Converse Shoe Sizing Guide: Do They Run Small?
Converse run very small — the Chuck Taylor All Star is famously about a full size small — so the usual starting point is a full size up from your usual US size. The classic Chuck is a narrow, unsupported canvas shoe with no arch support, so most buyers check a full size up and add an insole for comfort.
Across our data Converse runs small: 65% of wearers report it runs small, 25% true to size and 10% large.
Converse sizing philosophy
The Chuck Taylor All Star is a nearly century-old basketball shoe whose last has barely changed: a narrow, flat, unstructured canvas upper over a thin rubber sole with effectively no arch support. That heritage is the whole story of its fit — it was never graded to modern lifestyle expectations, so it runs both small and narrow by today's standards, and the canvas offers no stretch to compensate.
Converse itself recommends sizing down on the classic Chuck because of how it is labelled, but real-world fit reports point the other way for comfort: most wearers find a full size up gives the toes and the ball of the foot the room the narrow last denies them. The Chuck 70, a premium reissue, is built a touch fuller and with more cushioning, so it fits closer to true than the standard All Star.
How Converse models differ
There is no single "Converse size" — different lines are graded on different lasts. Here is how the key models compare:
- Chuck Taylor All Star (classic)
- The runs-very-small benchmark: narrow last, no arch support. Size up a full size and expect to add a supportive insole.
- Chuck 70
- A fuller, better-cushioned reissue that fits closer to true — many buyers go half a size up rather than a full size.
- One Star / lifestyle suede
- Slightly more structured than the canvas All Star; read it as its own fit, generally a half-to-full size up.
Practical sizing advice
If you normally wear US 9, start by checking the classic Converse Chuck Taylor around US 10 — and consider US 9.5 for the roomier Chuck 70.
If your feet are wide
Converse are standard width only and cut narrow, with no wide grade. Wide feet should reach for the fuller Chuck 70 over the classic All Star, size up, and budget for an aftermarket insole to replace the flat, unsupportive footbed.
If you wear US 9, start by checking Converse in US 10
This table starts from the US size you wear in a true-to-size brand, converts it to a foot length, and applies Converse's measured fit so you can see the first size to check — plus the UK, EU and CM equivalents.
| You normally wear (US) | Foot length | Check Converse (US) | UK | EU | CM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US 7 | 246mm | US 8 | 6 | 37 | 24.5 |
| US 8 | 254mm | US 9 | 7 | 38 | 25.5 |
| US 9 | 262mm | US 10 | 8 | 39 | 26 |
| US 10 | 271mm | US 11 | 9 | 41 | 27 |
| US 11 | 279mm | US 12 | 10 | 42 | 28 |
| US 12 | 288mm | US 13 | 11 | 43 | 29 |
EU sizes are always rounded to a whole size — there is no exact half-size equivalent. The recommended Converse size applies this brand's average fit; individual models still vary, so check the model notes above.
Full Converse size conversion
For the complete Converse size chart with US, UK, EU and CM by foot length, the reported-fit distribution and our sources, visit the Converse brand hub.