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52MeowCat t1_iugx86y wrote

Ok, I looked it up and you're right, it is not based on it it is just that carob seeds can be used to estimate shoe size because of their consistency.

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Amaranthine t1_iuh88um wrote

I assume barley/poppyseeds are also pretty consistent, which is why UK (and US) sizes are based off that :)

So for anyone wondering what one shoe size is and why it doesn't quite map with centimeters... it's because 1 US size is a barleycorn, which = 1/3 of an inch; close enough that sizes will more or less map to 1cm (2.54cm per inch), but not qute.

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