La Sportiva Size Guide
La Sportiva is a world-renowned Italian brand founded in 1928 in the Dolomites, specialising in technical footwear and clothing for mountain sports including climbing, hiking, trail running and mountaineering. The brand is celebrated for precision engineering and performance-focused design. La Sportiva footwear is designed in Europe using EU sizing as the standard, with conversions available to UK and US sizes. The fit is engineered for specific activities: climbing shoes are intentionally snug for sensitivity and edging power, whilst hiking and mountaineering boots accommodate thicker socks and longer wear periods. Always measure your feet carefully before ordering, and note that sizing recommendations vary significantly by discipline.
How to Measure Your Feet
- Preparation: Place a sheet of paper on a hard, flat floor with one edge flush against a wall.
- Foot position: Stand barefoot on the paper with your heel touching the wall. If you intend to wear thick socks (for mountaineering or hiking boots), wear them during measurement for accuracy.
- Marking: Ask someone to draw a vertical line at the tip of your longest toe, or carefully mark it yourself. Keep the pencil perpendicular to the paper.
- Measurement: Using a ruler or measuring tape, measure the distance in centimetres from the wall edge (where your heel sits) to the line at your toe tip. Record this length.
- Repeat: Measure both feet, as one foot is often slightly larger than the other. Use the larger measurement when selecting your size.
- Reference your size: Cross-reference your foot length in centimetres with the conversion tables below to find your EU, UK, US and Mondopoint sizes.
Men's Shoes Size Chart
| EU | UK | US Men's | Mondopoint (mm) | Foot Length (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | 1 | 2 | 210 | 21.0 |
| 33.5 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 214 | 21.4 |
| 34 | 2 | 2.5+ | 217 | 21.7 |
| 34.5 | 2+ | 3 | 221 | 22.1 |
| 35 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 224 | 22.4 |
| 35.5 | 3 | 4 | 227 | 22.7 |
| 36 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 230 | 23.0 |
| 36.5 | 3.5+ | 4.5+ | 236 | 23.6 |
| 37 | 4 | 5 | 240 | 24.0 |
| 37.5 | 4.5 | 5.5 | 243 | 24.3 |
| 38 | 5 | 6 | 246 | 24.6 |
| 38.5 | 5.5 | 6.5 | 250 | 25.0 |
| 39 | 6 | 6.5+ | 253 | 25.3 |
| 39.5 | 6+ | 7 | 256 | 25.6 |
| 40 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 260 | 26.0 |
| 40.5 | 7 | 8 | 263 | 26.3 |
| 41 | 7.5 | 8.5 | 267 | 26.7 |
| 41.5 | 7.5+ | 8.5+ | 270 | 27.0 |
| 42 | 8 | 9 | 273 | 27.3 |
| 42.5 | 8.5 | 9.5 | 276 | 27.6 |
| 43 | 9 | 10 | 280 | 28.0 |
| 43.5 | 9.5 | 10.5 | 283 | 28.3 |
| 44 | 9.5+ | 10.5+ | 286 | 28.6 |
| 44.5 | 10 | 11 | 290 | 29.0 |
| 45 | 10.5 | 11.5 | 293 | 29.3 |
| 45.5 | 11 | 12 | 296 | 29.6 |
| 46 | 11.5 | 12.5 | 303 | 30.3 |
| 46.5 | 11.5+ | 12.5+ | 307 | 30.7 |
| 47 | 12 | 13 | 310 | 31.0 |
| 47.5 | 12.5 | 13.5 | 313 | 31.3 |
| 48 | 13 | 14 | 316 | 31.6 |
| 48.5 | 13.5 | 14.5 | 320 | 32.0 |
| 49 | 14 | 15 | 324 | 32.4 |
| 49.5 | 14.5 | 15.5 | 328 | 32.8 |
| 50 | 15 | 16 | 331 | 33.1 |
| 50.5 | 15.5 | 16.5 | 334 | 33.4 |
Women's Shoes Size Chart
| EU | UK | US Women's | Mondopoint (mm) | Foot Length (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | 1 | 2.5 | 210 | 21.0 |
| 33.5 | 1.5 | 3 | 214 | 21.4 |
| 34 | 2 | 3.5 | 217 | 21.7 |
| 34.5 | 2+ | 4 | 221 | 22.1 |
| 35 | 2.5 | 4.5 | 224 | 22.4 |
| 35.5 | 3 | 5 | 227 | 22.7 |
| 36 | 3.5 | 5.5 | 230 | 23.0 |
| 36.5 | 3.5+ | 5.5+ | 236 | 23.6 |
| 37 | 4 | 6 | 240 | 24.0 |
| 37.5 | 4.5 | 6.5 | 243 | 24.3 |
| 38 | 5 | 7 | 246 | 24.6 |
| 38.5 | 5.5 | 7.5 | 250 | 25.0 |
| 39 | 6 | 7.5+ | 253 | 25.3 |
| 39.5 | 6+ | 8 | 256 | 25.6 |
| 40 | 6.5 | 8.5 | 260 | 26.0 |
| 40.5 | 7 | 9 | 263 | 26.3 |
| 41 | 7.5 | 9.5 | 267 | 26.7 |
| 41.5 | 7.5+ | 9.5+ | 270 | 27.0 |
| 42 | 8 | 10 | 273 | 27.3 |
| 42.5 | 8.5 | 10.5 | 276 | 27.6 |
Men's Outerwear Size Chart
| Size | EU | Height (cm) | Chest (cm) | Waist (cm) | Hips (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XS | 44 | 165–174 | 89–93 | 73–77 | 90–94 |
