Do Converse Run Big or Small or True to Size?

Converse is one of the oldest US shoe brands and has made shoes since 1915. Basketball player Chuck Taylor wore a pair of Converse shoes onto the court in 1923 and helped promote them.

The brand grew over the following decades, and when sneakers became fashionable in the 1980s, Converse and other sneaker brands exploded in popularity.

For almost 20 years, Converse has been part of Nike, but they still produce the same high-quality shoes. However, are you wondering if Converse run big or small? Or are they true to size?

Is Converse True to Size?

When you invest in a quality pair of shoes, you want them to fit right. If you buy shoes online and can’t try them on, getting a pair that’s too big or too tight can be disappointing.

Converse lets you order online and customize the shoes down to the pattern on the tongue, but how do you know they’ll fit? Do Converse run big or small?

Many Converse shoes are bigger than others by about half a size, but some run a little small and narrow. Each style has unique quirks and sizing differences. In this article, we have listed some of the popular styles of Converse and their sizing and Converse Size charts.

Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star Sizing

Chuck Taylors are an iconic shoe. The style is well-known, and while many people don’t necessarily know who Chuck Taylor was, they know the name and style of the shoe. Converse sells 100 million pairs of these shoes every year.

Chuck Taylor All-Stars go by many names. People call them Chuck Taylors, All-Stars, Converse All-Stars, Chucks, Cons, and Chucky Ts.

Chuck Taylor All-Stars come in leather, suede, and the classic canvas. You can buy the original high-top design, low-tops, platforms, slips with stretchy backs, and low-cut slips. Everything from the color to the pattern is customizable.

You can choose shoes based on their styles, uses, and construction. Popular styles include:

 

• Chuck Taylor All-Star
• Chuck Taylor All-Star II
• Chuck Taylor All-Star NBA
• Chuck 70
• CX

 

Some styles work for skateboarding, others offer custom colors, and some come from Italian designers. You can also choose limited editions and shoes made for cold, wet climates like boots. Converse even sells some Chuck Taylor All-Stars made from renewable, sustainable materials like 85% recycled polyester.

The Chuck Taylor All-Star II contains Nike cushioning technology Lunarlon. This soft-density foam makes the shoe even more comfortable than its predecessors.

Before you order, you have to ask yourself a few questions beyond what color or style you want. For example, do Converse run big or small if they’re Chuck Taylor All-Stars? Is there a sizing difference between men’s and women’s Chuck Taylors? Do they make half-sizes?

Chuck Taylor All-Stars Run Big

Converse makes it clear in their sizing chart that Chuck Taylors run bigger than usual by about half a size. Since these shoes are unisex, meaning one shoe is for both men and women, everyone should order at least a half-size smaller than usual.

To eliminate uncertainty, measure your foot length and order the designated size on the sizing chart, regardless of the size number.

For instance, if you usually wear a US size 8, you should order a pair of Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars in size 7.5. However, measuring your foot will give you the best fit. If your foot is longer than 10 inches, you’ll want to go a half-size up from their recommendation.

You can find some Chuck Taylor shoes in wide width if you typically wear wider shoes than average, too. If you’re used to wearing bigger shoes because you need the width, you might find the shoes fit well in your regular size because of the slight width difference.

Measure for Best Accuracy

To measure your feet, tape a piece of paper on the floor lined up with the wall. Recruit someone to help so you can stay in the proper position for better accuracy.

Stand with your foot on the paper with your heel against the wall, and stand straight. Have your helper trace around the back of your heel and the longest part of your toes. Do this with another piece of paper and the other foot, too.

With a ruler, measure from the heel edge on the paper to the mark furthest away. Check both feet in case one is much longer or shorter than the other. People’s feet are rarely the same length, and it could affect which size you should buy for maximum comfort.

Read Also: Do Converse Stretch

Chuck Taylor All-Stars for Kids

Do Converse run big or small when they’re Chuck Taylors for kids? These shoes run bigger by half a size, just like the shoes for adults. Converse also gives length measurements for each size, so you can measure kids’ feet the same way as outlined above to get the best fit.

Babies and toddlers don’t have to miss out on these famous shoes, either. Chuck Taylor All-Stars for toddlers also run about one half-size bigger.

Jack Purcell Sizing

Jack Purcell was a Canadian champion badminton player who also became the world champion badminton player in 1933. Jack’s constantly smiling face was one of his most well-known attributes.

