Compression Sock Size Chart: Ankle, Calf and Wide-Calf Sizes

By lunch the cuff of your compression socks has rolled down and is biting a line under your knee, or the heel will not go past your ankle at all. Ordering by shoe size is the quick route, but on Vim & Vigr’s chart the same women’s 8.5 to 11.5 shoe size comes in two calf ranges: the M/L fits a 13- to 17-inch calf and the Wide Calf M/L a 17- to 21-inch one. Below is where to measure, five size charts from four brands side by side up to a 24-inch calf, and what to do when your ankle and calf land in different rows.

The short answer

Chart	What it sizes by	Largest calf printed	Largest ankle printed
Comrad	Shoe size + calf (calf for knee-highs only)	20 in (XL)	Not on chart
Vim & Vigr	Shoe size + calf	21 in (all three wide-calf sizes)	Not on chart
Rejuva	Ankle + calf (+ thigh, height, weight)	20 in (XL)	13.5 in (XL)
Sigvaris Essential cotton, calf	Ankle first, then calf and leg length	24 in (X)	14 in (X)
Sigvaris Casual Cotton	Shoe size + ankle	Not on chart	11.5 in (men’s C)

How to measure for compression socks

You need a soft tape, a pen, and your legs before the day has started on them. Sigvaris’s measuring guide says measurements “should always be taken as soon after waking as possible, when swelling is minimal”, and Rejuva’s size page recommends “first thing in the morning before any swelling occurs.”

1. Ankle. Stand with your foot flat on the floor and wrap the tape round “the narrowest part of the ankle, above the ankle bone”, in Sigvaris’s words. Sigvaris calls this “your first measurement” and uses it to set Small, Medium, Large or X-Large.
2. Calf. Wrap the tape round “the fullest part of the calf”, in Sigvaris’s words. Comrad and Vim & Vigr both measure at the widest part of the calf.
3. Calf length. Only Sigvaris’s Essential chart asks for it: from the floor up to the bend of the knee, on the chart’s diagram; its measuring page says to measure “from the floor up to the fibular head”, on the outside of the leg.
4. Keep the tape snug. Sigvaris says “snug but not constricting”, on bare skin, “not over clothing”. Vim & Vigr says a piece of string laid alongside a ruler works too.
5. Write down both legs’ numbers and your US shoe size, men’s or women’s. If the shoe size is a guess, here is how to measure foot size at home.

Compression sock size chart by shoe size and calf

Comrad and Vim & Vigr hang each size on a shoe-size band, then split it by calf. Comrad’s calf sizing “only applies to knee-high” socks.

Size	Women’s US shoe	Men’s US shoe	Calf (in)
Comrad S	4–7.5	3–5.5	10–14
Comrad S Wide	4–7.5	3–5.5	12–15
Comrad M	8–10.5	6–8.5	12–14
Comrad M Wide	8–10.5	6–8.5	14–16
Comrad L	11+	9–12	15–17
Comrad L Wide	11+	9–12	17–19
Comrad XL	Not printed	13+	18–20
Vim & Vigr S/M	5–8	3.5–6.5	12–16
Vim & Vigr Wide Calf S/M	5–8	3.5–6.5	17–21
Vim & Vigr M/L	8.5–11.5	7–10	13–17
Vim & Vigr Wide Calf M/L	8.5–11.5	7–10	17–21
Vim & Vigr L/XL	12–15	10.5–13.5	14–18
Vim & Vigr Wide Calf L/XL	12–15	10.5–13.5	17–21

Comrad’s wide rows top out at 19 inches; its XL reaches 20 but lists only a men’s 13 and up. Vim & Vigr’s three wide-calf sizes all print the same 17 to 21 inches, so at Vim & Vigr the shoe size picks the size and the calf picks standard or wide.

Compression sock size chart by ankle and calf

Rejuva and Sigvaris’s Essential cotton calf chart size by ankle and calf, with no shoe size in the table.

Size	Ankle (in)	Calf (in)	Also printed
Rejuva S	7.5–9	11–15	4′11″–5′6″, 95–135 lb
Rejuva M	9–10.5	12–17	5′2″–5′8″, 110–150 lb
Rejuva L	10.5–12	13–19	5′4″–5′10″, 130–170 lb
Rejuva XL	12–13.5	14–20	5′6″–6′0″, 150–195 lb
Sigvaris Essential S (SS / SL)	7–8.5	11–15.5	Short leg ≤16 in, Long >16 in
Sigvaris M (MS / ML)	8.5–10	12.5–17.5	Short leg ≤16 in, Long >16 in
Sigvaris L (LS / LL)	10–11.5	14–20	Short leg ≤16 in, Long >16 in
Sigvaris X (XS / XL)	11.5–14	16–24	Short leg ≤16 in, Long >16 in

Rejuva’s chart image labels its measurement columns only A, B, C and D; the knee-high drawing under it puts A at the ankle and B round the calf, so those are the two columns here (our reading). Its size page adds: “we strongly advise you take your leg circumference measurements.”

On the Sigvaris chart the second letter is the leg length: S for Short, L for Long (our reading of the ≤16 and >16 row). XL there is size X (X-Large) with a Long leg, and XS is size X (X-Large) with a Short leg, so XS is the largest size, not extra-small. Shoe sizes appear only as a note under the table: women’s 5.5 to 9.5 for Short Leg and 8 to 12 for Long Leg; men’s 7 to 11 and 9.5 to 14.

