Nike VS Adidas: Shoe Size Difference

Humans have invented many things with the aim to protect and comfort their bodies. The invention of different footwear was also an invention done with the same aim. In this process of inventing footwear, humans came up with the invention of shoes.

Shoes provide perfect protection and comfort even while playing any sport that is why their usage is increasing day by day. Wearing high-quality and comfortable shoes not only provides protection to your feet it also improves your blood circulation.

Nike and Adidas are the two best athletic shoe manufacturing companies, we all are familiar with. Both brands are top-tier in terms of shoe design and wearability.

A lot of you might be confused about the difference between the shoe sizes of Adidas and Nike.

No need to make it anxious when buying shoes as I will be covering all the shoe size differences.

Both Nike and Adidas have their shoe size charts which represent the numerical shoe sizes accordingly to the country (US, UK or EU, etc) and shoe length. Adidas runs 5 millimeters bigger than Nike. Adidas shoes are more true to size if compared with Nike, which is halfway smaller.

This is just one shoe size difference, many differences are upcoming below so stick with me till the end to know all the shoe size differences between Nike and Adidas.

Page Contents

Nike vs. Adidas: An overview

Nike and Adidas are the two biggest manufacturers of athletic shoes. The shoes of both of these brands are different from each other in terms of sizes, designs, quality, and material.

Adidas focuses on putting comfort and utility in the first place by setting the standards for designing and styling its shoes. Adidas has a wide range of shoes from high-end shoes made by the collaboration of designers and sports engineers to extremely affordable shoes.

As we all know Nike is loved all across the globe for its high quality and elegantly designed shoes. Same as Adidas, Nike also has many footwear products in various price ranges.

However, when it comes to size both of these brands share several differences.

Nike vs. Adidas Shoe Sizes: Are they the same thing?

Adidas shoes run-up up by 5 millimeters bigger than Nike shoes. For example, USA men’s size 12 for Adidas is 30.5 centimeters. Whereas the same Nike size 12 is 30 centimeters. Nike shoe size is halfway smaller if compared with Adidas.

Apart from measurements, there are several characteristics of shoes that create distinctions between the size of Nike and Adidas and you must know these characteristics in order to buy the perfectly fitted shoes for you. So let’s just jump straight into these characteristics and their measurements.

Shoe Size Chart

The shoe sizes of Nike and Adidas are represented on their official shoe size charts.

The shoe size chart is for a present for all categories namely men, women, and youths. Shoe size charts of both Nike and Adidas usually use US, UK, JP, and EU size units to represent different shoe sizes.

In simple words, Adidas and Nike shoes which are measured as the same in length, whether in any measurement unit, will be represented different chart sizes.

For your better understanding, here is the shoe size chart representing the differences between the shoe sizes of Nike and Adidas. Above the different Nike and Adidas shoe sizes, the country size unit is also represented. The Table represents the category of men as mentioned.

Centimeter	Men’s US		Men’s UK
	Nike	Adidas	Adidas	Nike
29 cm	11	11	10.5	10
31 cm	13	13	12.5	12
30cm	12	12	11.5	11
26 cm	8	8	7.5	7

Difference between the shoe sizes of Adidas and Nike

As you can see, UK men’s sizes for Adidas tend to be 5 millimeters bigger than Nike shoe sizes. It is important to keep in mind that shoe size measurement does work for everyone as every brand has its shoe size chart. You must check the size guides of Nike or Adidas as they will help you to find a fit for your feet.

Shoe feature and material

Materials used for manufacturing the shoes can create shoe size differences between Adidas and Nike.

The materials used for the manufacturing of shoes play a great in the size of shoes as well. In some cases, the type of material used can directly affect the size of the shoe, the thickness of paddings and design can also play a big role.

Nike and Adidas, shoes belonging to both of these brands have unique features, these features can also create differences between the shoe sizes of both brands, and you must consider the features as well before buying shoes from both brands as these features can affect the shoe size.

Which shoes run narrow, Nike or Adidas?

Nike shoes are often advertised to run tighter. Their shoes are made differently than Adidas and they do not run true to size.

Adidas highly focuses on the requirements of foot shape and size. Adidas’ wide selection of sizes provides comfort needs to wide-footed customers. Whereas, Nike has a limited range of athletic shoes for its wide-footed consumers.

So if you are deciding to buy shoes from Nike or Adidas, it is important to know that you must order a half size up from Nike as it prevents the shoes that are too tight or uncomfortable.

How to find the perfect feet measurement?

As Shoe sizing charts may not provide perfect shoe fitting for everyone, you might be thinking of how to get perfectly fitted shoes from Nike or Adidas?

The shoe size charts, shoe design, and materials of Nike and Adidas are different therefore you must not be totally dependent on them to get the perfect shoe fitting.

Finding perfectly fitted shoes becomes a lot easier when you know the perfect feet measurement before buying the shoes.

Measuring your feet simply with a measuring tape usually does not gives you precise measurements as your feet have natural curves and dips. Never assume your feet measurement when buying shoes from either Nike or Adidas, your assumption has a higher chance of being incorrect. So follow the following steps to measure feet length and get perfectly fitted Nike and Adidas shoes.

Place a paper under your foot.
Now using a scale or ruler and pencil, draw a horizontal line just above your longest toe.
Similarly, do the same with the end heel of the foot.
Then measure the two lines to get your foot size.
Do the same with the other foot.

Visual demonstration of how to measure foot size at home:

Valuable information on how to measure foot size easily.

Shoe-Fitting Tips for Nike and Adidas

Now when you are done with feet measurement, let’s focus on the perfect fitting of your shoe as it is essential for the comfort of your feet.

Both Nike and Adidas differ from each other in terms of shoe types, their manufacturing process, and shoe width. So you must consider these tips while buying shoes from Nike or Adidas.

Shoe Fitting Tips for Nike

When buying perfectly fitted shoes from Nike, you can use their official tool mobile app Nikefit which allows you to measure your feet size by just taking a picture.

With just one click you can even book an appointment at your local Nike store for a perfect fitting.

Most of the shoes manufactured by Nike are form-fitted shoes and do not have extra space for your feet. However, if you want a bit looser then you can get one size up. Nike also creates special lines to cater to broad feet.

Shoe Fitting Tips for Adidas

When buying shoes for your young ones, Adidas can be a great choice as they come up with Adifit where you can compare the feet of young ones to the insert and you can ensure that they fall in the appropriate size range.

For Adida’s perfect shoe-fitting, Adidas recommends going one size up if you want a tighter fit otherwise you may go one size down for a loose shoe fitting.

Nike vs. Adidas shoes: What are they made of?

Adidas and Nike use different materials for the manufacturing of their shoes. Both the brands ensure that the material they use provides comfort to the consumer.

Nike mainly uses leather and rubber for manufacturing its shoes.

Nike ensures minimal use of garments to improve shoe durability. Trash Talk shoe manufactured by Nike uses recycled synthetic leather from factories, a step to reduce pollution.

Whereas, Adidas uses nylon, polyester, leather, PFC, polyurethane, and PVC for manufacturing its shoes.

Final Thoughts

Adidas and Nike have trusted brands famous for their quality shoes. Both have been manufacturing shoes for several decades and are one of the biggest competitors in today’s shoe industry.

Both the brands focus on many factors like shoe sizing, fitting, and their main focus is to provide comfortable, elegantly designed, and perfectly fitted shoes to their customers.

So, when buying shoes from either Adidas or Nike, with the factors of shoe sizing and fitting you must also consider buying shoes that provide you comfort and are designed in such a way that delights you.