| S | 46 | 169–178 | 93–97 | 77–81 | 94–98 |
| M | 48 | 173–182 | 97–101 | 81–85 | 98–102 |
| L | 50 | 177–186 | 101–105 | 85–89 | 102–106 |
| XL | 52 | 181–190 | 105–110 | 89–94 | 106–111 |
| XXL | 54 | 185–194 | 110–115 | 94–99 | 111–116 |
| 3XL | 56 | 189–194 | 115–120 | 99–104 | 116–121 |
Women's Outerwear Size Chart
| Size | EU | IT | Height (cm) | Chest (cm) | Waist (cm) | Hips (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XXS | 32 | 38 | 155–164 | 80–84 | 60–64 | 86–90 |
| XS | 34 | 40 | 159–168 | 84–88 | 64–68 | 90–94 |
| S | 36 | 42 | 163–172 | 88–92 | 68–72 | 94–98 |
| M | 38 | 44 | 167–176 | 92–96 | 72–76 | 98–102 |
| L | 40 | 46 | 171–180 | 96–100 | 76–80 | 102–106 |
| XL | 42 | 48 | 175–184 | 100–105 | 80–85 | 106–111 |
Product-Specific Guidance
Climbing Shoes
La Sportiva climbing shoes are engineered for precision and sensitivity. They typically run 1 to 2 sizes smaller than your normal street shoe size to provide a snug, aggressive fit that enhances edging power and toebox sensitivity on small holds. A tight fit is intentional and improves performance; however, excessive pain or numbness indicates you've sized too small. Most climbers prefer their climbing shoes tight enough that the heel barely moves, yet loose enough to wriggle the toes slightly.
Hiking and Trail-Running Shoes
For hiking and trail-running shoes, La Sportiva recommends sizing up by half a size compared to your usual street shoe. Feet swell during long outdoor activity due to increased blood flow and repetitive impact, and this sizing accommodation prevents blisters and discomfort. Ensure there is approximately one finger's width of clearance behind the heel when standing, to allow for forward foot movement during descent.
Mountaineering Boots
Mountaineering boots should be sized one full size larger than your regular shoe size to accommodate thick mountaineering socks, thermal liners and insoles whilst maintaining room for circulation. Proper boot fit in the mountains is critical for preventing cold injury. Wear the exact socks and insoles you plan to use when trying on boots, and ensure your heel does not slip excessively during the downhill walk test.
Ski Touring Boots
Ski touring boots use the Mondopoint system, which measures the internal liner length in millimetres. Refer to the conversion chart to match your foot length to the corresponding Mondopoint size. A proper fit should feel snug around the heel and midfoot when the boot is buckled moderately — not painfully tight.
Sizing Tips
- Always measure both feet. One foot is often 0.5–1 cm larger than the other. Size to the larger foot to avoid returning items or experiencing discomfort.
- Measure in the afternoon or evening. Feet swell naturally during the day due to activity and gravity, making afternoon measurements more representative of real-world conditions.
- Wear the appropriate socks. Measure climbing shoes in climbing socks, hiking shoes in hiking socks, and mountaineering boots in thick mountaineering socks. Sock thickness directly affects fit.
- When in doubt, choose the larger size. La Sportiva generally recommends sizing up if you fall between two sizes, except for climbing shoes where a snug fit is non-negotiable.
- Mondopoint is exact to 0.5 cm increments. When measuring foot length for ski boots, you will always arrive at a measurement of exactly 21.0, 21.5, 22.0 cm, etc. — never an ambiguous decimal like 21.3 cm.
- Activity-specific sizing varies dramatically. A European size 38 climbing shoe is far tighter than a European size 38 hiking shoe. Do not assume your size is consistent across all La Sportiva categories.
- Check the product description for fit notes. Some La Sportiva styles have model-specific fit advice; for instance, certain climbing shoe lines run narrow, whilst others offer a relaxed toebox. Always review the product page.
- Return policies are generous. If you receive an item and the size feels wrong, most retailers honour 100-day return windows. Don't hesitate to exchange for a different size.