What sock size for shoe size 46, 48, 50 or 52?
Short answer: your sock size is your shoe size. The trouble starts on the shelf, because above EU 46 most manufacturers pack three or four shoe sizes into a single sock. Here is the table the shop never gives you: foot length in centimetres, US and UK sizes, the usual label, and the bracket OFFSCALE knits for you.
Sock size table, EU 46 to 55
Foot length is derived from the Paris point behind EU sizing: one size is two thirds of a centimetre of last length, and the foot is about a centimetre and a half shorter than the last. Shoe brands happily drift half a size from that, so in the end your measured foot counts, not the number in your shoe. US and UK conversions are approximations too; charts differ by brand.
| Shoe size | Foot length approx. | US men | UK | Usual sock label | OFFSCALE bracket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EU 46 | 29–29.5 cm | US 12 | UK 11.5 | 43-46 or 47-50 | 46–47 |
| EU 47 | 30 cm | US 13 | UK 12.5 | 47-50 | 46–47 |
| EU 48 | 30.5–31 cm | US 14 | UK 13 | 47-50 | 48–49 |
| EU 49 | 31.5 cm | US 14.5 | UK 14 | 47-50 | 48–49 |
| EU 50 | 32–32.5 cm | US 15 | UK 14.5 | 47-50 | 50–51 |
| EU 51 | 33 cm | US 16 | UK 15.5 | rare (51-54) | 50–51 |
| EU 52 | 33.5–34 cm | US 17 | UK 16 | hardly any | 52–53* |
| EU 53 | 34.5 cm | US 17.5 | UK 17 | hardly any | 52–53* |
| EU 54 | 35 cm | US 18 | UK 17.5 | almost never | 54+* |
| EU 55 | 35.5–36 cm | US 19 | UK 18 | almost never | 54+* |
* Brackets 52-53 and 54+ are developed but not yet knitted. We knit them as soon as enough people are on the list. Register your size, every entry counts.
How to measure your foot
- In the evening, stand barefoot on a sheet of paper with your heel against a wall. Evening, because feet get a little longer over the day.
- Mark the tip of your longest toe. That is not always the big one.
- Measure from the edge of the paper at the wall to the mark. That is your foot length.
- Measure both feet. The longer one decides.
Find your row in the table with that number. If you land between two brackets, take the smaller one for socks: knit fabric gives in length, while a sock that is too long folds up at the heel.
Why a sock is shorter than the foot
A sock is always knitted a little shorter than the foot it is meant for. The fabric stretches a few centimetres as you pull it on, and that light tension is what keeps the heel on your heel and the toe on your toes. Our 46-47 bracket therefore has a 28 cm sole, measured relaxed and flat, for feet of roughly 29 to 30 cm. When a sock sits four shoe sizes too short, that tension turns into pull: the heel pocket migrates under the arch, the fabric thins at toe and heel, and the leg narrows and digs into the calf. Why a 47-50 never fits properly has its own page.
What OFFSCALE knits
We knit dress socks from EU 46 upward in brackets of two shoe sizes. Every bracket has its own sole and leg length, knitted in. From 48-49 the leg and cuff are also wider, because big feet usually come with big calves.
| Bracket | Sole, relaxed | Leg | Cuff |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU 46–47 | 28 cm | 26 cm | standard |
| EU 48–49 | 30 cm | 28 cm | wider |
| EU 50–51 | 32 cm | 30 cm | wider |
| EU 52–53* | 34 cm | 32 cm | wider |
Material: 82% combed cotton, 15% polyamide, 3% elastane. The elastane is there for hold, not as a substitute for missing length. Knitted on 168-needle machines, washable at 40 °C, tumble dry low. The fit was tested on the founder's own feet, size 50: worn, washed and dried before the first pair was ordered.
Never four.
Six designs, three lengths, one price for every size. First run winter 2026, shipped from Germany.
Frequently asked questions
What sock size do I need for shoe size EU 50 (US 15)?
Your foot is about 32 cm long. Shops usually offer a "47-50" for that, a sock knitted in one length for four shoe sizes that sits too short at the top end. At OFFSCALE, shoe size 50 is the 50-51 bracket with a 32 cm sole and a 30 cm leg.
What sock size for EU 48 (US 14)?
Foot length about 30.5 to 31 cm. At OFFSCALE that is the 48-49 bracket with a 30 cm sole, 28 cm leg and a wider cuff. In shops a 48 ends up in the "47-50".
Are there socks in size EU 52, 53 or 54 (US 17 and up)?
Hardly any in regular retail. OFFSCALE has developed a 52-53 bracket with a 34 cm sole and will knit it as soon as enough people have reserved it. For 54 and up we count every request as well. Register your size in the form on the home page.
Isn't a stretchy 47-50 sock enough?
For a size 47 foot, yes. For a size 50 the same sock has to find almost three centimetres of length through stretch. That costs thickness at heel and toe, the position of the heel, and width at the leg. After a few washes the stretch is tired on top of that.
How do I convert US or UK shoe sizes to EU?
Rule of thumb: US men's size plus 33 is roughly the EU size (US 15 is about EU 48 to 49), UK plus 33.5 likewise. Because the systems do not map cleanly, measure your foot in centimetres instead and use the table above.