WORDS BY STEPHEN YU
For most of the millennial female sneakerhead’s lives, 2007 was the last time they could get their hands on Jordans that actually came in women’s sizes. But in 2018, after over a decade of having to buy mens or kids sizes in Jumpman sneakers, Jordan’s Women’s Line officially relaunched. With sizes going down to a ladies US5.5 and a dedicated design team churning out a host of women-only colourways, it finally felt like Jordan was paying attention to their female fans. Driven by GM and VP Andrea Perez, Jordan Brand womens would go on to collaborate with Aleali May on the first female designed mens and womens Air Jordan I, alongside creating a brand new silhouette with a metallic zip that even passed the high standards of Vogue’s Anna Wintour.
Fast forward to 2020 and most Jordan collaborations and special-editions now come in unisex sizing just to cater towards the growing womens sneaker market, with designers like Virgil Abloh even creating his recent Off-White x Nike Air Jordan IV initially exclusively just for women. Basically, if you’re a female Jumpman fan there’s never been a better time to be alive unless you witnessed His Airness or the OG Jordan sneaker releases firsthand.
So when it comes to women’s Jordan sizing it looks like you lucky ladies have the pick of the bunch –– whether it’s womens exclusive, mens or grade school sizing here’s our guide to everything you need to know about getting the right size J’s.
DISCLAIMER: Womens Jordan sizing varies from style to style so this article is intended as a guide only.
Women's Jordan Sizing Guide
Women's Exclusive Jordan Sizing
This one is pretty easy –– if you already know your women’s Jordan size then it should be the same across most Jordans. If you don’t own any J’s already, then your Jordan size is the same as your Nike size. And if you don’t own any Nike shoes, then we’re not sure what you’re doing reading this article.
That said, your Nike size is typically the same as your Vans or Converse size, or is usually half a size bigger than your normal shoe size.
Normal Women's Shoe Size + 0.5 = Womens Jordan Shoe Size
Women's Nike/Vans/Converse Shoe Size = Women's Jordan Shoe Size
E.g. Women's UK 5.5 = Women's Jordan UK 6
Women's Nike UK 6 = Women's Jordan UK 6
Alongside this, think about what you’ll be wearing your Jordans for. If it’s just to chill in, true to size will do. If you’re actually playing ball or exercising in them, you may want to size up to allow for stretch and thicker sports socks. And finally, if you just can’t take an L on a size that’s too big, thick socks and double insoles can do wonders.
But, as expected due to differences in last, materials and construction your Jordan sizing can change across different Jordan silhouettes. Here are some general tips on Jordan sizing for specific models:
Air Jordan IV Women's Sizing
Have quite a slim toebox, size up if you have wide feet
Air Jordan V Women's Sizing
Have a wide toebox, size down if you have slim feet.
Air Jordan VI Women's Sizing
If they have a suede toebox, stay true to size if you have wide feet as they will stretch out. If they have a leather toebox, take a half size up.
Air Jordan XIII Women's Sizing
Have a wide toebox, size down if you have slim feet.
Men's to Women's Jordan Sizing
If you know your men’s Jordan size then it opens up a whole world of collaborations, packs and special or player editions up to you as long as those Jordans come in your size –– bad luck for females with smaller feet.
Men's Jordans should fit exactly the same as the equivalent size in women's Jordans, although some people do claim that female versions fit a bit tighter and are less wide in the toebox.
The general rule is that your women’s Jordan size is 1.5 sizes down in men's Jordan sneakers.
Women’s Jordan Size - 1.5 = Men’s Jordan Size
E.g. Women’s UK 6 = Men’s UK 4.5
What’s confusing is that if you compare the equivalent men's and women's Jordan sizes (e.g. women's UK 6 vs men's UK 4.5) by looking at the sticker on the shoebox, you’ll see that the women Jordan size are actually 0.5 cm bigger in CM measurements (e.g. 23cm vs 23.5cm) thus contradicting the above advice. Ultimately, half a cm of difference is not much to worry about as it can be adjusted for by sock thickness.
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Unisex to Women's Jordan Sizing
Now, many sneakers come in unisex sizes which means they come in an extended size range going as low as a men's US3.5 up to a US15 so they cater for both women and males with small or big feet. But what exactly does unisex sizing mean?
The general rule is that your women’s Jordan size in unisex Jordans is the same as your men's Jordan size so take 1.5 sizes down again.
Women’s Jordan Size - 1.5 = Unisex Jordan Size
E.g. Women’s UK 6 = Unisex 4.5
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Grade School/Kids to Women's Jordan Sizing
If you’re one of those women with feet small enough to fit into kids Jordans consider it both a blessing and a curse –– grade school (or GS) Jordans can run up to £40 cheaper than the men's or women's equivalent but they’re generally made using lower-quality materials.
Some general differences between adult and GS sneakers are that kid's versions have a:
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Tighter fit
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Less padding
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Different silhouette (lower ankle collar and flatter side profile)
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Cheaper less smooth leathers
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Cheaper less textured suedes
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Less durable and grippy soles
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Smaller toebox perforations
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Less vibrant colourways
All this being said, for some people the differences are so minor that the lower price point and the fact that they’re easier to get ahold of than their adult counterparts more than outweighs any aesthetic or quality differences. Also, you can access some more unique, fun and playful colourways that you won’t see everyone else wearing.
Your women’s Jordan size in grade school Jordan sneakers is the same as your men's Jordan size, so take 1.5 sizes down.
Women’s Jordan Size - 1.5 = Grade School Jordan Size
E.g. Women’s UK 6 = Grade School 4.5Y
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US/UK/EU Women's Jordan Sizing
The easiest way to convert your women's Jordan size from one country to another is to consult our women’s Jordan size chart below.
But, if you’d rather do the math yourself, please see the below formulas:
Womens UK Jordan Size + 2.5 = Womens US Jordan Size
Women's UK Jordan Size + 34 = Women's EU Jordan Size
E.g Womens UK 6 = Womens US 8.5
Womens UK 6 = Womens EU 40