Outback Traders Australia — Fitting Room
Boot & Shoe Sizing
Most of the boots we stock are marked in US sizes — which is why an Aussie size 9 reaches for a box that says 10. Here's how to find your size in centimetres, convert it properly, and know a good fit when you feel one.
Read This First
Why the box says a different number
Ariat, Corral, Circle G, Durango, Georgia, Rocky, Roper and Wrangler are all American brands, and their boots are marked in US sizes. Australian and UK men's sizing runs one full size smaller than US for the same foot — so an Australian men's 9 is a US 10, and the box will say 10.
Women's is messier. Australian women's footwear is sometimes marked to US sizing and sometimes to UK sizing, and those are two sizes apart. Two pairs both labelled "8" can be two different boots. Our American western brands use US women's sizing, which is what our chart below shows.
The rule that never lets you down
Centimetres don't care what's printed on the box. Measure your foot once, write the number down, and match it to the cm column every time you shop. Everything else is a conversion — the cm is the fact.
Quick Converter
Your foot length, your sizes
Enter your longest foot's length in centimetres to see your size across AU, US, UK and EU.
Step One
Measure your feet properly
- Measure late in the day, in the socks you'll actually wear with the boots. Feet swell as the day goes on — a morning measurement runs small, and small is the mistake you can't fix.
- Stand on a sheet of A4 against a wall, heel touching the skirting, full weight on that foot. Have someone mark the tip of your longest toe — which isn't always the big toe.
- Measure heel to mark in centimetres. Do both feet. Nearly everyone has one slightly longer, and you fit to the bigger one.
- Measure the width across the ball of the foot at its widest point. Broad feet want a wider fitting, not a longer boot.
The Charts
Conversion charts — AU first
Your AU size leads each chart, with the US size beside it so you know what to expect on the box. Match the centimetre column first and the rest follows.
Men's
| Foot (cm) | AU / UK | US (on the box) | EU |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24.8 | 6 | 7 | 40 |
| 25.4 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 40.5 |
| 25.8 | 7 | 8 | 41 |
| 26.2 | 7.5 | 8.5 | 42 |
| 26.7 | 8 | 9 | 42.5 |
| 27.1 | 8.5 | 9.5 | 43 |
| 27.5 | 9 | 10 | 44 |
| 27.9 | 9.5 | 10.5 | 44.5 |
| 28.3 | 10 | 11 | 45 |
| 28.8 | 10.5 | 11.5 | 45.5 |
| 29.2 | 11 | 12 | 46 |
| 30.1 | 12 | 13 | 47.5 |
| 31.0 | 13 | 14 | 48.5 |
Men's AU and UK sizes are the same number. AU + 1 = US.
Women's
| Foot (cm) | AU / US | UK | EU |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22.1 | 5 | 3 | 35.5 |
| 22.5 | 5.5 | 3.5 | 36 |
| 23.0 | 6 | 4 | 36.5 |
| 23.4 | 6.5 | 4.5 | 37.5 |
| 23.8 | 7 | 5 | 38 |
| 24.2 | 7.5 | 5.5 | 38.5 |
| 24.6 | 8 | 6 | 39 |
| 25.1 | 8.5 | 6.5 | 39.5 |
| 25.5 | 9 | 7 | 40 |
| 25.9 | 9.5 | 7.5 | 40.5 |
| 26.3 | 10 | 8 | 41 |
| 27.1 | 11 | 9 | 42.5 |
Our American western brands mark women's boots to US sizing, and AU follows it. If you've bought Australian or British women's footwear marked in UK sizes, your number there will be two lower — check the cm column, not the memory.
Kids'
| Foot (cm) | AU / UK | US | EU |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16.5 | 9 | 10 | 27 |
| 17.1 | 10 | 11 | 28 |
| 18.1 | 11 | 12 | 30 |
| 19.1 | 12 | 13 | 31 |
| 19.7 | 13 | 1 | 32 |
| 20.6 | 1 | 2 | 33 |
| 21.6 | 2 | 3 | 34 |
| 22.2 | 3 | 4 | 36 |
| 23.2 | 4 | 5 | 37 |
| 24.1 | 5 | 6 | 38 |
Growing feet: allow about a thumb's width (1–1.5 cm) in front of the longest toe. US kids' sizing restarts at 1 after 13 — that jump is normal, not a typo.
Width fittings
Australian shoes are usually sold in one standard width, so the American letter system catches people out. If the ball of your foot feels pinched, change the letter — don't go up a length, or you'll get a boot that's too long and still too tight.
B
Narrow in men's; the standard fitting in most women's boots.
D
The standard fitting in men's boots; a wide fitting in women's.
EE
Wide in men's. The one to try if a D pinches across the ball.
Not All Boots Fit Alike
Sizing by what you're buying
Western & cowboy boots
No laces, so the fit comes from the shape of the boot. Most people take a half size down from their sneaker size, since athletic shoes are cut roomy. Snug instep, toes free.
Work & endurance boots
Size for the sock you'll wear on site — usually a thicker one, which can mean a half size up from your dress fit. If you need certified safety footwear for work, check the boot carries the Australian/New Zealand safety standard marking (AS/NZS 2210) rather than assuming a work-styled boot qualifies.
Hiking & outdoor
Allow a little more length than you would in a western boot — feet swell on long descents and toes shouldn't touch the end. Thick socks on when you measure and when you try.
Casual & urban shoes
Closest to your everyday size. If you're between sizes, take the larger for anything you'll wear all day standing.
Riding boots
A snugger fit than you'd wear walking — a loose heel in the stirrup is unsafe. Fit for the boot to hold your foot, not to leave growing room.
Kids'
Measure every few months, not every few years. A thumb's width in front of the toe means room to grow without tripping.
The Feel
How a western boot should fit
A cowboy boot feels different to anything else in your wardrobe, and the things that would worry you in a lace-up are normal here. Three checkpoints:
- The instep is the anchor. The top of your foot should feel firmly, comfortably held. A loose instep means the boot is too big, whatever the toes are telling you.
- Heel slip is normal — and expected. A new boot's stiff sole lets the heel lift 5–10 mm as you walk. It disappears as the sole flexes. No slip in a brand-new boot usually means it's too small.
- The ball of your foot sits at the widest part of the sole. Forward of that point, size up; behind it, size down. Toes wiggle freely and never touch the end.
Leather stretches wide, never long
Good leather gives a few millimetres across the width as it breaks in and moulds to your foot. It will never grow in length. Get the length right on day one and let the width settle over a fortnight of wear.
Between sizes?
Take the half size down for a snug riding fit, or your usual size with a thicker sock for work and winter. Still unsure? Ring us on (03) 8592 9115 with your foot length in centimetres and the style you're after — fit varies by brand and last, and we know how each of ours runs.
Breaking them in
- Wear them inside for an hour or two a day for the first week — carpet keeps the soles clean and the boots returnable if the size isn't right.
- Thick socks and movement do more than any gadget. The vamp creases where your foot flexes.
- A quality leather conditioner after the first few wears keeps the vamp supple while it moulds.
- Struggling to get them on? A boot jack for removal and a pair of pull hooks save both the heel counter and your patience.
Still not sure? Get fitted properly.
Come see us at 477 Maroondah Hwy, Ringwood — open daily 10am–5pm — and try the brands side by side. Ordering online? We'll check the fit of any style before you buy: (03) 8592 9115 or sales@outbacktraders.com.au. And if it's not right, exchanges are easy within 30 days.