For many parents and other adults, keeping up with the rapid growth of their children is not only costly, but confusing. Brands and retailers use overlapping size charts and inconsistent language to describe children's footwear, which makes it difficult to figure out what size shoe your child needs. In this article, we take a closer look at children's shoe sizes to clear things up and offer some helpful fit tips. Choosing children's shoes shouldn't seem too difficult, but unfortunately, figuring out children's shoe sizes can often be a confusing process. To help clear things up, here are the most important things to know about children's shoe sizes


Sizes for toddlers range from 0-13: The smallest sizes in this range are very small baby shoes, but larger sizes tend to fit children as young as 4 or 5 years old or even older. Important: These shoes are often marked with a "T" to indicate toddlers up to age 7 (e.g., 4T, 5T, 6T, 7T). Sizes 8-13 are often marked "Kids" (e.g., size 8, 9, 10, etc.).


Larger children's sizes are 1-7 (or 6 for some brands). This is where many parents get tripped up. Shoes for older children start at a size 1 and go all the way up to a size 7, which creates a confusing fact: a size 1 shoe (for older children) is the next size up from a size 13 shoe (for younger children). Sometimes, shoe brands will help you out by labeling their toddler sizes 1-7 as "T" and other sizes as "child". This is how you can tell the difference between a toddler shoe and a child's shoe, even if they have the same number. For example, if you see a pair of shoes with "Child size 5", you know it's the larger Child size 5, not Toddler size 5.

Not all brands and retailers use the same language. In addition to the confusing overlap of toddler and child sizes, brands and retailers like to use different terms to describe toddler and child shoes, making it difficult to know exactly what you're looking at. Some of the various terms you might see include: infant, toddler, toddler, small child, big kid and youth. Terms like infant, toddler, toddler and small child usually apply to toddler sizes from 0-13 years old, while other terms, such as big kid and youth, tend to apply to children from 1-7 years old. At REI, we generally stick with the terms toddler (or small child) and child.

Men's sizes are a continuation of children's sizes. If your child is older, this is helpful to know your child's shoes. It is also helpful to know that there is about a 1.5 size difference between men's and women's shoes, meaning that a men's size 8 is roughly equivalent to a women's size 9.5.


Size charts can be helpful. Whenever you are shopping, try to find a size chart that is relevant to the brand of shoes you are interested in. This will help you figure out the relationship between toddler sizes and children's sizes, as well as the naming rules to be aware of.

Whenever you buy new shoes for your kids, you definitely want to measure their feet, especially if the shoes you buy are for activities such as hiking or running on the playground. Also, even if you don't think your child needs new shoes, it's not a bad idea to have a qualified footwear specialist measure their feet a few times a year to keep them in tip-top shape. And be sure to remeasure when your child complains that their shoes are bothering them. Measuring the total length is certainly important, but a truly fit specialist will also measure the width of the foot and the length of the arch and do a volume assessment. These things will give a more complete picture of what size shoe will best fit your child's foot.

The old test of pressing the toe of the shoe with your thumb to see how much room your child has in the shoe can sometimes work, but if you're having trouble with this, take off the shoe and take out the insole and place it on the floor. Then have your child stand on the insole with the heel and arch of the foot in the proper position. This makes it super easy to see how much space there is in front of you. It's generally good to have about a half inch or a little more of space.

If they complain that their feet are struggling, then it's time to see if their shoes fit properly. They may be wearing the wrong size.


Sometimes kids won't tell you there's something wrong with their shoes until you ask, so it's good to check a few times a year. When you do this, be specific and ask questions about the fit. Ask questions like, "Do your shoes squeeze in here?" or "Does your foot move here?" Also point to an area on the foot. Not all children know how to answer the question, "Do your shoes fit?" This is a more general question.

If your child weighs more than that and can fit in adult shoes, then they should jump up and down. Children's shoes are not built to provide the necessary support for heavier loads. It is also important to understand this if you are a small-footed adult and are looking to save some money by purchasing children's shoes. You will save some money, but your feet may not be happy.