how the converse size chart holds up against other popular sneaker brands like Vans.
How Do Vans Fit?
Do Vans run big or small? Contrary to most other brands, Vans fit true to size. That means whatever your normal size is in regular shoes, you can possibly wear them in Vans. To make sure these shoes stay on your feet, Vans slip-on styles are designed to be a little smaller but quickly loosen and stretch to a perfect fit.
Also, Vans are Unisex. All Vans styles are unisex and can be worn by anyone. All the sizing are unisex for the core styles, although designs such as platform shoes may specify gender as the sizing may fit smaller or not run certain sizes. One thing we recommend is that if you’re true to size, simply go for the bigger and try an insole to pack the shoe out.
While Vans mostly run true-to-size in women’s sizes, we’ve seen sneakers run big in men’s sizes. To ensure that you get the accurate size from the start, we suggest measuring your foot length before referring to the size chart below.
| US | UK | EU | Inches | Centimeters |
| 3 ½ | 2 ½ | 34½ | 8.46 | 21.5 |
| 4 | 3 | 35 | 8.66 | 22 |
| 4 ½ | 3 ½ | 36 | 8.86 | 22.5 |
| 5 | 4 | 36½ | 9.06 | 22.5 |
| 5 ½ | 4 ½ | 37 | 9.25 | 23 |
| 6 | 5 | 38 | 9.45 | 23.5 |
| 6 ½ | 5 ½ | 38½ | 9.65 | 24 |
| 7 | 6 | 39 | 9.84 | 24.5 |
| 7 ½ | 6 ½ | 40 | 10.04 | 25 |
| 8 | 7 | 40½ | 10.24 | 25.5 |
| 8 ½ | 7 ½ | 41 | 10.43 | 26.5 |
| 9 | 8 | 42 | 10.63 | 27 |
For the best result, measure your feet by standing on a piece of paper with your heels up against the wall. Mark the end of your toes and manually measure this length for a clear idea of what size you’re. Having said that, now let’s turn our focus to Converse shoe size.
Do Converse Run True to Size
Unlike Vans, Converse sizing is quite unique and sneaker-specific. Converse standard sneakers are meant to run true to size, be sure to check the size chart associated with every product to guarantee a comfortable fit.
Converse usually fit bigger than average shoes. Reading on their site, the brand states that Converse fit a half size bigger, but people often choose to go down a full size, especially those who wear a larger size.
Before you start measurements, put on the type of socks you’re planning to wear with your converse sneakers. We suggest measuring feet in the afternoon as feet tend to swell throughout the day. Check that your weight is evenly distributed when measuring.
Again the best way to find your Converse is by practically measuring your foot. Stand on a piece of paper straight against the wall. Mark the top of your foot and the back and then measure the length between these two lines.
Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars
The Chuck Taylor All-Star is one of the most popular sneakers on the market and has been around for quite so long. Initially offered in the hi-top and low-top silhouettes, the converse has expanded their designs and now you can find them in any color you may think of. For the sizing, Converse states all of their CT All-Stars are unisex, meaning whatever the size is, you will find the exact size for that specific pair.
However, we’ve seen reports that Chuck Taylor All-Stars run a half-size larger compared to normal shoes. That means if you’re a men’s size 11, you might want to choose 10.5. While this seems obvious at first, we found exceptions in several different sizes offered. Check through the Standard Unisex sizing below.
| UK | EU | US Men | US Women | Length (Centimeters) |
| 3 | 35.5 | 3 | 5 | 21.5 |
| 4 | 37 | 4 | 6 | 22.4 |
| 5 | 38 | 5 | 7 | 23.2 |
| 6 | 40 | 6 | 8 | 24.5 |
| 8 | 42.5 | 8 | 10 | 26.2 |
| 9 | 44 | 9 | 11 | 27 |
| 10 | 45 | 10 | 12 | 27.9 |
| 11 | 46.5 | 11 | 13 | 28.7 |
| 12 | 47.5 | 12 | 14 | 29.6 |
Chuck Taylor All Star Size Chart
| UK | EU | US Men | US Women | Length (Centimeters) |
| 3 | 35 | 3 | 5 | 21.5 |
| 4 | 36.5 | 4 | 6 | 22.4 |
| 5 | 37.5 | 5 | 7 | 23.2 |
| 6 | 39 | 6 | 8 | 24.1 |
| 7 | 40 | 7 | 9 | 24.9 |
| 8 | 41.5 | 8 | 10 | 25.8 |
| 9 | 42.5 | 9 | 11 | 25.8 |
| 10 | 45 | 11 | 13 | 28.3 |
| 12 | 46.5 | 12 | 14 | 29.1 |
The Bottom Line
Both Vans and Converse brands shoes are said to run true to size. Those looking to get a pair of Converse brand shoes or Vans shoes are urged to try them on before purchasing. If you know what size you usually wear and are interested in a pair of these brands, consider trying both the whole and half size down to see what size fits you better.