What Is Mondopoint?
Mondopoint is a shoe size that is simply the foot length in millimetres, defined by ISO 9407 and built from two measurements, length and width. A size written 260/95 means a 260 mm foot at a 95 mm ball width, though most labels show only the length. Because it names the foot rather than a scaled number, Mondopoint is the base every other system converts from. Several countries run their own foot-length standards that look like Mondopoint but differ in the detail, and those differences explain why national charts disagree.
How Mondopoint Works
The Mondopoint system uses two numbers: foot length and foot width, both measured in millimeters. For example, a size "260/95" means:
- 260: foot length of 260mm (26cm)
- 95: foot width of 95mm at the widest point
Most consumer applications only use the length measurement, expressing it as a simple number like "260" or "26.0".
Where Mondopoint Is Used
Ski Boots
Ski boots universally use Mondopoint sizing. When buying ski boots, you'll see sizes like 24.5, 26.0, 27.5, which are foot lengths in centimeters (Mondopoint divided by 10).
Military Footwear
NATO and many national militaries use Mondopoint for standardized boot sizing across international forces.
Ice Skates & Inline Skates
Many skating brands use Mondopoint-based sizing for precise fit, essential in performance equipment.
Safety Footwear
Industrial and safety boots often use Mondopoint to ensure proper fit across international workforces.
Mondopoint against the conversion table
Every row is measured from foot length, so the millimetre column is the anchor and the rest convert from it. Read down the millimetre column to your own foot length rather than guessing from a national size.
| Mondopoint (mm) | EU | US Men | US Women | UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 240 | 37.5 | 6 | 7 | 5 |
| 250 | 39 | 7 | 8 | 6 |
| 260 | 41 | 8 | 9 | 7 |
| 270 | 42 | 9 | 10 | 8 |
| 280 | 44 | 10 | 11 | 9 |
| 290 | 45 | 11 | - | 10 |
| 300 | 47 | 12 | - | 11 |
Japan looks like Mondopoint but is not
Japanese sizes are given in centimetres and appear identical to Mondopoint, yet they are defined differently. JIS S 5037:1998 sets the size as foot length in half-centimetre steps, but the labelled shoe already includes about 1 cm of toe allowance, so a shoe marked 23.0 cm measures near 24 cm inside. Pure Mondopoint carries no such allowance. That built-in centimetre is why a Japanese size cannot be converted to EU by simple arithmetic, and why JP-to-EU charts from different sellers disagree.
GOST, the post-Soviet foot-length size
The former Soviet standard GOST 11373-88, in force since 1990 and based on ISO 3355, sizes shoes by foot length in millimetres at a 5 mm step, with a 7.5 mm step for some heavy and military footwear. The metric number, 270 for a 270 mm foot, is still stamped inside East European shoes next to the EU size. It is a true foot-length system, close in spirit to Mondopoint, and a reliable cross-check when an EU label is ambiguous. Russian clothing follows a separate GOST rule, half the bust in centimetres, set out in Russian and post-Soviet sizes.
China runs three systems at once
China has moved through several foot-length standards, and older and newer ones still coexist on marketplaces. The current standard, GB/T 43293-2022, took effect in 2023 and keeps the Mondopoint millimetre base, replacing the 1998 edition. Alongside it survive an older domestic scale and a "world" millimetre notation. The old scale relates to length as old equals twice the centimetre count minus ten, so an old 40 is a 25 cm foot, and the newer number is that length back again. A shopper reading a Chinese listing may meet any of the three, so the millimetre length is the safe common ground.
Korea and the clean millimetre scale
Korea labels shoes in millimetres in 5 mm steps and uses one scale for everyone, with no men's or women's offset. A Korean box reads 255 for a 255 mm foot. Like GOST, it is a foot-length system in practice, which makes Korean and Japanese millimetre labels the easiest starting point for a precise conversion, once the Japanese toe allowance is accounted for.
Why EU sizes drift from the foot
The European scale is not a foot-length system at all. It counts in Paris points of two thirds of a centimetre, about 6.67 mm, and measures the last, the wooden form a shoe is built on, rather than the foot. A last runs up to about 1.5 cm longer than the foot it fits. Because different makers add different amounts, EU-to-centimetre tables disagree by a few millimetres from site to site. Mondopoint avoids this by naming the foot directly.
Finding your Mondopoint size
- Measure foot length by standing heel to a wall and marking the longest toe.
- Convert to millimetres by multiplying centimetres by ten, so 26 cm is 260.
- Round to the nearest 5 mm, since Mondopoint steps in fives.
- For ski boots, allow 5 to 10 mm more for thick socks and warmth.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Japanese cm size the same as Mondopoint?
Almost, but not exactly. Japanese labels add about 1 cm of toe allowance, so a JP 23.0 measures near 24 cm inside, while pure Mondopoint has no allowance built in.
Is EU size a foot-length system?
No. EU sizes count Paris points measured on the last, which runs up to 1.5 cm longer than the foot, so they drift from a direct foot measurement.
What is the difference between Mondopoint and GOST?
Both size by foot length in millimetres. GOST 11373-88 uses a 5 mm step, and its metric number is stamped inside East European shoes.
Why do Chinese size labels vary so much?
Three systems coexist: the current GB/T 43293-2022 millimetre base, an older domestic scale, and a world millimetre notation. The millimetre length is the common ground.
How precise is Mondopoint?
It resolves to 5 mm, and with the width figure it specifies both length and girth, which is why ski, military and safety footwear rely on it.
Sources
- International Organization for Standardization, ISO 9407:2019, Footwear sizing, Mondopoint system.
- Japanese Industrial Standards, JIS S 5037:1998, footwear sizing.
- GOST 11373-88, footwear sizes (metric foot-length system).
- Standardization Administration of China, GB/T 43293-2022, shoe sizes.
Convert Your Size
Use our CM size charts to find equivalent sizes in different systems. CM measurements are Mondopoint divided by 10.