Taobao Size Chart — Samba Runs Narrow, Yeezy Runs Short

TL;DR

Measure your foot in millimetres and convert from that, not from the size you wear at home. Chinese listings quote EU numbers against a millimetre last, and the same EU number fits differently depending on the model — Samba runs narrow, Yeezy 350 runs short, Air Force 1 runs about half a size large.

Convert from foot length

Foot length in millimetres

How to measure: stand on a sheet of paper with your heel against a wall, mark the tip of your longest toe, measure wall to mark. Do both feet in the evening when they are at their largest, and use the bigger number.

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.

Practical version: send the seller your millimetre measurement, not a size number. A competent one will check the last for that specific model and tell you what to order. This is the single highest-value thing you can do before a footwear order, and it takes one message.

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.

Common fit adjustments by silhouette. Widely reported across the community and consistent with how the retail versions fit.
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.

Foot length in millimetres against every sizing system

EU	US men	US women	UK
240 mm	40.5	7.5	9	7
250 mm	42	8.5	10	8
260 mm	43.5	9.5	11	9
265 mm	44	10	11.5	9.5
270 mm	45	11	12.5	10.5
280 mm	46	12	13.5	11.5

Standard Brannock-derived conversion. Factory lasts override it — Samba runs narrow, Yeezy 350 runs short, Air Force 1 runs about half a size large.

RepBuyTools — built and maintained by a sourcing team that has been shipping parcels out of Guangdong since 2019. Every figure on this site is either measured from real parcels, taken from a named third-party source, or labelled as an estimate. We are not a buying agent, and which agent ranks where is decided by sourced data rather than by any commercial arrangement.
Last reviewed August 2026 · Ask a question on WhatsApp · Telegram

Frequently asked, briefly answered

What size should I order from Taobao?

Convert from your foot length in millimetres rather than the size you wear at home, then apply the model adjustment. The scale runs 250 mm to EU 42, 260 mm to EU 43.5, 265 mm to EU 44 and 270 mm to EU 45. Samba runs narrow, so drop half a size; Yeezy 350 runs short, so add half; Air Force 1 runs about half large. When in doubt, send the seller your millimetre figure.

How do I measure my foot properly?

Stand on paper with your heel against a wall, mark the tip of your longest toe, and measure wall to mark. Do it in the evening when feet are at their largest, measure both, and work from the larger number. That figure maps straight onto the listing: 240 mm is EU 40.5, 265 mm is EU 44, 280 mm is EU 46. Two millimetres of care here saves a return.

Do Chinese clothes really run smaller?

Yes, noticeably — a Chinese L sits around a Western M and a Chinese XXL around a Western L as a starting point. That offset is not consistent between categories or factories, so ignore the letter and work from the centimetre table nearly every Taobao and Weidian listing carries: chest measured flat armpit to armpit, shoulder seam to seam, plus body length on hoodies and outerwear.

What if I am between two sizes?

For footwear, size up — a slightly loose shoe is wearable and a tight one is not. Check the model first, because the adjustment can settle it on its own: Air Force 1 runs about half large, Yeezy 350 runs short. For clothing, ignore the letter and match the chest and shoulder figures against a garment you already own, since the offset varies by category.

Can I return something that does not fit?

Realistically only while it is still at the agent's warehouse, where you pay domestic Chinese postage of a few dollars. Once the parcel has crossed a border, return freight costs more than most items are worth — a 2 kg box to the US is $22–32 outbound alone. That is why sizing is settled from a millimetre measurement first, then checked in the QC photographs: ask for the size stamp inside and the box label together.

What people look at next

Primary sources for the claims on this page

DHL — how volumetric weight is calculatedThe carrier's own explanation of length × width × height ÷ divisor, and a reminder that the divisor is set by the carrier and changes. Our calculator uses ÷6000, the common agent-forwarder figure; DHL Express quotes ÷5000.

Every link here was fetched and confirmed live on 2026-08-17. Thresholds and rules change; the date on this page tells you how stale the reading is, and the links let you check rather than trust.

Convert Taobao sizes from millimetres, then adjust for the model