Adidas vs Nike Sizing: How Do Adidas Shoes Fit Compared to Nike?

For millions of people globally, Adidas and Nike serve as the most reliable brands for athletic as well as casual footwear. In the United States, in particular, there is a fierce head-to-head competition between the two giants.

But you, as a footwear enthusiast, do not have to choose one or the other. You can buy a nice pair of Adidas shoes for your gym while keeping your Nike shoes separate for other activities. That is the beauty of being a smart consumer!

However, if you regularly alternate between Adidas and Nike, you might run into some sizing troubles. And that is not good. Because if you get your shoe fit wrong, everything else is virtually ruined too.

You will not be able to enjoy Nike’s exceptional Air Units or Adidas’s premium cushioning technology. If your shoes are a touch too big or small, you will not have the proper support or stability required to undergo high-impact exercises, often resulting in injuries.

The conclusion, therefore, is pretty simple – make sure that you get your shoe size right.

But Adidas sizing and Nike sizing are very different from each other. While both use the same units and metrics, you will see that one shoe will fit you perfectly while the other might be loose or tight if you order the same size shoes from both Nike and Adidas.

In this article, we will guide you on how to size your shoes perfectly for both Nike and Adidas.

How Do Adidas Shoes Fit Compared to Nike?

Adidas’s sizing compared to Nike’s is slightly different. Generally, Adidas shoes tend to be bigger than Nike shoes of the same size. That is because Adidas, as a brand, prefers to develop and launch shoes that offer more wiggle room for the toes and fingers.

As such, they generally make bigger shoes compared to other contemporary brands like Nike. In contrast, Nike shoes are neither too tight nor loose. They fit snugly around the wearer’s feet, offering only slight gaps for the wearer’s feet to breathe and move around.

In general, therefore, you can say that Adidas shoes run more true-to-size, especially when compared to Nike shoes that run smaller compared to the traditional sizing chart.

How to Find the Right Adidas and Nike Sizing?

We know that Nike sizes compared to Adidas are different. If you order a pair of shoes of the same size from each brand, one will be bigger while the other one will be smaller.

So as a customer who has been ordering Adidas shoes for a while now, what if you want to switch over to Nike? You can’t order the same size as we have already established that Adidas’s size compared to Nike’s is different.

You can’t rely on trial-and-error or guesswork either. That might lead to risky and inefficient investments. So, what can you do?

The most obvious route to finding the right Adidas or Nike shoe sizing is to consult the brands’ size guides and charts. Both Nike and Adidas have their own separate size guides for interested customers.

You can measure the length and width of your feet to decide which shoe size is perfectly suited to meet your requirements.

In general, you will notice that Adidas runs bigger compared to Nike by a difference of around 0.1 inch. So, if you are a woman using a size 8 when it comes to Adidas, your feet will be approximately 9.7 inches in length. The same shoe size on Nike will get you to a pair that is 9.62 inches in length, around 0.1 inches smaller.

As you can see, finding the perfect shoe size for yourself is not a piece of cake. But there are some tips that you can implement to find a pair of Adidas or Nike shoes that fit your feet perfectly:

• Measure your feet from the heel to your longest toe with a ruler. Record the measurement and then order the perfect shoes for yourself by consulting the brand’s size charts.
• Always measure your feet before buying new shoes, even if you have been ordering the same size for years. That is because the shape and curvature of your feet can change due to ageing, illness, or pregnancy.
• If you wear insoles regularly, try them on with your new shoes to determine if the shoes are too tight with the inserts.
• Try out the kind of socks you normally wear with your shoes to see how well they pair together with each other.
• Make sure that your toes have some wiggle room and the shoes are not uncomfortably tight. If you purchase poorly-sized shoes, there is an increased risk of falls, foot deformities, and pain.
• Read the details and product description of each pair of shoes that you purchase. Some of them are specifically designed for wearers with narrower feet. If you purchase the wrong type, they will never fit well on your feet.

Adidas Sizing Chart

Here is a detailed Adidas sizing chart for your reference:

Men’s Chart

Women’s Chart

Nike Sizing Chart

Here is a detailed Nike sizing chart for your reference:

Men’s Chart

Women’s Chart

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Sizing for Wide Feet

While the heel-to-toe measurements are vital for getting your shoe size right, the width cannot be discarded either.

The main reason why some shoes appear to be smaller than others is that they have comparatively narrower widths. In many Nike shoes, for instance, the design is sleek, and the ending is kept narrow for ergonomic purposes.

Generally, you will find that Adidas shoes are wider while Nike shoes run narrow at the base. If you have wide feet, make sure you get the sizing right by measuring the width of your feet.

Alternatively, you can explore some wide-styled shoes that are launched specifically for people with wide feet.

Is Nike Shoe Size the Same as Adidas?

No, Nike’s shoe sizes are smaller compared to Adidas because Nike shoes generally run smaller while Adidas shoes run true to size.

While purchasing shoes from either brand, it is important to consult their separate size guides and purchase the perfect fit depending on your feet’ measurements.

Does Nike Run Bigger or Smaller than Adidas?

Generally, Nike shoes run smaller compared to Adidas shoes. The disparity in size is because both the lengths and widths of Nike models are generally smaller compared to mainstream Adidas products.

To give you a concrete idea, Nike runs smaller compared to Adidas by a size difference of up to 5 millimetres. So, if you are a woman wearing a Nike US size 6.5 model, the shoe will measure around 9.12 inches from the heel to the toebox.

On the other hand, the same shoe size for Adidas will measure around 9.2 inches. As you can see, there is a significant difference of 0.08 inches, which roughly translates to 5 millimetres.

While this may not seem much on paper, it can cause a world of difference in terms of the feel and functionality of the shoes.

Which One is Narrower: Adidas or Nike?

Generally, you will find that Nike shoes are narrower compared to Adidas shoes.

The difference is primarily because of Adidas’s age-old policy of providing significant breathing space around the feet by making traditionally wider shoes. Therefore, Adidas is the go-to brand for big athletes with naturally wider feet.

Nike, on the other hand, focuses more on creating form-fitting shoes. While these provide maximum comfort and a natural feel to the wearer, it’s not the ideal choice for athletes with wide feet.

Parting Words

Nike and Adidas are two of the most well-known footwear and sports apparel brands in the whole world. It’s only natural that shoe enthusiasts and sneakerheads want to try the best of both.

But in doing so, they often mess up their sizing. That is because Adidas and Nike differ from each other in terms of their sizing policies. So, before you start purchasing your Adidas shoes or Nike shoes, it’s always better to learn more about their individual size guides.