Yes, women can wear men’s shoes. Listening to this question, “Can women wear men’s shoes?” is quite interesting. I often wear men’s shoes, but never think that people are actually searching this query on the internet.
Women with wide feet can actually benefit from men’s shoes, or those who just prefer the other gender’s shoe style. Whatever the reason, if you want, you can wear it, but without knowledge, nah never.
If your shoes don’t fit, neither will your mind.
Wearing men’s shoes is okay, but ladies, I must tell you to choose a well-fitted shoe. Men’s and women’s have different shoe standard sizes. So, what well fits a man may cause trouble for you. To save you from this discomfort, I’m writing this article to not only answer your question about “can women wear men’s shoes” but also clearly explain the difference between the shoes of both genders. The quirkiest help comes from my conversion table, which helps you convert your size into men’s sizing. I’ll also share a short guide on Fashion Posting to help my fellow sisters wear the men’s shoe correctly. So, let’s start.
Can Men’s Shoes Easily Fit Women
Absolutely! Men’s shoes can easily fit women if they choose 1.5 sizes down from their own shoe size. It’s a general rule that males have larger and wider foot shapes than females, which is why their footwear is also bigger in size. Let me explain with an example for clear understanding: a girl having 8 shoe sizes needs to size down to 6.5 in male footwear.
Can Women Wear Men’s Shoes?
Yes, a woman can wear men’s shoes if they finds the perfect and easy fit. All, you ladies, need to go down 1.5 sizes from your original ones. In simple words, it goes down from an 8.5 female footwear size to 7 in males.
Only length and width matter? Never. Both genders’ feet have different shapes and sizes, which is why their shoes have various levels of cushioning in different areas to enhance comfort. Don’t sweat it, I’ll discuss this and other factors in detail later.
Men’s Shoe to Women’s Shoe Size Conversion Chart
You can use this shoe size chart for easy conversion of your foot size to men’s footwear.
| Size | US Men | US Women | UK | Europe |
| 5 | 6.5 | 4 | 36.5 | |
| 5.5 | 7 | 4.5 | 37 | |
| 6 | 7.5 | 5 | 38 | |
| 6.5 | 8 | 5.5 | 38.5 | |
| 7 | 8.5 | 6 | 39 | |
| 7.5 | 9 | 6.5 | 40 | |
| 8 | 9.5 | 7 | 40.5 | |
| 8.5 | 10 | 7.5 | 41 | |
| 9 | 10.5 | 8 | 42 | |
| 9.5 | 11 | 8.5 | 42.5 | |
| 10 | 11.5 | 9 | 43 | |
| 10.5 | 12 | 9.5 | 44 | |
| 11 | 12.5 | 10 | 44.5 | |
| 11.5 | 13 | 10.5 | 45 | |
| 12 | 13.5 | 11 | 46 | |
| 12.5 | 14 | 11.5 | 47 | |
| 13 | 14.5 | 12 | 48 |
This is a general size chart, so if you love to wear masculine design footwear, or the store owner told you ‘Ops! We run short of women’s shoes. This chart will save you. But when it comes to brands, they have different size charts, so it’s better to try and then buy.
How Do You Find What Footwear Fits You?
Try to wear different shoes and check the following things each time.
- Your heel should feel comfortable and snug. It shouldn’t wobble or slide out while wearing and walking.
- The shoe wall shouldn’t hold your foot too tightly. If you feel it constricts your blood flow, kick them off immediately.
- Check if your toes find a good place to wiggle or spread apart.
All these things are possible when you are buying your new pair of footwear in-store. You try to find your best fit. If you think online shopping is great, then do a little research and check the exchange and return policy of the store or brand in case your coming shoes don’t fit you.
When Should I Go For Footwear Shopping?
Evening is best for shopping for footwear. Do you know what footwear experts recommend?
Go, try, and buy the shoes in the evening or at the end of the day. Feet retain fluid throughout the work day, which causes swelling. When you try a new pair of shoes with swollen feet, you find what is best for your feet all day long.
Difference Between Women’s and Men’s Feet and Shoes
Let’s see what things can stop women from wearing men’s footwear.
Sizing scale
Companies use a larger sizing scale while manufacturing male footwear because they have large feet. The same size shoes for both men and women are never the same. Like my given size chart recommends, that’s why you don’t need to worry when brands recommend you to size down from your original size while buying male footwear for yourself. Similarly, men need to size up 1.5 sizes mostly while buying women’s shoes for themselves.
Width
Shoe width is also important to measure, and the scale has A to E letters for that, which shows the narrowest to the widest size. Male footwear is wider than female footwear.
The standard width of male footwear is D on the scale, while females are B.
Even in the sole and heel, women’s feet are narrower than men’s. If women have wide feet, they choose men’s footwear, and men with narrower feet can opt for women’s shoes.
Cushioning Support
Women’s athletic shoes often have more padding at the front to support how their feet strike the ground. This is because of the wider hips in women. The wide size results in a greater Q-angle. Men’s shoes usually focus on firmer cushioning in the middle since they tend to be heavier and need more support underfoot.
Color
Color is no longer a problem in deciding gender footwear. It was a time when male footwear had masculine colors like black and blue, while female footwear had feminine hues like pink and white. The modern footwear industry doesn’t depend on hues and loves to wear what feels nice to them.
How Women Can Comfortably Wear Men’s Shoes
- You can buy male footwear with 1.5 sizes smaller than your original foot size. Choose a 5.5 men’s shoe if you have a 7 size foot.
- Women with a foot size less than 7 can’t enjoy men’s shoes because male footwear has 5.5 size as the smallest one. You can find extra-wide women’s shoes as the best fit for your feet.
- Women with wide hips get more comfort and support in women’s performance shoes. Such footwear provides great cushioning to the forefeet.
- Male footwears have less cushion, even if they fit you perfectly. Loose shoes in the heel area also cause discomfort. Adding heel cushions and insoles can save you in such a situation by providing the best fit and comfort.
Conclusion
I have answered your query, can women wear men’s shoes? It’s fine for a woman to wear male footwear. This query is no longer absurd, as we are living in the era of gender equality. Just need to keep the size and cushioning in consideration. You are a woman of today’s age, you should wear what you want to wear. Share your experience of wearing men’s shoes in public, did people judge you, and did you find the right fit for your feet?