He designed a shoe for playing badminton with canvas and rubber soles for gripping the court for BF Goodrich. They used the design to launch their PF Flyers shoe brand in 1937. The toe of the shoe features a smile around the arch.

Converse’s parent company acquired PF Flyers in the 70s, and Converse still makes Jack Purcell shoes with the signature smile on the toe. These shoes come in classic canvas, leather, or a waxed canvas style by designer Todd Snyder.

You can buy limited edition and customized versions from the Converse website with various solid colors and prints. So, do Converse run big or small if they’re Jack Purcells?

Jack Purcell Shoes Run True to Size

While Converse tells you whether other shoes run big or small on the project pages, they claim the Jack Purcell runs true to size. Their sizing chart gives foot-length measurements so you can be sure to get a good fit, despite the size numbers.

Consider getting a slightly bigger size than average or choosing Chuck Taylors instead if you have wide feet and often wear wide-width shoes.

Converse Pro Leather Sizing

This Converse shoe appeared in 1976 under the name All-Star Professional Basketball Shoe. Famous NBA player Julius Erving endorsed the shoe, and soon it became known as the Dr. J. The shoe’s pre-molded sole in one piece revolutionized the comfort and responsiveness of basketball shoes,

The shoe’s design changed in small ways over the years, and more basketball pros endorsed it. 

Well-known sports superstars like Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan wore the Pro Leather shoes on the court.

New technology in sports shoe designs took the Pro Leather off players’ feet in the mid-80s, but consumer demand for the popular streetwear shoe grew. Converse brought the classic Pro Leather shoe back in 2008. Celebrity endorsements from fans like Jay Z and Daniel Radcliffe helped the shoes stay popular.

You can choose low-top white or black and white leather shoes or a suede high-top multicolored style designed by Hornets player Kelly Oubre Jr. Converse offers an online exclusive high-top pink leather lift platform shoe, too.

Read Also: Can You Run in Converse

Do Converse Run Big or Small with the Pro Leather Style?

Pro Leather Shoes Fit True to Size

Converse states on the product pages that these shoes fit true to size, and their main size chart linked above gives the length measurement in inches to help you choose the right size.

Like the Chuck Taylors and Jack Purcells, Pro Leather shoes are unisex shoes. They don’t make a different style or shape for women and men. This unisex styling makes it easier to determine which shoe will fit best, especially when you measure your feet to be sure.

There’s one exception to their true-to-size claim about these shoes based on the reviews on their website. The high-top pink leather lift platform, which one might assume is designed for women though it says unisex, has multiple complaints about the shoe being too narrow.

It would help if you went up at least in size for this shoe to avoid the shoe being uncomfortably narrow. Unfortunately, the only wide-width shoes Converse sells are Chuck Taylors, so there’s no option for a wider shoe in the same size.

If narrow shoes don’t fit you well, you might opt for a style you can try in person to avoid disappointment.

Converse One Star Sizing

The Converse One Star first appeared in 1969 as the Leather All-Star. Redesigns turned the shoe into the All-Star basketball shoe in 1974. Converse eventually halted production of this shoe until the 1990s when people found the vintage shoes and made them famous again.

People in the subculture, like skaters and musicians, loved the shoe. This renewed popularity led Converse to reissue it in 1993 as the One Star.

Kurt Cobain, lead singer of the famous grunge band Nirvana, often wore the shoe, making it popular with a generation who wanted to rebel. Converse created a Kurt Cobain version of the One Star in 2008, 14 years after Cobain’s death.

In 2015, the One Star Pro appeared with Nike’s cushioning technology Lunarlon inside for comfort and shock absorption, making it an even greater shoe for skaters. The shoe still bears the single star on its side and is available in a few different colors in suede.

Do Converse Run Big or Small if they’re One Stars?

Converse One Stars Fit True to Size

The One Star fits true to size and has length measurements in inches on the sizing chart linked above. However, you won’t find wide-width options in One Stars, so consider the width when choosing a size to order.

Run Star Motion and Run Star Hike Sizing

The Run Star Hike shoe is a Chuck Taylor crossed with a hiking boot made for rough terrain and rougher weather conditions, though it’s a popular street style. These shoes come in high-top and platform styles with a jagged rubber sole for traction and new colors and styles to keep up with the trends.

The Run Star Motion is a unique-looking shoe based on the Chuck 70. Jagged, exaggerated rubber soles and a wavy pinstripe design give these shoes a street look that’s still comfortable enough to wear all day.

