Cycling shoe size charts - ohhh my, what a headache inducing minefield they are. Ok, I'm being over-dramatic there, but not by all that much

Having largish feet in Japan means that the local bike shops rarely have anything my size in stock, so I don't have much choice other than taking a gamble and buying online. The catch with buying online from shops here is that most of them do not allow returns if you select the size wrong, and those few that do allow returns tend to charge a hefty restocking fee. Amazon Japan charged me 50% on a pair of S-Phyre shoes!

To add to the complexity, there isn't a whole lot of consistency in the sizing manufacturers use. 44 in one brand is 45 in another etc. etc. So I've been mostly ignoring those sizes and focusing on the size in mm. I've measured my feet accurately in mm and rely on the mm size in the manufacturer's size chart and hope I select the correct size. You'd think that'd be sufficient, but nope. I got burnt with that too. I recently purchased a pair of Gaerne shoes from Italy based on Gaerne's size chart on their website, and the shoes were too small. I returned them for a full refund (I hope), but I'm still out of pocket the import duties I paid when the shoes arrived and the return shipping.

I notice that some (but not all) shoe manufacturers recommend adding an extra 5mm to your foot measurement in mm and selecting shoes based on that length rather than your actual foot length. So my question is should I add an extra 5mm for all manufacturers? I actually emailed several shoe manufacturers (Gaerne, Fizik, etc.) to ask whether it was necessary but not one has bothered to reply to me. Too trivial of a question I suppose

Just curious do you ride currently and have a shoe that fits and you otherwise am OK with ?. For me I found that Shimano shoes in size 46 Wide is the shoe that fits, so when I am in need of a replacement, I buy the current version of whatever I’m now using. I’m in my 3rd or 4th pair of shoes this way. As well, don’t know if you have access to Amazon, but here in the states they have a pretty liberal return policy, even for items like shoes and saddle that have been used, I purchased 5 saddles last fall, tried them out until I found one that worked well and returned the rest. An LBS would not let me do that, their loss.

I have a pair of Gaerne G-STILO shoes size 45 that fit ok, possibly a little big, and a pair of Gaerne G-SNX shoes size 45 that are definitely a little too big. Based on that experience, and Gaerne's sizing chart saying that I'm a size 44, I purchased a pair of Gaerne G-Jet shoes size 44 and they were too small. 44.5 is probably ok but of course they're out of stock now, and 45 might work, but I don't really feel like eating the import tax and return shipping again if they're too big.

I'm jealous of Amazon's liberal return policy in the USA. Amazon Japan slugs you with a 50% restocking fee.

Uck Amazon

Don't bother. The size label in any shoe is just a rough guide. Two shoes by different makers with the same size label will fit differently, and often as not, two sets of shoes of the same size, model, and maker will fit differently. There is a reason all shoe stores and department stores which sell shoes allow you to try them on first.

The same applies to regular shoe stores and department stores too. I have yet to find a decent pair of shoes in my size at a department store here. There is a large size shoe shop in Kawasaki, but the shoes they sell are generally very dasai.

Sounds like you need to be at some local bike shops that stock good selections to try on. Bring the Gaernes along for comparison,

I wish it was that easy The best stocked LBS by far is Y's Road in Shinjuku, Tokyo. I've been there twice recently to try on shoes. There isn't much local demand for larger sizes so most of their range tops out at about size 43 and the one or two options they did have in my size didn't interest me.

Anyone got any thoughts on this ^^^ ?

Personally I found a brand that I like that seems to have consistent sizing (at least in the low to medium high portion of their price range (not sure about the top end road shoes). So for me, I just stick to Sidi shoes in a 45 Mega model (Mega being their wider shoe). They seem pretty consistent and have been for a few decades in my experience. I would imagine other good brands would be similar in that regard, but ymmv.

It still remains that you need to find that brand/model that is your sweet spot in the first place. I'd suggest trying on a lot of shoes in person whatever that takes and then being loyal to that one if you order on line.

Also, I'd suggest that shoes are not the place to shop for a bargain unless you can get a bargain with no sacrifice in quality or fit. It is an area where I tend to splurge a bit.