Is a men's size 16 shoe big?
A US men's size 16 fits a foot of about 31.3 cm (12.3 in), longer than over 99% of men's feet. In EU sizing that is 49, in UK 15.5.
US men's 16 by group
Foot length
The same foot in other systems
Percentile is the share of the group with shorter feet than this size fits. “1 in X” counts the rarer side: people at or beyond this value above the median, at or under it below. The size is converted to foot length in cm, then compared with a normal distribution of foot lengths.
What this means
- The average man's foot is 26.5 cm, about a US men's 10.5. The average woman's is 24.0 cm, about a US women's 8.5. A men's 16 is 4.8 cm longer than the men's mean.
- Measured against women, the same foot is longer than over 99% of them. In US women's sizing it is about 17.
- Stock thins out fast above the mean plus two SDs. Being this rare has a cost, and it is measured in shipping fees.
Questions
- Is a men's size 16 big?
- A US men's 16 fits a foot of about 31.3 cm, which is longer than over 99% of men's feet. That is a big foot. Shops stock few pairs this size, and online filters know you by name.
- What is a US men's 16 in EU and UK sizes?
- A US men's 16 is about EU 49 and UK 15.5, for a foot of 31.3 cm (12.3 in). In US women's sizing the same foot is about 17. Brands round differently, so try before you trust.
- How rare is a size 16 foot?
- About under 1 in 10,000 men have feet this long or longer. Among women it is under 1 in 10,000.
Source: Foot length distributions: Jurca et al., Footwear Science 2019; Wunderlich and Cavanagh, Med Sci Sports Exerc 2001. Sizes converted with the same formula as our shoe size test. Percentiles on this page are our estimate from a normal distribution with the stated mean and SD.
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