Why your usual size is the wrong starting point
Sizing systems are not conversions of each other. UK sizing is built on barleycorns — a third of an inch — starting from a different zero point than US sizing, which is why the offset between them is not constant across the range. EU sizing uses Paris points, two-thirds of a centimetre. Chinese listings mostly quote the EU number but the factory works to a millimetre last.
Every time you convert between two of these you round, and rounding errors compound. Going from UK to US to EU to a Chinese listing can drift a full size. Starting from your actual foot length in millimetres skips all of it, and millimetres are what the factory is working to anyway.
Model-specific adjustments
These are not conversion errors — they are real differences in how each last is cut, and they apply to the retail shoes too.
| Model | Adjustment | Why |
|---|---|---|
| adidas Samba, Gazelle, Campus | Down half a size | Narrow last, low volume. Wide feet should stay true and expect snug. |
| Yeezy Boost 350 | Up half a size | Runs short; the Primeknit gives width but not length. |
| Nike Air Force 1 | Down half a size | Runs roughly half large, consistently. |
| Air Jordan 1 | True to size | Reliable. The toe box is roomy but the length is honest. |
| Nike Dunk | True to size | Slightly narrower than AJ1 through the midfoot. |
| New Balance 9060, 2002R | Down half a size | NB runs generous in length across the range. |
| Football boots | True, but measure | Boots are cut close by design. Half a size out is not tolerable here. |
Clothing sizes run smaller, and by a lot
Chinese apparel sizing is cut for a different average build. As a rough starting point a Chinese L sits around a Western M, and a Chinese XXL around a Western L — but the offset is inconsistent between categories and between factories, so it is a starting point rather than a rule.
The reliable approach is to ignore the letter entirely and work from the measurement table in the listing. Nearly every Taobao and Weidian listing includes one, giving chest, shoulder, sleeve and length in centimetres per size. Measure a garment you already own, lay it flat, and compare against that table.
- Tops — chest measured flat armpit to armpit, and shoulder seam to seam. These two do most of the work.
- Hoodies and outerwear — check body length as well; Chinese cuts often run shorter in the torso than the equivalent Western size.
- Trousers — waist flat and inseam. Listed waist measurements are frequently relaxed rather than actual.
- Jerseys — usually cut closer than the official retail version. Most buyers size up one.
Checking size after the parcel arrives at the warehouse
Once your order reaches the agent's warehouse you get QC photos, and that is your last chance to catch a sizing problem while returning it is still cheap. Ask for a photo of the box label and the size stamp inside the shoe, and check both against what you ordered — a mismatch between the two is a common warehouse error and easy to spot.
The QC checklist covers what else to look at in that photo set. If something is wrong, rejecting it at the warehouse costs a return shipping fee inside China. Discovering it after international shipping costs the whole freight charge.