23 Mexico Shoe Size In Us

What "23 cm" Really Means on a Shoe Tag

You've probably been there — you're eyeing a pair of shoes online, and the size chart just says "23." No unit. In practice, no conversion hint. On top of that, just the number, sitting there like it's supposed to mean something obvious. It doesn't, unless you already know that 23 on a Mexican shoe tag almost always means 23 centimeters of foot length, not a US size 23 (which would be enormous and basically non-existent for adult footwear).

In Mexico, the standard way to size shoes is by centimeters, measured from heel to longest toe. It's metric, it's straightforward, and once you've worn Mexican-sized shoes for a while, the system feels pretty natural. Because of that, the catch? If you're trying to buy from a US-based store — or vice versa — you have to translate. And that's where things get a little fuzzy, because there's no single perfect formula.

So a "23" Mexican shoe size isn't really a "size" in the way Americans think of sizes. That's why a length. It's a measurement. The number tells you the foot, not the shoe.

How Mexican Sizing Compares to US Sizing

Here's the thing most conversion charts get wrong: they act like shoe sizing is a clean math problem. Consider this: it's not. It never has been. Different brands fit differently even within the same country, and the relationship between centimeters and US sizes shifts depending on whether you're looking at men's, women's, or kids' footwear.

That said, a 23 cm foot in US sizing lands somewhere around a women's 5 to 5.5, give or take. For men, it's roughly a 4 to 4.5. And for kids, well, 23 cm is quite large for a child — that's typically a big kid or early teen range, depending on the brand.

But I want to be careful here. Here's the thing — exact conversions vary between brands. A Nike and a New Balance might put a 23 cm foot in slightly different US sizes, because the lasts (the foot-shaped molds shoes are built around) aren't identical. So when you see a chart that says "23 cm = US women's 5," treat that as a starting point, not gospel.

If you're shopping and the only size listed is "23," and you're used to US sizing, your best move is to measure your foot in centimeters, then check the specific brand's size guide. Don't trust a generic chart over a brand's own guide.

Why the Confusion Exists in the First Place

Shoe sizing systems are kind of a mess globally. The US uses its own bracket, the UK uses another, Europe uses Paris points (which happen to align with centimeters but not perfectly), Japan uses centimeters too, and Mexico follows a similar centimeter-based system with some local variation.

The US system is what's called a "mondopoint-adjacent" system — it started from barleycorns (an old English unit) and grew from there, which is why a US men's 9 has basically nothing to do with 9 inches or 9 centimeters. It's an inherited quirk, not a logical one.

So when someone searches "23 Mexico shoe size in US," they're usually doing one of three things:

• Buying shoes from a US store while living in or traveling from Mexico
• Gifting shoes to someone in Mexico and trying to convert their known US size back to centimeters
• Comparing a shoe they found on a Mexican site to a US version

The real frustration isn't the conversion itself. It's the lack of a reliable standard across the brands you actually want to buy from.

How to Actually Convert (And What to Watch For)

Let's get practical. If you have a 23 cm foot, here's the rough breakdown:

• US Women's: around 5 to 5.5
• US Men's: around 4 to 4.5
• UK: around 2.5 to 3
• EU: around 36 (sometimes listed as 36.5)

These are approximations based on standard charts. The variance comes from how each brand interprets the foot measurement and builds the shoe around it.

The "Two Sizes Up, One Down" Trap

Some old-school advice says to just add or subtract sizes between systems. " That kind of math works in narrow ranges but falls apart at the edges — and 23 cm is one of those places where the math gets sloppy. Like, "add 30 to your EU size to get US men's.Now, don't rely on a single formula. Always cross-check with a real measurement.

Kids' Sizing Is a Whole Different Animal

If 23 cm is for a kid, you're probably looking at a youth size 5 or 6 in US kids' sizing. But here's where it really matters: kids' feet grow fast, and the way brands mark sizes varies wildly. Even so, a "23" in a kids' shoe from one Mexican brand might fit differently than a "23" in another. Always check if the brand specifies whether the size is for a child, youth, or adult foot.

Common Mistakes People Make With This Conversion

Assuming the Conversion Is the Same for All Brands

It's not. Day to day, a 23 cm foot might be a US 5 in one brand and a 5. 5 in another. Even so, even within the same brand, different shoe models (say, a running shoe vs. a dress shoe) can fit differently at the same nominal size.

