Over our many years in the biz, we sock fairies have picked up a drawer-ful of crucial information about sock sizes, which can be surprisingly confusing! Sizes can vary across different brands, and sock sizes are different than shoe sizes, taking the confusion to a whole new level.

But fear not! The sock fairies are here with the answers to all your sock size questions. And we’re actually here and ready to help out if you are just too stumped! Call us at (800) 930-0955 or email hello@sockdrawer.com.

Sock Size Chart

Sock Size U.S. Women's Shoe Size U.S. Men's Shoe Size European Shoe Size UK Shoe Size 9-11 5-10 3-8 4-7.5 36-41 10-13 10.5-13 7-12 8-12.5 42-46 14+ 14+ 12.5+ 13+ 47-51

What is sock size compared to shoe size?

Have you ever wondered what the 9-11 or 10-13 means on women's and men's socks? These numbers represent how many inches long your foot is, rather than your shoe size! That’s one of the things that tends to trip people up about sock sizing. Here’s how those sock sizes convert to shoe sizes:

Women's socks are typically listed on sock packaging as "Size 9-11." This translates to a women's U.S. shoe size of about 5-10.

Men's socks are typically listed on sock packaging as "Size 10-13." This translates to a men's U.S. shoe size of about 8-12.5.

SOCK FAIRY SECRET! Here at The Sock Drawer, we do our best to make sizing easy on you. On every product page, you’ll find a line that says what shoe size will work for those socks. So if you know your shoe size — or the shoe size of the person you’re shopping for — you’re good to go.

What size socks do I need?

What’s your shoe size? That’s the easiest way to figure out your sock size. Consult the chart above, or just check out the details section on each of our product pages. For every pair of socks we sell, we include info on what shoe size will work for those socks.

What if I need XL socks?

If you have larger feet than the standard sizes above, we’ve got you covered:

Men: For men who wear larger shoe sizes, we have a special collection of XL socks , also known as king size socks. These start at size 12 and range up to 16 or so, depending on the brand. If you're shopping for extra large men's socks, please check the size details on each product page to make sure the style will fit. These bigger socks are just as fun and funky as any we offer. No more plain white socks just because you have big feet!

Women: For women who wear shoes bigger than size 10, we recommend you try our men’s socks. There is no major difference in design or cut between our men’s and women’s socks; men’s are simply for a larger foot. Many of our most popular styles are available in both a men’s and women’s version. Check out these his-and-hers matching sets .

SOCK FAIRY SECRET! Many women with average size feet can wear men’s socks comfortably, and vice versa. If you see a pattern you love but it’s for a different gender, you might still consider giving it a try unless you have exceptionally small or large feet! If it doesn’t work out, we always offer free returns within the U.S.

What about plus size socks for women?

Our knee high socks are among our most popular, but customers with larger or more muscular calves are often concerned about fit. Our special collection of wide calf knee highs is the solution! Some info on these babies:

While standard knee high socks can fit around a calf circumference up to about 18 inches (45 cm), these wide calf socks fit up to about 21 inches (53 cm). So comfy!

Our wide calf knee highs are designed to stretch to fit all sizes , not just wider calves. More elastic and other design changes make these fabulous socks work well for slim legs, wider legs and everything in between. We also love wearing them over skinny jeans or leggings.

Comfort is important, but when it comes to our crazy novelty socks, so is style! One of the coolest things about these knee highs is that the patterns don’t get all wonky or distorted. They are designed to look just as good when stretched.

SOCK FAIRY SECRET! Keep in mind that even if we don’t offer a wide calf version of a certain knee high style, it may still work for you if it has a relatively simple pattern. The simpler the pattern, the stretchier the sock. This is because complicated patterns may have many panels of different colored threads stitched together, like a quilt, which can limit stretching.

If you have any questions about which styles may suit your needs, we’re happy to make recommendations. Please email us! For real. We love to help!

Do you sell kids' socks?

We did sell socks for young kids once upon a time, but we made the tough choice to no longer carry these cute little sizes. Although it was a bit of a personal heartbreaker for us sock fairies who adore kids' crazy socks, it was a good decision because it meant we could pick up more cool men's and women's socks, which are much more popular. We're happy to partner with several brands that make great kids' socks, and we will gladly give you some recommendations if you reach out. Or, if you really miss our kids' selection, let us know! Our inventory is always fluctuating, and we want to keep the styles in stock that you want to see! Please share your feedback with us! And although we no longer sell kids' socks, we do still know our stuff on sizing! Read on to learn more about this highly confusing topic.

kids sock sizes explained

All parents and caregivers know that kids’ sizes are beyond confusing, and there’s no exception with socks! Every brand has different distinctions, such as small and large, youth and junior. Plus, we all know every child grows at a different rate.

There are three main categories of socks for kids:

Baby socks are for newborns up to about 1 year old. Keep in mind how fast these little munchkins are growing and changing! When in doubt, go bigger, allowing the baby to grow into the socks. When the baby outgrows the socks, they make awesome holiday decorations, change purses, pet socks and more!

Toddler socks are for little ones about 1 to 4 years old who wear toddler shoe sizes 4 to 7. If the toddler you’re shopping for is a fast grower, then go ahead and move into the kids' sizes 8 and up.

Boys’ and girls’ socks are for children about 5 to 10 years old who wear kids’ shoe sizes 8 to 13 and then on up to a size 3. By about age 10, most kids can fit into standard women’s socks.

What sock size for pre-teens or teens?

If you’re shopping for kids around age 10 or in the pre-teen years, it’s probably a good idea to just skip right to women's socks, which have a larger selection. If they’re not a perfect fit already, they’ll grow into ’em soon! A lot of boys in the middle school years don’t quite have large enough feet for men’s socks, so women’s styles are a great choice.

SOCK FAIRY SECRET! OK, maybe this one isn't a secret, but teens are messy! Whether they have tried to make sock puppets, or put their big toe right through their lucky soccer socks, we highly advise learning how to darn a sock! This simple process can save you a lot of socks — and money too! By experience, we have learned it is best to learn how to organize a sock drawer young to limit the number of lonely socks waiting for their partner to come back from the dryer!

As always, if you have any questions about whether a pair you’re interested in will fit the man, woman or child on your shopping list, our expert sock fairies are more than happy to help! Shoot us an email or call us at (800) 930-0955.