A man's shoe size can vary by height, age and country. So calculating an average size is not very easy, but there is data on it.
Male shoe sizes
The average men's shoe size can vary greatly. Length, age and even location play a major role. Usually, height and shoe sizes are in line with each other. Thus, tall men often have larger feet and vice versa. However, this does not always have to be the case and location can also play a role.
For example, a report by the American Academy of Orhopaedic Surgeons (2014) found that the average shoe size for a male worldwide is between US9 and US12. In European sizes this is between size 43 and 46. In contrast, the institute measured shoe size 44 (US10) as the average shoe size for men in America.
However, it is important to note that the data from these organisations comes from certified companies, but there is no scientific data on them.
Average shoe size Netherlands
In the Netherlands, the average shoe size of men has also been attempted to be calculated. In 2015, shoe brand Sacha came up with data obtained from customer data of 77,000 customers (NU, 2015). With this data, the company calculated an average per province and came to the conclusion that the province of Drenthe had the largest average shoe size.
The residents from Drenthe would have an average shoe size of 43.08, according to the Sacha report. The men from Overijssel followed and had an average shoe size of 43.04. Groningen shared the third spot with size 43.02. At the bottom of the list were the Brabanders with an average of 42.87.
The overall average in the Netherlands is therefore around 43. This is in relation to the average height of the Dutch male, which is 182.9 cm in 2020 (CBS), fairly normal.
The Largest Shoe Sizes Ever
The man with the largest shoe size ever measured was Robert Wadlow from Illinois. Wadlow was 2.72 metres tall and had a shoe size of 37AA. Converted into European sizes this is size 75. In 2015, the largest shoe size went to Jeison Orlando Rodríguez Hernandez, from Venezuela. This man had US size 26.
On the other hand, women's largest shoe sizes. Julie Felton from England was named the woman with the biggest feet in 2019. Felton wore shoes in men's size 15.5 US. Converted, this is size EU 49.5 which is very unusual for women.
Size ranges per sneaker brand
Nowadays, the size ranges for men's shoes often go up to US size 13 or 14. Nike and adidas, on the other hand, also have larger sizes for athletes. Both brands offer shoes in US size 21 or 22. Timberland also has a wide range and sells boots in US size 18.
The smallest men's size that these brands often offer is US size 5 (37 EU). Of course, for smaller feet, there is also the option to look at the children's section or at the unisex pairs. The sneakers for men from Converse, can also start from US size 3, as well as at adidas. At Nike this range starts at shoe size 4 (US).
At present, Rodríguez Hernandez still retains the title of the world's largest feet. Whether this can be surpassed in the future is a good question.
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