Kids Shoe Size Converter

Measure both feet, in the afternoon, standing up

Have your child stand on a sheet of paper (socks on, if they will wear socks with the shoes), mark the heel and the longest toe of each foot, and measure between the marks in centimetres. Feet spread under body weight, so a seated measurement understates the length; feet also swell during the day, so afternoon is the honest time. Children's feet are rarely identical — use the longer foot, and never buy to the smaller one. Then allow roughly a thumb's width (about 1 cm) of growing room in front of the toes: less than that and the shoes are outgrown in weeks, more than that and the child trips.

Typical kids' shoe size chart

Foot lengths below are typical values from standard children's charts, and the sizes are what those lengths usually correspond to — brands vary, and the boundary between toddler and little-kid ranges differs by maker. Treat the row as a starting size to try first, ideally with the child present.

Why kids outgrow charts so fast

Children's feet grow in spurts, not steadily: a toddler can jump a full size in a few months, and growth often arrives with a growth spurt elsewhere, so a shoe that fit in spring can pinch by autumn. Checking every two to three months for toddlers and every three to four months for older children catches it before the child complains — children often do not mention tight shoes, they just stop running as much or start taking them off. Hand-me-downs are fine only if the previous wearer did not wear them long enough to mould the shape.

Socks, width and half sizes

Measure in the socks the shoes will be worn with: thick winter socks add several millimetres. Width matters as much as length — a child with wide feet in a narrow shoe will complain about pinching even at the right length, so look for wide fittings rather than sizing up in length, which only adds tripping room at the toe. And note that US kids' sizes restart at 1 for big kids after 13 little kid, so a US 1 is bigger than a US 13, not smaller — the most common reading error on children's charts.