Sock styles sized by shoe and ankle only

Sigvaris’s Casual Cotton socks use shoe size and ankle, with no calf line:

• Women’s: A is a 5 to 7 shoe and a 7- to 9-inch ankle; B is 7.5 to 9.5 and 7.5 to 10 inches; C is 10 to 12 and 8 to 10.5 inches.
• Men’s: A is 6.5 to 8.5 and 7.5 to 10 inches; B is 9 to 11 and 8 to 10.5 inches; C is 11.5 to 14 and 8.5 to 11.5 inches.

With no calf range printed, this chart cannot tell you whether the socks close round a wide calf.

Wide calves: where each chart ends

• Up to 19 inches: Comrad’s L Wide (17 to 19). Comrad’s FAQ points calves over 17 inches, measured at the widest part, to its wide-calf sizes, which it makes “in many of our knee-high styles”.
• Up to 20 inches: Comrad’s XL, Rejuva’s XL and Sigvaris’s Essential L.
• Up to 21 inches: all three Vim & Vigr wide-calf sizes.
• Up to 24 inches: Sigvaris’s Essential X, which also takes the largest ankle of these charts, 11.5 to 14 inches.

If you also need boots that close over the same calf, the wide calf black boots guide lists calf sizes in inches.

When your ankle and calf land in different rows

A full calf over a slimmer ankle can split across two rows. Two example legs on each chart (our reading):

Women’s 9 shoe, 9.5-inch ankle, 18-inch calf

• Vim & Vigr: Wide Calf M/L. The shoe size and the calf both fit that row.
• Sigvaris Casual Cotton (women’s): B; the shoe and ankle both fit.
• Comrad: the shoe size says M, but 18 inches is past M Wide (14 to 16); L Wide (17 to 19) is listed for women’s 11 and up, and XL (18 to 20) prints no women’s size.
• Rejuva: the ankle says M (9 to 10.5); the calf fits L (13 to 19) or XL (14 to 20), not M (12 to 17).
• Sigvaris Essential: the ankle says M (8.5 to 10), but the calf is past M’s 17.5 and fits L (14 to 20) or X (16 to 24); L’s ankle starts at 10.

Women’s 11 shoe, 11-inch ankle, 21-inch calf

• Vim & Vigr: Wide Calf M/L, with the calf at the top of its 17 to 21 range.
• Sigvaris Essential: the ankle says L (10 to 11.5), the calf only fits X (16 to 24), whose ankle starts at 11.5.
• Comrad, Rejuva and the women’s side of the Casual Cotton chart: past the chart (calf over 20, or ankle over 10.5 on Casual Cotton).

When the rows split, ask the brand before you order, with both numbers ready. Sigvaris treats the ankle as the first measurement. Comrad’s FAQ answers the general between-sizes question with “Size down for a tighter feel, or up for more comfort—especially if you’re new to compression.” For a calf between a wide and a standard size, Vim & Vigr’s FAQ says: “we recommend trying the standard calf size first.”

Size is not the compression level

The mmHg number is a separate choice from the size. Vim & Vigr puts it simply: “The higher the numerical value, the stronger the support.” Comrad’s knee-highs come in 15–20 and 20–30 mmHg, and “Higher compression will naturally feel tighter.” Vim & Vigr’s guide says to consult a healthcare provider before choosing 20–30 or 30–40 mmHg.

Before you order

• Use the chart for the exact style. Rejuva says to check product pages for other brands’ charts, and Sigvaris lists a separate chart for each product line.
• Check whether the calf line applies. At Comrad it covers knee-highs only.
• Look for a wide-calf option on the listing’s size menu, not just in the chart.
• Read the returns page before paying.
• More measuring walkthroughs, such as the shoe size chart inches guide, are in size guides.

Where these numbers come from

Sizes and measuring instructions are copied from the Comrad and Vim & Vigr size chart pages, Rejuva’s size page and chart image and Sigvaris’s measuring guide and chart images, read on 11 October 2026. Placing the example legs, and naming Rejuva’s A and B columns, is our reading.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know what size compression socks to get?

Measure your ankle at its narrowest point, your calf at its fullest point and, for Sigvaris's Essential chart, the length from the floor to the bend of the knee, first thing in the morning and on bare skin. Then read the chart for the exact brand and style: of the five charts in this guide, Comrad and Vim & Vigr size by shoe size and calf, Rejuva and Sigvaris's Essential cotton calf chart by ankle and calf, and Sigvaris's Casual Cotton by shoe size and ankle.

What size compression socks fit a 20-inch calf?

Of the five charts in this guide: Comrad's XL (18 to 20 inches, listed for men's shoe 13 and up, with no women's shoe size printed); any of Vim & Vigr's three wide-calf sizes (17 to 21 inches); Rejuva's XL (14 to 20 on its calf line); and Sigvaris's Essential cotton calf sizes L (14 to 20) and X (16 to 24), where your ankle measurement picks between them.

Do compression socks go by shoe size?

Some do. Comrad and Vim & Vigr print a shoe-size band for every size (Comrad's XL lists a men's size only) and add calf circumference; Sigvaris's Casual Cotton chart (women's and men's versions) uses shoe size and ankle. Rejuva's chart prints no shoe size at all, and Sigvaris's Essential cotton calf chart sizes by ankle first, with shoe sizes printed only as a note under the table.

What does XL mean on a Sigvaris compression sock chart?

On Sigvaris's Essential cotton calf chart, the letters pair a size with a leg length: S, M, L and X are set by ankle and calf, and the second letter is Short (calf length 16 inches or less) or Long (over 16). So XL there is X-Large with a Long leg, and XS is X-Large with a Short leg (our reading of the chart and of Sigvaris's measuring guide, which names the sizes Small, Medium, Large and X-Large); XS is not extra-small.