Kate Upton is tall. Like, really tall. If you’ve ever seen her standing next to a standard-sized human on a red carpet, you’ve probably noticed she usually towers over them, even without the five-inch stilettos. But exactly how tall is Kate Upton? It's a question that has sparked plenty of debate on height-tracking forums and celebrity gossip sites for over a decade.
The official number is 5 feet 10 inches (about 178 cm).
For some reason, people always think she’s shorter. Maybe it’s because her "curvy" frame—a term she’s had a complicated relationship with—distracts from her actual verticality. Or maybe it’s because she spent years being photographed in bikinis on sand, where there are no doorframes or refrigerators for scale. But 5'10" is a legitimate "supermodel" height. It’s the same height as Gisele Bündchen and Blake Lively.
Why Kate Upton's height matters in fashion
When Kate first burst onto the scene with that viral "Dougie" video at a Clippers game back in 2011, the fashion world didn't really know what to do with her. She wasn't the typical rail-thin, 5'11" runway hanger. She had a chest. She had hips. Because of her proportions, people often assumed she was a "commercial" model, which is industry-speak for "not tall enough for high fashion."
They were wrong.
Honestly, Kate’s height is exactly what allowed her to bridge the gap between Sports Illustrated and the cover of Vogue. If she were 5'6", she might have stayed a "bikini girl" forever. But at 5'10", she has the stature that high-fashion designers like Marc Jacobs and companies like Guess actually look for. She’s got that presence.
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The runway vs. the magazine
In the modeling world, every inch is a currency. Most agencies want women between 5'9" and 5'11". Kate sits right in that sweet spot. Despite being 5'10", she famously faced pushback from Victoria’s Secret casting directors early in her career. Sophia Neophitou, who was the creative director for the VS fashion show, once notoriously told the New York Times that they’d "never use" Kate because she was too "page 3" and looked like a "footballer’s wife."
It was a harsh, weirdly specific critique. It also didn't age well. Kate went on to grace the cover of Vogue multiple times, proving that her 5'10" frame worked just fine for the highest echelons of the industry.
Standing next to a Giant: Kate and Justin Verlander
If you want to see Kate Upton look "short," you just have to look at her standing next to her husband, Justin Verlander. The MLB legend is a massive human being. Verlander stands at 6 feet 5 inches.
Even with Kate being a solid 5'10", there is a 7-inch height difference between them. When she wears her favorite Jimmy Choos, she gets close to his eye level, but in sneakers? She’s definitely looking up at him.
- Kate Upton: 5'10" (178 cm)
- Justin Verlander: 6'5" (196 cm)
- The Gap: 7 inches
It’s actually a pretty classic "tall couple" dynamic. They’ve been together since around 2014, married in 2017 right after he won the World Series with the Astros, and honestly, they make a 5'10" woman look like a petite lady-in-waiting in their wedding photos.
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Beyond the tape measure: The body image battle
Measurements aren't just numbers for someone like Kate; they’ve been weapons used against her. Early on, the "skinny, skinny, skinny" obsessed industry (her words, not mine) tried to make her feel like her 5'10" frame was "too much."
Basically, she was told she was "too big" for the very industry she was dominating.
She’s been incredibly vocal about this. In interviews with HOLA! and Shape, she’s talked about how the constant discussion about her body put her in an "emotionally bad place." She wasn't just a model; she was a talking point for whether "curvy" belonged in high fashion.
The Strong4Me Shift
In 2026, Kate’s focus has shifted entirely away from the scale. She’s teamed up with her trainer, Ben Bruno, to push the "Strong4Me" program. The philosophy is simple: stop trying to fit into a sample size and start trying to be a "machine."
She famously told Sports Illustrated that she doesn't even own a scale anymore. She trains about four times a week, doing a mix of light weights, yoga, and boxing. She can deadlift 200 pounds. That’s not "bikini model" strength; that’s "athlete" strength.
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Real talk on the 5'10" life
Being a 5'10" woman isn't always glamorous, even if you’re a supermodel. Kate has mentioned in the past that modeling can be a solitary profession—lots of traveling alone as a teenager, navigating customs, and sitting in hotel rooms.
She also has a shoe size to match her height: a US 9.5.
If you’re wondering how she compares to other famous faces, here’s a quick reality check on the heights of her peers:
- Cameron Diaz: 5'9" (Kate was slightly taller than her in The Other Woman)
- Leslie Mann: 5'7" (Kate looked significantly taller in their scenes together)
- Tyra Banks: 5'10" (Exactly the same height)
Insights for the tall and confident
If you’re looking at Kate Upton as a blueprint for your own style or body confidence, here are a few actionable takeaways based on how she’s navigated her career:
- Ignore the "Proportions" Rulebook: For years, people told Kate she couldn't do high fashion because of her chest and hips. She did it anyway. If you’re tall and "curvy," don't feel limited to "commercial" styles.
- Focus on Strength, Not Size: Follow Kate’s lead and ditch the scale. Aim for functional strength (like her 200lb deadlifts) rather than a specific weight.
- Own the Verticality: Kate rarely tries to hide her height. She leans into it with high-waisted cuts and bold heels that make her look 6'2".
- Mindset Over Media: Kate had to learn to shut out the "creepy" positive comments and the "fat-shaming" negative ones. Developing a sense of self-worth that isn't tied to your measurements is the only way to survive public scrutiny.
Kate Upton’s 5'10" height is a core part of her identity, but it’s her refusal to be shrunk—metaphorically or physically—that actually made her a star. Whether she’s at a vineyard (she’s a big wine lover), at the gym, or on a red carpet with Verlander, she occupies her space fully. And honestly? That’s more impressive than any number on a tape measure.
To better understand your own body proportions, you might want to calculate your "vertical line" in fashion styling, which helps determine which clothing cuts flatter a taller frame like Kate's.