Sock Sizes: Men's and Women's Sock Size Chart by Shoe Size

The sock’s heel has ridden up the back of your ankle, or the toe of the sock is pulling across your toes by lunch. Grabbing the pack marked for your usual size is the quick fix, but the letters do not mean the same thing everywhere: a men’s US 12 shoe is a Large on Darn Tough’s chart and an XL on Smartwool’s. Below are three brands’ sock sizes side by side, from XS to XXL and the numbered sizes 10 to 14, plus where the men’s and women’s columns part, what to buy for big feet, and how to tell if a pair fits once it is on.

The short answer

Your shoe (US)	Darn Tough	Smartwool	Wigwam stretch
Men’s 9	M (8–9.5)	L (9–11.5)	MD (5–9.5) or LG (9–12)
Men’s 12	L (10–12)	XL (12–14.5)	LG (9–12) or XL (12–15)
Men’s 15	XXL (15–17)	XXL (15–17.5)	XL (12–15) or 2L (15–17)
Women’s 10	L on its women’s chart (10–11.5)	L (10–12.5)	MD (6–10) or LG (10–13)

Start with your shoe size

All three charts size socks by shoe size, not by inches. Smartwool says its socks “run true to size, based on your total foot length”, but the chart itself lists shoe sizes, so the first job is knowing yours. If it has drifted, here is how to measure foot size at home.

Then note two things: whether the sock you want is sold as men’s, women’s or unisex, and whether the brand’s chart puts both columns on one table. Darn Tough prints a men’s and unisex chart and a separate women’s chart; Smartwool’s chart and Wigwam’s stretch and numbered charts each print men’s and women’s columns side by side.

Men’s sock size chart

Rows are lined up by letter position (our alignment). Wigwam’s letters are SM/MS, MD, LG, XL and 2L, so its row label is shown next to its range.

Size	Darn Tough men’s US	Smartwool men’s US	Wigwam stretch, men’s US
XS	2.5–5	Not on chart	Not on chart
S	5.5–7.5	3–5.5	SM/MS: no men’s size printed
M	8–9.5	6–8.5	MD: 5–9.5
L	10–12	9–11.5	LG: 9–12
XL	12.5–14.5	12–14.5	XL: 12–15
XXL	15–17	15–17.5	2L: 15–17

The same letter covers different feet. Darn Tough’s S runs from men’s 5.5 to 7.5 and Smartwool’s from 3 to 5.5, so the two share only a 5.5; a men’s 9 is a Medium at Darn Tough and a Large at Smartwool. On Wigwam’s chart the ends of neighbouring rows touch: a men’s 9 or 9.5 appears in both MD and LG, and a 12 in both LG and XL.

Women’s sock sizes

Size	Darn Tough women’s chart, women’s US	Smartwool women’s US	Wigwam stretch, women’s US
S	4.5–7	4–6.5	SM/MS: 4–7
M	7.5–9.5	7–9.5	MD: 6–10
L	10–11.5	10–12.5	LG: 10–13
XL	12–14 (select styles)	N/A	Not printed

Darn Tough marks its women’s XL as “here in select women’s styles for a limited time.” Smartwool and Wigwam print no women’s row above 12.5 and 13. Darn Tough’s men’s and unisex chart does: its Large lists women’s 12 to 14. On Smartwool’s chart the women’s column sits one size above the men’s on every row it prints, so a women’s 13.5 would read as a men’s 12.5, an XL (our arithmetic, beyond the printed rows). On Wigwam’s stretch chart the LG row’s women’s range is also one size above its men’s (10 to 13 against 9 to 12), so a women’s 14 would read as a men’s 13, an XL (12 to 15) (our arithmetic, beyond the printed rows).

How far apart the men’s and women’s columns sit

On the three charts in the tables above, the women’s range sits higher than the men’s (our arithmetic):

• Darn Tough’s men’s and unisex chart: two sizes at both ends of all four rows that print a women’s size (XS to L). Its Medium is men’s 8 to 9.5 and women’s 10 to 11.5.
• Smartwool: one size at both ends of all three rows that print a women’s size (S to L). Its Large is men’s 9 to 11.5 and women’s 10 to 12.5.
• Wigwam’s stretch chart: one size on LG (9 to 12 against 10 to 13); on MD one size at the bottom and half a size at the top (9.5 against 10).

So a women’s 10 is a Medium on Darn Tough’s men’s and unisex chart but a Large on its women’s chart; both cover women’s 10 to 11.5. Darn Tough adds that its “Men’s styles tend to rise a tad higher on the leg.”

Numbered sock sizes 10 to 14

A pack printed with one range such as 10–13 is sized on that maker’s own scale, not Wigwam’s: look for a shoe-size line beside it on the pack, and if there isn’t one, check the maker’s size page or the listing before you open the pack (our suggestion). On Wigwam’s numbered chart the sock number is not your shoe size. Wigwam’s numbered chart, printed for its F1061 Master Sock only, gives each number a toe-seam colour and a range:

Sock size	Toe seam	Men’s US	Women’s US
10	Green	6–8	7–9
11	Red	8–10	9–11
12	Blue	10.5–12	12–13
13	Yellow	12–13	Not printed
14	Black	13.5–14.5	Not printed

A size 12 sock fits a men’s 10.5 to 12, not a men’s 12 only. A men’s 8 sits in both 10 and 11, and a men’s 12 in both 12 and 13. The women’s column has a gap: 11.5 falls between the 11 row (to 11) and the 12 row (from 12).