The shoes come in canvas or leather, and some Run Star Hike styles come with sustainable materials. Do Converse run big or small in their Run Star Motion and Run Star Hike shoes?

Run Star Motion and Run Star Hike Fit True to Size

These shoes run true to size, but once again, you won’t fit wide-width shoes among their offerings. Fortunately, the measurements on the sizing chart above should also hold for these shoes.

Converse Size Chart for Men

Converse Size Chart for Different Styles

Here we have listed Chuck Taylor All Star/ Chuck 70, All Star Pro BB/BB, and Evo models for women.

Converse Shoe Size Chart For Women

 

US Size	Chuck Taylor All Star Chuck 70 Runs a half size large	All Star Pro BB BB, Evo Runs a half size small	Other Styles Fit may vary	Inch
4	3.5	4.5	4	n/a
4.5	4	5	4.5	8 1/3″
5	4.5	5.5	5	8 1/2″
5.5	5	6	5.5	8 5/8″
6	5.5	6.5	6	8 5/6″
6.5	6	7	6.5	9″
7	6.5	7.5	7	9 1/7″
7.5	7	8	7.5	9 2/7″
8	7.5	8.5	8	9 1/2″
8.5	8	9	8.5	9 2/3″
9	8.5	9.5	9	9 4/5″
9.5	9	10	9.5	10″
10	9.5	10.5	10	10 1/6″
10.5	10	11	10.5	10 1/3″
11	10.5	11.5	11	10 1/2″
11.5	11	12	11.5	10 5/8″
12	11.5	12.5	12	10 4/5″
12.5	12	13	12.5	11″
13	12.5	13.5	13	11 1/7″
13.5	13	14	13	11 2/7″
14	13.5	14.5	14	11 2/3″

How to Make Sure Converse Shoes Will Fit You

If you trust Converse’s size chart, you can order the correct size or a one half-size smaller in the hopes that the shoes fit when they show up at your door.

You can use their suggestion to measure your feet by standing on paper, marking the heel and furthest toe point, and measuring. Once you know how many inches your feet are in length, you can order the appropriate size easier.

Despite Converse claiming many of the shoes are true to size, people online often say that all Converse shoes run big. The issue is that everyone’s feet are different, so what feels true-to-size for one person could be too big or small for another.

One more method will guarantee any shoes you order online will fit you perfectly. This method is the least convenient but will probably be the most fun.

Try Converse Shoes at a Store

You can go one half-size lower or measure your feet, but there’s no substitute for putting the shoes on and walking around in them for a little while. You’ll learn where they rub your feet or if they don’t, and whether they’re comfortable at a certain size.

Foot length won’t tell you how the shoe hugs your instep or whether it’s wide enough for your toes. If you’ve ever had a shoe-store employee measure your foot with a Brannock Device and bring shoes out for you to try on, you know that measurements are only a starting place.

You’ll probably have to go to a dedicated shoe store or a department store with shoe salespeople ready to help you try on Converse, but don’t let that stop you. Instead, try on the same shoes you’re interested in buying.

They don’t have to be the same color you’ll order but try on the exact shoe style and material, whether canvas or leather. Then, stand in the shoes and walk around for several minutes to ensure they fit correctly.

Once you know what size fits best, you can either buy those shoes if you love them or go home and order custom Converse that you know will fit you when they’re delivered.

Keep Your Converse Fitting Properly

If you buy canvas Converse shoes, remember that even though many other canvas shoes are machine washable, you should never put Chuck Taylor All-Stars or other Converse shoes in a washing machine.

The agitation of a machine can make the shoes misshapen and damage them. Clean your shoes gently with soapy water, a soft brush, or a soft cloth. Use a damp cloth to clean leather Converse, and a dry suede brush for cleaning suede shoes. Never get suede wet.

If your canvas shoes are damp after cleaning, stuff them with dry paper to help them maintain their shape. Don’t use a blow dryer, a tumble dryer, or any kind of heat to speed up the process. Instead, allow the shoes to dry at room temperature.

Order Converse Shoes Without Worry

You can ensure that you get only the best-fitting pair by trying on the shoes when you can and measuring when you can’t. However, if you order a pair that doesn’t fit despite your best efforts, Converse has a free return policy. So you can return them at no cost and get a better-fitting pair instead.

Enjoy your proper-fitting Converse shoes when they arrive, and remember to clean them the recommended way to help them maintain their shape and fit for years to come.