How To Measure Your Child’s Feet for Shoe Sizes
There are two measurements commonly used to determine children’s shoe sizes: length and width. Most of the time, you will only need to find foot length. Foot width is typically only used for kids shoes when special sizing, such as narrow and wide, are available.
Many shoe retailers offer printable foot gauges that you can download to make finding the correct shoe size in their brand easy. Since sizes sometimes differ from brand to brand, it is always best to know your child’s feet measurements and to keep them as current as possible.
The following step-by-step process will help you measure your child’s feet. Once you have measurements, you can use them to find brand-specific shoe sizes that will fit your child properly.
How to Measure Your Child’s Foot Length:
- Have your child stand* in stockinged feet on a hard-surface floor, with their heels flat against the wall and their weight equally balanced on both feet.
- Using a pencil or piece of masking tape, mark the floor where the longest toe of the right foot ends. Repeat for the left foot.
- Measure the distance between the wall and each mark and find the longest of the two measurements (one foot may be longer than the other). Use the longer measurement to find your child’s shoe size.
- If your child’s foot falls between two sizes, round up to the higher of the two sizes.
* If possible, measure your child’s foot while they are standing. If they cannot stand, have them sit and place their feet flat on the floor. Mark the ends of the heel and big toe and measure between them.
How to Measure Your Child’s Foot Width:
- Place a dressmaker’s plastic measuring tape measure under your child’s foot with the 1″ side of the tape sticking out about 2-3 inches on one side of the foot.
- Position the tape so that it goes from the big toe joint to the little toe joint, which is the widest part of the foot.
- Wrap the short end towards the top of your child’s foot. Then wrap the long end firmly around the other side.
- Take the measurement where the long end of the tape overlaps with the start of the tape.
- If your child’s foot falls between two sizes, round up to the higher of the two sizes.
Tips for Measuring Your Child’s Feet Accurately
- Feet swell throughout the day. Take your child’s measurements at the end of the day, when their feet are largest.
- Have your child wear the socks they will wear with their new shoes when you take their foot measurement.
- Measure both of your child’s feet and buy shoes that fit the larger foot.
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is it recommended that one should purchase a child’s shoe that is one size or a size and half larger than the actual foot size?
Hi Richard, great question. Shoes are something that a child shouldn’t have to “grow in to” and which should be checked often for proper fit. If shoes are too big, they can cause a child to trip. If they are too small, they can be painful to wear and cause problems for a child’s feet.
Shoes should be fitted. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, there are three factors that determine fit:
- the heel should fit snugly,
- the length should allow a fingerbreadth (½ inch) between the tip of the big toe and the toe box, and
- the foot should fit snugly into the widest part of the shoe; but the width should not crowd the ball of the foot.
Shoe sizes can actually vary from brand to brand, and across styles, so have your child try the shoes on before buying them. As soon as a child’s toes begin to press against the toebox, it’s time for a new pair of shoes.