Sock sizes for big feet

For a men’s 13 and up:

• Darn Tough: XL covers 12.5 to 14.5 and XXL 15 to 17. Its fit article puts it plainly: “Got large feet ? We knit XXL for you.”
• Smartwool: XL is 12 to 14.5 and XXL 15 to 17.5, the highest shoe size printed on the three charts.
• Wigwam: stretch XL runs 12 to 15 and 2L 15 to 17; numbered 13 and 14 reach men’s 14.5; its 7-Footer tube sock is listed for men’s 9 to 17.

If your feet are wide as well as long, check your shoe width sizes too; Darn Tough’s advice for that case is in the next section. For tall socks, the calf can change the size too: Darn Tough’s height chart lists its over-the-calf socks at 17 inches from heel to cuff for men’s and unisex and 16.25 for women’s, and its fit article says: “If you have wide calves, you may find you wear one size in our shorter socks but want to size up in our taller socks, especially Over-the-Calf.” Charts that print calf inches are in our compression sock size chart.

When you land between two sizes

Darn Tough’s advice for its own socks:

• Right on the line: “Between sizes? Size up.”
• Near the top of a range and buying a cushioned sock: the terry loops sit inside the sock, so “You may want to size up.”
• Near the top of a range and wearing a wide shoe: “you may want to size up for some additional stretch.”
• Wanting a loose sock to lounge in: “go ahead and size up.”

On Wigwam’s stretch chart the touching ends (a men’s 9, 12 or 15, or a women’s 10) put you in two rows at once, as a men’s 8 or 12 does on its numbered chart. Wigwam’s size chart page gives no tie-break rule. Its page lists [email protected] for product questions, so ask before ordering; if you would rather not, taking the larger row follows Darn Tough’s size-up rule, which is our suggestion for Wigwam, not Wigwam’s.

How to check the fit once they are on

Darn Tough’s fit checks are written for its own socks; for the heel, it says you can confirm the fit “on any sock by looking closely at the heel area”.

1. Heel. Stand with your foot flat. The diagonal line where the heel is shaped should point back off the end of your heel and roughly cut the heel in half. Darn Tough: “If your sock is too big, the heel area will ride up your Achilles. Too small, the heel bed won’t be centered on your heel.”
2. Toes. “If excess fabric is bunching, the sock’s likely too big. Flex your toes – if the sock moves with them, all set.” If you cannot flex your toes against the sock, it is too small.
3. Tightness, over a full day. “The best test is to wear them for a full day.” Darn Tough’s yardstick: “If you’ve forgotten they’re on by the end of the day, chances are they’re not too tight”.

Before you order

• Read the chart for the exact brand. A Large at one maker can be an XL at another.
• Use the right column. On a men’s or unisex chart, read the women’s column for your women’s shoe size where one is printed; convert only past the last women’s row, as above.
• Check the listing’s size menu. A brand’s chart can print sizes a given style does not come in, as Darn Tough’s women’s XL shows.
• Read the returns page before paying.
• More measuring walkthroughs are in size guides.

Where these numbers come from

Sizes are copied from the Darn Tough, Smartwool and Wigwam size chart pages and Darn Tough’s fit article, read on 26 October 2026. The men’s-to-women’s gaps and where the example shoe sizes land are our arithmetic.

Frequently asked questions

What size socks does a men's 10 shoe take?

On the three brands' charts in this guide, a men's US 10 is a Large at Darn Tough (10 to 12) and at Smartwool (9 to 11.5), an LG on Wigwam's stretch chart (9 to 12), and a size 11 on Wigwam's numbered chart for its F1061 Master Sock (8 to 10).

What sock size is a women's 8 shoe?

A women's US 8 is a Medium on Darn Tough's women's chart (7.5 to 9.5) and an S on its men's and unisex chart, whose Women US column puts 7.5 to 9.5 beside the S. It is a Medium at Smartwool (7 to 9.5), an MD on Wigwam's stretch chart (6 to 10) and a size 10 on Wigwam's numbered chart (7 to 9).

What do sock sizes 10 to 13 mean?

On Wigwam's numbered chart, which it prints for its F1061 Master Sock only, each number covers a range of shoe sizes rather than matching one: a size 10 sock fits men's 6 to 8, 11 fits men's 8 to 10, 12 fits men's 10.5 to 12 and 13 fits men's 12 to 13. Size 14 covers men's 13.5 to 14.5.

What sock size fits a men's 15 shoe or bigger?

Darn Tough's and Smartwool's XXL both start at a men's US 15 and run to 17 and 17.5. Wigwam lists 15 in two stretch sizes, XL (12 to 15) and 2L (15 to 17), and its 7-Footer tube sock runs from men's 9 to 17.