Confusing Mexican Sizing With EU Sizing

They're close but not identical. EU sizes are based on Paris points (a 2/3 cm increment), so a "36" EU corresponds to about 24 cm. So 23 cm is often labeled as EU 36, but you might see EU 36.5 to 23 cm depending on the brand. Wait — that's off. EU 36 is roughly 22.Mexican sizing sticks closer to the raw centimeter measurement, so a 23 cm foot is just a 23. In practice, 5 in some brands. Let me correct that. The two systems align, but they don't always match label-for-label.

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Forgetting That Width Matters Too

Length isn't everything. That's why if you have a wider or narrower foot, a 23 cm length with a wide last might feel completely different from a 23 cm length with a narrow last. US brands especially vary on width — some offer multiple width options, others don't. Mexican brands often don't mark width at all, which is one of the more annoying gaps in the system.

Trusting AI-Generated Conversion Charts

A lot of those "size converter" tools online give confident answers that are slightly off. But be skeptical. Both are wrong for most brands. 5. Also, i've seen charts claiming 23 cm is a US women's 6, and others saying US women's 4. Use the chart as a starting point, then confirm with the actual brand.

What Actually Works When You're Stuck Between Systems

Measure your foot properly. Stand on a piece of paper, mark the back of your heel and the tip of your longest toe, then measure the distance in centimeters. Do this at the end of the day when your foot is slightly swollen — that's when shoes actually need to fit.

Always check the brand's specific size guide. Most decent shoe brands — whether they're selling in Mexico, the US, or both — have a size chart on their site. Find it. Use it. It's the only conversion that actually matters for that shoe.

Read the return policy before you buy. Especially if you're ordering online across borders. If the fit is off, you want to know you can send them back without a fight.

When in doubt, size up slightly rather than down. A slightly too-big shoe is easier to fix (insert, thicker sock) than a too-small one (blisters, crushed toes, returning the pair). Half a centimeter of extra room is usually fine.

Ask the seller directly. If you're buying from a smaller Mexican shop online and the listing only says "23," message them. Ask if it's Mexican-standard, EU, or something else. Most sellers will tell you, and many will convert to US sizing if you ask nicely.

FAQ

Is a 23 Mexican shoe size a US 6?

Probably not. 5. For most brands, a 23 cm foot converts closer to a US women's 5 or 5.But it depends on the brand, and 23 cm is right at the edge where small measurement differences shift the US size noticeably. So 5, and a US men's 4 to 4. Check the specific brand's size chart.

Are Mexican and EU shoe sizes the same?

Roughly, but not exactly. Both are metric-based, and a 23 cm foot is usually labeled as a 36 in both systems. That said, EU sizing follows a stricter formula (Paris points), while

Mexican sizing tends to be more variable, with some manufacturers rounding up or down depending on the style. Athletic shoes in Mexico often run about half a size smaller than their EU equivalents, so a 23 cm foot might be a 35.5 in some European athletic brands. Always verify per brand.

Do kids' sizes use the same conversion?

No, children's sizing is its own beast. Worth adding: ) rather than precise centimeters, and US kids' sizing uses a different scale than US adults. Mexican kids' sizes are often labeled by age (2, 4, 6, etc.If you're shopping for a child, don't assume adult conversions apply — look for a dedicated kids' size chart.

What if my foot is between sizes — 22.5 cm or 23.5 cm?

You're in the most common fitting headache there is. 5 cm to a women's US 5 and 23.For 22.5 cm to a women's US 6, but individual styles vary. Most brands round 22.Now, 5 cm, shoes with a narrower last will usually fit better than wide-cut ones. For 23.5 cm, you have slightly more flexibility, but watch for brands that run small in specific models (pumps and dress shoes especially).

Why is there no universal size standard?

Because the foot is complicated. Length, width, arch height, instep volume, toe shape — they all matter, and no single number can capture all of it. Different countries prioritized different aspects (length in Mexico and Europe, heel-to-toe length in the US, foot width in UK standards), which is why we ended up with this mess. The ISO has tried to standardize things, but adoption has been slow, especially outside of Europe.

Final Thoughts

Shoe sizing is one of those things that feels like it should be simple and just isn't. A 23 cm foot in Mexico will usually be a 36 in Europe, a 5 or 5.In real terms, 5 in US women's, and a 4 to 4. 5 in US men's — but those numbers shift depending on the brand, the style, and the last. The most reliable approach is the least glamorous one: measure your foot, check the brand's specific chart, and read the return policy before clicking buy.

The conversion tools online are fine as a first pass, but treat them as a starting point, not gospel. Still, the more you shop across borders, the more you'll develop a feel for which brands run true, which run large, and which ones seem to be making up numbers entirely. That intuition, built over time, is more useful than any conversion chart.

And if you're ever truly stuck, just ask. Most sellers, whether in Mexico City or online, would rather answer one quick question than deal with a return.