There's nothing wierd about Shimano's actual sizing, it's just their conversions are wonky. I wear a US women's 8.5 in running shoes, which always say they are equivalent to a euro 40. My Shimano shoes (the same ones as Kathi's, but the women's version) are, lo and behold, a size 40 also. Or perhaps they haven't done wonky conversions - maybe they're just giving the men's equivalent sizing instead of the women's...