Which Shoe Brands Run Big or Small in Pakistan?

A Nike EU 42 is marked UK 7.5. An Adidas EU 42 is marked UK 8. Same EU number, half a UK size apart. If you shop by your PK or UK size, that half size is the difference between a shoe that fits and one that does not — and it is why the same person can be a PK 7.5 in Nike and a PK 8 in Adidas.

We checked this against 3,119 pairs of men's shoes we have listed, recording the EU and UK sizes printed on each one. The pattern is consistent, and it matches what the brands publish in their own size charts.

Which brands run big or small in Pakistan?

The table shows the UK size printed alongside each EU marking, for the brands we stock most. The small grey figure is how many pairs out of the total agreed — so 74/85 means 74 of 85 Nike EU 42 pairs were marked UK 7.5.

Men's sizes. A dash means we have not handled enough pairs of that brand in that size to say. Brands in the shaded rows mark a lower UK number for the same EU.

What this means when you buy

The brands split into two groups at the same EU marking:

Nike, Under Armour and Asics mark half a size lower

A Nike EU 44 carries UK 9. An Adidas EU 44 carries UK 9.5. So if you know you are a PK 9 and you have been buying Nike, an Adidas in the same PK number will be a slightly bigger shoe than you are used to.

Adidas, Puma, Reebok and New Balance sit half a size higher

These four are consistent with each other across every size we checked. If you move between them, your UK or PK number stays the same.

The practical rule: your EU size is the one that travels between brands with the least surprise. Your UK or PK number is not — it shifts by half a size depending on who made the shoe.

Why do brands differ if the EU size is the same?

Every brand builds its shoes on its own last — the foot-shaped mould a shoe is made around — and publishes its own conversion chart. There is no authority forcing Nike and Adidas to agree on what EU 42 means in UK terms, so they do not. The EU number is closer to a true measurement, because it comes from the Paris point system, where each size is two thirds of a centimetre of foot length. UK sizing is older and less standardised, which is where the drift comes from.

This is also why a shoe that fits you in one brand can feel wrong in another at the same marked size, even before you consider width and shape.

How to get your size right

1. Measure your foot in centimetres

This is the only figure that does not change between brands. Stand on paper, mark heel and longest toe, measure the distance, and add about half a centimetre for comfort.

2. Convert from centimetres, not from your old UK size

Our shoe size conversion chart and calculator converts between EU, UK, PK, USA and centimetres for both men's and women's shoes.

3. Read the size on the listing itself

Every pair we sell is a single pre-loved pair, and each listing states the EU, PK, UK and USA sizes taken from that individual shoe. Where a brand differs from the general chart, the listing is the one to trust.

Does this apply to women's shoes too?

Yes, but less sharply. Across 304 pairs of women's Nike, Nike marks about a quarter of a size lower than average, while Skechers marks about half a size higher. The sample for most women's brands is smaller than for men's, so treat the men's table as the firmer guide and check the individual listing.

Shop by brand

Every pair below is pre-loved, photographed individually, and available as a single pair in a single size. New to buying used footwear? Read buying pre-loved shoes in Pakistan first.

Nike · Adidas · Puma · Asics · New Balance · Skechers · Reebok · Under Armour · Brooks · Hoka

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