Adidas size guide: how to read 1/3 and 2/3 sizes and which size to choose

Adidas shoes use European sizing in thirds: between 38 and 39 there are 38 2/3 and 39 1/3. They aren't half sizes but steps of about 4 millimetres that come from the UK size, the real basis of the Adidas system. In this Adidas size guide you'll find the full EU, UK, US and centimetre chart, what 1/3 and 2/3 mean and how the Samba, Campus, Gazelle, Spezial and XLG fit.

What do 1/3 and 2/3 mean in Adidas sizes?

Adidas designs its shoes starting from the UK size, which goes up by half a size at a time. Converted to European sizing, each UK half size becomes a third of an EU size. That's why you see 36 2/3, 37 1/3, 38, 38 2/3 and so on.

• 36 2/3 equals UK 4;
• 39 1/3 equals UK 6;
• 42 2/3 equals UK 8.5.

If you usually wear a 39, in Adidas the choice is between 38 2/3 and 39 1/3: the chart below, with the foot length, tells you which.

How do you find the right Adidas size from your foot?

Measure your foot in centimetres from the heel to the tip of your longest toe, with your heel against a wall, and do it in the evening. Look for the row with the length that is equal or just above: that's your Adidas size. If the value falls exactly between two rows, choose the larger one.