If you’ve ever picked up a pair of Waldläufer or another German-made shoe and seen a letter like G, H, K or M on the box instead of the E, EE, EEE you’re used to, you’re not imagining things — it’s a genuinely different system, and nobody explains it particularly well.
The same width letter system is used in some other brands e.g. Gabor and Ganter, both of which have German roots but are now made elsewhere.
I use Waldläufer regularly myself (the Lana is one of my go-to everyday shoes, and it’s what my own foot width calculator is actually built around), so I get asked about this letter system more than you’d think. Here’s the plain version.
What the German Width Letters Mean
German shoe brands (Waldläufer among the best known) use a different letter scale entirely, running roughly from narrow to wide: F, G, H, K, and M. It isn’t the same alphabet as the UK/US system, and the letters don’t line up one-to-one — which is exactly why “wide EE vs wide H” trips people up so often.
| German letter | Roughly equivalent UK/US width | Fit |
|---|---|---|
| F | Standard / D | Standard fitting |
| G | D–E | Standard to slightly roomy |
| H | E | Wide fitting |
| K | EE | Extra wide fitting |
| M | EEE | Very wide fitting |
Treat this as a rough guide, not gospel — every brand’s own last (the shape a shoe is built around) varies slightly, so the same letter can feel different from one manufacturer to the next. If you want a more precise comparison based on your own measurements, my foot width calculator compares your actual forefoot circumference against Waldläufer’s specific German fitting system.
Why German Brands Use a Different System at All
It’s simply a different regional standard, the same way shoe sizes themselves differ between UK, US and EU. German comfort-shoe brands have used the F–M letter scale for a long time, and it’s genuinely more precise in some ways — some brands offer more width increments than the UK’s E/EE/EEE jumps allow for. The downside is that if you’ve only ever shopped UK or US sizing, it can look completely unfamiliar the first time you see it.
For a wider look at width letters generally, including the UK and US systems, my Wide Shoe Widths Explained guide covers those in more depth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is H width the same as EE?
Not exactly, but they’re close. H is roughly equivalent to a UK/US E (wide) fitting, while K is closer to EE (extra wide). The exact match varies by brand.
What does G width mean in shoes?
G sits between a standard fitting and a wide one — roughly a UK D to E. It’s a common “just a bit roomier than standard” option in German sizing.
Why do some brands use letters like K or M instead of EE or EEE?
It’s simply a different regional sizing standard, most common among German and European comfort-shoe brands, rather than a different measuring method as such.