Compare the model behind the country label
A last is the form a shoe is built around (Cheaney). Use the three illustrations to identify shape differences, not to predict a country's fit: they are imagined profiles, not measurements or pictures of the models cited below.
Italian: ask about width
The linked Santoni Derby is wide-fitting and round-toed. Ferragamo offers alternative widths on selected models. Neither supports a blanket instruction to buy Italian shoes larger.
British: look beyond the rounded outline
Crockett & Jones describes last 348 as square-toed, with aesthetic extra toe space. Ask for the last number before assuming that a British shoe will be roomy or should be bought smaller.
French: choose the width as well as the number
J.M. Weston uses multiple widths and half sizes. An almond-shaped outline is no reason to treat your usual EU number as a guaranteed fit.
Make a fitting record before converting sizes
Use paper, a pencil and a ruler you already own. Record both feet's length and width in the socks you intend to wear, following the maker's method (Crockett & Jones). Ask a fitter to check heel-to-ball length too (Brannock).
Keep the measurements beside the exact model, last, width and size system. Use that maker's chart; don't turn EU 42 into a universal millimetre measurement. If your reference pair is a sneaker, read why sneaker sizes fit differently before carrying its number across.
Decide what to change when the fit is wrong
Treat the following as a shortlist for your next fitting, not a remote size prescription.
- Length feels insufficient. Compare the next size, then recheck the heel and forefoot.
- Length seems right but the sides press. Compare a wider fitting or another last before accepting extra length.
- The instep feels restricted. Try a more adjustable opening; Cheaney suggests Derby or Gibson lacing. See Derby versus Oxford construction if you need to change style.
- The front presses while the heel slips. Ask to compare another last. Don't commit to the larger pair on the assumption that an insole will rescue it.
Crockett & Jones says shoes must fit initially. Do not use a future break-in as the deciding argument for a painful pair.
Confirm the pair before ordering
Ask the seller to confirm the size system, width and last, and check the conditions for an indoor trial. Follow the seller's instructions to preserve return eligibility; Cheaney's guide illustrates how carefully a trial should be handled.
Keep the pair only when the actual fitting works. If neither neighbouring size does, pause the purchase and compare a different width or last with a fitter. The useful outcome is a model-and-fit record you can reuse, not an Italian-to-British conversion rule.
How this guide was built
Chexlow's AI wrote this guide using official fitting information from Santoni, Ferragamo, Crockett & Jones, J.M. Weston, Brannock and Cheaney. The comparison and decision prompts are editorial guidance, not a personal fitting or a product test.
Edited by the Chexlow team · Images are AI-generated illustrations