APL Shoe Sizing: Men's vs Women's Sizes, Unisex Conversion, Slides and Exchanges
APL (Athletic Propulsion Labs) sells nearly every shoe in separate women's and men's listings, but it also says all of its shoes are unisex. That makes sizing more flexible than it first looks, and more confusing: slides come in whole sizes only, some performance and basketball shoes use a single unisex scale, and the kids' range has its own sizes. Below are the ranges, conversions and fit notes APL publishes, and what happens if a pair does not fit. For shipping, prices and the brand overall, see our full APL review.
At a glance Checked October 2026
APL's rule is simple: a women's size is 1.5 sizes larger than the men's equivalent, so a women's 9 is a men's 7.5. Women's shoes run from US 5 to 11 and men's from 7 to 14, with half sizes only up to 12. No widths are offered, and only a few pages say anything about fit.
- Best for: Shoppers between sizes, women who wear above an 11, men below a 7, and anyone buying APL for the first time.
- Typical price: Adult shoes $180 to $495 and slides $130 to $195 at full price; kids' $99 to $110 and youth $119.
- Watch out for: The 10-day return window, the unworn-and-original-box rule and the $10 handling fee on mail-in refunds leave little room to experiment with sizes.
Men's vs women's size ranges at APL
From the product feed and size selectors we checked:
- Women's shoes: US 5 to 11 in half sizes on almost every model. A few TechLoom Breeze listings add a women's 12. There is no 11.5.
- Men's shoes: US 7 to 12 in half sizes, then 13 and 14. Some colorways of the TechLoom Bliss, Zipline, Wave, Breeze, Pro, Traveler, Streamline, Tracer, Jogger and Nostalgia '87 add a 15. There is no 12.5 or 13.5.
- Slides: whole sizes only, women's 5 to 11 and men's 7 to 14, with a 15 on some men's colorways.
- Unisex models: the APL HySpeed and the basketball shoes (Concept X, SUPERFUTURE, TechLoom Takeoff) use one unisex scale, with larger sizes sold as separate "X sizes" listings up to 16.
- Kids and youth: Kid's TechLoom Bliss and Wave in sizes 8 to 13 ($99 to $110) and Youth's in sizes 1 to 4 ($119).
Women's and men's versions of each model cost the same.
The 1.5-size unisex conversion and APL's size chart
Almost every adult listing ends with the same line: "All of our shoes are unisex. If your size is sold out, simply select a men's size on the site and adjust the fit down by a size and half." Men's pages say the reverse: a men's 7 is a women's 8.5. When a size is unavailable, the size selector shows a "Can't find your size?" note with the equivalent in the other section.
The size chart on each running and training page converts US women's, US men's, UK, EU and centimeters. A few rows as listed:
- Women's 7 = men's 5.5 = UK 4.5 = EU 37 = 23.5 cm
- Women's 9 = men's 7.5 = UK 6.5 = EU 40 = 25.5 cm
- Women's 11 = men's 9.5 = UK 8.5 = EU 42.5 = 27.5 cm
- Men's 9 = women's 10.5 = UK 8 = EU 42 = 27 cm
- Men's 12 = women's 13.5 = UK 11 = EU 45.5 = 30 cm
The conversion is most useful at the ends of each range. A woman who wears a 12 has few women's options, but the chart maps a women's 12 to a men's 10.5, which every men's listing carries. A man who wears a 6.5 can look at a women's 8. The chart also lists a men's 12.5 that the men's product listings do not sell, so treat the chart as a conversion table, not a stock list. Matching your foot length to the CM column is the most direct way to use it.
Fit notes on specific models
APL makes very few fit statements, and none of its shoes are offered in wide or narrow widths. The ones we found:
- TechLoom Pro ($180): "Standard normal width sizing and a slightly wider toe box."
- TechLoom Traveler ($220): "Runs true to size." The AI-generated review summary on the same page says some customers recommend going up half a size, so the two sources do not fully agree.
- Streamline ($300): no fit statement from APL, but the review summary says customers "recommend sizing up half a size," with some suggesting a full size, and describes fit feedback as "varied."
- Lusso Pool Slide ($195): "For half sizes in slides, we recommend you size up." The same note does not appear on the Lusso Slide or Big Logo TechLoom Slide pages, but since all APL slides come in whole sizes only, it is a sensible reference if you are a half size.
Review summaries reflect what buyers wrote, not APL's guidance. The Zipline, Veil, Bliss and Wave pages make no fit statement either way.
Slides, unisex X sizes and kids' sizes
Slides. The Lusso Slide ($195, Nappa leather strap and footbed), Lusso Pool Slide ($195, padded water-resistant Lycra) and Big Logo TechLoom Slide ($130, knit strap with mesh lining) all list 4.0 oz and a Propelium sole. The women's slide chart converts whole sizes only, for example a women's 8 = UK 5.5 = EU 38.5, and a women's 9 = UK 6.5 = EU 40. APL warns that slides with natural materials such as leather should not be worn in or around water.
Unisex X sizes. The HySpeed ($495) size chart is labeled "Unisex Sizing," with an "APL Size" equal to the US men's size and the women's size 1.5 higher, from APL size 3.5 (women's 5) to 16. Its size selector shows both, such as "M 7.5 / W 9." The largest sizes are sold as separate "X sizes" listings, so if your size seems missing, search for the X-size version of the same colorway.
Kids and youth. APL adapted the TechLoom Bliss and Wave for children. Kid's sizes 8 to 13 cost $99 or $110 depending on colorway, and Youth's sizes 1 to 4 cost $119. The youth Bliss keeps the slip-on design with an elastic strap.
If the size is wrong: exchanges and returns
Key rules from APL's returns page, re-checked in October 2026:
- Window: 10 days from receipt or delivery. Later returns are accepted only at APL's discretion.
- Condition: unworn, unwashed and smoke-free, with tags, accessories and any extra laces, in the original shoebox. APL asks you to pack that shoebox inside another box because it must come back undamaged.
- Exchanges: free for US orders through the returns portal. International orders cannot be exchanged; you return the pair and place a new order.
- Refunds: a flat $10 handling fee is deducted from all mail-in returns, and shipping is not refunded. Refunds are processed within 10 to 15 business days of arrival at the warehouse.
- Final Sale items cannot be returned or exchanged, and pairs bought from APL's retail partners go back to that retailer.
Because worn shoes are refused, try new pairs indoors on a clean floor. If you are unsure between two sizes, the free domestic exchange is the cheaper route; a refund costs $10. US shipping is free over $95, which covers any adult pair. We did not find a public code at the time of writing; any working offers we find are listed on our APL coupons page.
Frequently asked questions
Do APL shoes run true to size?
APL only says so for the TechLoom Traveler. The TechLoom Pro is described as standard width with a slightly wider toe box, and review summaries on the Streamline page suggest going up half a size. Other models carry no fit statement.
How do I convert a women's APL size to men's?
Subtract 1.5. A women's 9 is a men's 7.5 and a women's 10.5 is a men's 9. The size chart on each product page also gives UK, EU and centimeter equivalents.
Does APL make wide shoes?
No width options are listed on any model we checked. The TechLoom Pro, with its "slightly wider toe box," is the only one whose page mentions toe-box room.
The bottom line
APL sizing is unisex at heart: women's sizes sit 1.5 above men's, and switching sections keeps the same price. Know the gaps (no women's 11.5, no men's 12.5, whole-size slides), measure in centimeters against APL's chart, and use the free domestic exchange rather than a $10-fee refund if the first pair is off.
Disclosure: this article contains affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. Prices and policies were checked on the APL website at the time of writing and may change.