Sock Sizes – How to Find the Right One

Short answer: Sock sizes usually follow your shoe size and are sold in ranges, for example 40 to 46. If you sit on the border between two ranges, take the larger one for a comfortable everyday sock and the smaller one if the sock needs to fit closely inside a sports shoe. The ranges differ from brand to brand.

How to read the size range

A range such as 40 to 46 means the sock is knitted to stretch across that whole span. It is made neither for a 40 nor for a 46 but for the middle, and the further from the middle you sit, the more you notice it. A 46 in a 40 to 46 range therefore fits more tightly than a 43 does.

When you sit on the border

If you take shoe size 43 and have to choose between 39 to 42 and 43 to 46, the answer is not the same for every shoe. For everyday wear, smart shoes and long days, the larger range is the comfortable choice. For running and sports shoes, where the sock must not fold, the smaller is right, because it sits close to the foot.

Too big or too small

A sock that is too big folds under the foot, and the fold causes blisters and wears the thread through. One that is too small is stretched at every movement and pulls the toe seam down over the toes, so you feel it all day. Both halve the lifespan, so size is not only a comfort question.

Brands measure differently

There is no common standard for sock sizes. Two brands can use the same number and knit differently, and a range can cover three numbers at one brand and five at another. Use the brand's own guide every time. See the size guide for JBS of Denmark men and the size guide for JBS of Denmark women.

How to check after the first wearing

Wear the socks for a whole day and look at the foot afterwards. If there is an imprint of a fold under the arch, the sock is too big. If you feel the toe seam in the middle of your toes during the day, it is too small. If there is a clear ridge around the leg, the cuff rather than the length is the problem.

The material changes how size feels

Bamboo viscose gives a little more than cotton and moulds to the foot after a few wearings. A sock that feels slightly tight on the first day can therefore still be right. One that feels loose from the start will not get tighter and should be exchanged for a smaller one straight away.

After many washes

A sock does not get smaller from washing, but the elastic in the cuff tires, and then it slides down even though the size itself is unchanged. That is not a size problem but a wear problem, and a sign that the sock should be replaced. The full range sits under bamboo socks for men and bamboo socks for women. See also how to find the right size in bamboo clothing.