Children's shoe sizes - size charts - tips for parents

The children’s feet, which are so small at birth, grow unexpectedly quickly, especially in the first years of life, due to growth spurts. Since children’s shoes are often extremely expensive, they should fit and last for a long time. These tips will save you time & money.

Top tips: size charts, templates, measuring device

Size Chart

Simplest measurement
Good for online orders

template

Very accurate
Recommended by researchers

download

From amazon, simple
To press & read off

gauge

Precise and simple
Cost about 10 €

Children’s shoe sizes simply explained – all information

How fast do children’s feet grow? How often do you need new shoes?

children’s feet grow on average in the first few years

How often check size?

Age	control
1-3	every 3 months
3-6	every 4 months
6-10	every 5 months

Researchers are constantly finding that children wear shoes that are either too small or too big. This is actually not surprising, because it is not always easy to find the right size yourself – in addition to all the hardships that the search for good shoes brings with it. There is often a lack of time, money and patience to name just 3 things that everyone knows. Children’s shoes are therefore often bought in the wrong size, because many are not aware that children’s shoes measured instead of just trying on should be. Some parents and even shoe sellers are not aware of this.

The strong one foot growth creates further difficulties. Especially in small children (up to approx. 3 years) the feet grow on average by 1.5 mm per month, which means 2 or 3 shoe sizes in the year! So you should check regularly, whether the shoes still fit or maybe not too small after the last growth spurt. But you shouldn’t put on much bigger shoes for your child either, as this can also lead to health consequences due to the weak hold and the resulting incorrect movement of the child’s foot.

Conclusion: Measure children’s feet correctly and regularly and buy shoes when they no longer fit. Use saving tips to buy children’s shoes cheaply, then hopefully you will experience a little less financial stress and can rest assured that you can give your child an important foundation in this world more!

What size shoes do I need??

Practical for orientation – the children’s shoe size table

Shoe size tables for children’s shoes are very useful to get an initial orientation on the shoe size.

But can you simply see in a table which shoe size fits? A clear no! Because the EU sizes available everywhere (e.g. "21") are unfortunately not standardized and are therefore misleading. The shoe researchers found in 2005 that 97% (!) Of the shoes are the wrong size, most of these 1-3 shoe sizes are smaller than stated! In addition, tables only take into account the length of the children’s feet and the correct width leaves do not determine hereby.

Therefore the recommendation:
Look in the table + measure!

Children’s foot shape – what to do with wide or narrow feet?

Both the foot length and the are for the right shoe size individual foot shape important to your child. Even the feet of toddlers are very different from each other, especially in the width. While many children have "normal" feet, there are often wide or narrow children’s feet. Then there are the angles of the toes, the height of the instep, the height of the toes, the ball points … To take all of this into account, professional measurement and advice in a shoe store is advisable.

A hurdle: For economic reasons, the majority of shoes are often only commercially available in a single width. A child’s foot needs the right support and freedom to develop healthily.

The solution: Children’s shoes are often also available in a narrow or wide version. You can recognize this from the shoe system "WMS" (width measurement system), which some brand manufacturers support. These include e.g. Elephant shoes, Ricosta and others. If your child has wide or narrow feet, this is the right choice.

Watch out: outdated measurement methods are still in use

The next time you are in the shoe store, keep your eyes open – of course, not always easy with permanent sleep deprivation … There are still old measuring methods in circulation, do not get involved! Here are the most common wrong ways to determine shoe size (click for more information):

Wrong: Thumb pressure or heel test

Unfortunately, some shoe sellers still measure the length of their feet by checking with a simple thumb pressure on the top of the shoe or behind the heel whether there is still a finger’s width in the shoe. Great, fits? Please pay attention: small children reflexively pull their toes when thumb pressure. Therefore, at least make sure that one hand presses the toes slightly down. Significantly better: have your foot and liner measured!

Especially with small children is this Nervous system in the feet is not yet fully developed. The children can not and will not tell you if the shoes are too small or too large.

This does not work either, because you cannot say anything about the important internal dimensions by comparing the outer dimensions of the shoe. The shoes can be too tight, even if you add some leeway.

What to do if the shoe store does not measure correctly?

Ask the simple question: "How much millimeter is there in the shoe?" 12-17 mm is the right answer, otherwise you will be back in the shoe store in 4 weeks if the shoe has become too small.
Insist that measurements are taken correctly or look for another shoe store that knows its way around better.

Thanks to research: How to find the right children’s shoe size!

all children wear shoes that are too short

Fortunately, not only the retail and individual shoe manufacturers are concerned with the question of the right children’s shoe size, but also Children’s shoe Research. Especially the Austrian research group Children’s feet Children’s Shoes deals with large-scale studies on the spread of incorrect children’s shoe sizes and health consequences.

In Germany, the German Shoe Institute (DSI) is considered an expert on the subject. The DSI is intensively dedicated to research and advice on the topic of shoes and makes recommendations on how to determine the correct children’s shoe size. For the study “The German Children’s Foot Report” (2009), over 20,000 feet of children were scientifically measured in cooperation with the University of Potsdam. The result is alarming: children mostly wear shoes that are too small or large, which can lead to foot damage and complications (e.g. flat feet, later headache, arthritis or spinal damage).

Shoe research recommendation:
You can only find the right shoe size for your child if you have the right children’s shoes have it measured or measure yourself using good methods instead of just trying it on. In order to measure correctly, the researchers developed the WMS system in cooperation with some manufacturers, which also takes narrow or wide children’s feet into account and finds more and more fans among parents and shoe stores. And since your feet are growing, you should measure them regularly. You can see how to measure correctly in our shoe size tips.

How to find the right size for children’s shoes

Let the right shoe size occasionally measure professionally and let you explain individual peculiarities of the child’s foot so that you can pay attention to it yourself later. You get the most accurate measurement with WMS system.
The right children’s shoe sizes not by trying on (Thumb method) determine, but by measure up! You measure most precisely with one cardboard template or with one gauge
Checks regularly whether the shoes still fit. In the first years of life every 3 months. Do not measure only when you need new shoes, but simply always regularly.
Measure correctly: measure both feet, standing, in the afternoon after your child has walked barefoot / with socks for a while.

Tips for the right shoe size

Now that you have the background knowledge, here are all the tips for children’s shoe sizes.

Tip: Exact children’s shoe sizes thanks to WMS children’s shoes

WMS children’s shoes are certified. As a result, you will also find the right children’s shoe sizes for wide and narrow feet.

With the "width measurement system" (WMS) specially developed by orthopedic surgeons and shoe manufacturers, you can precisely determine the sizes of children’s shoes and also find exactly the right shoes for wide or narrow children’s feet. According to the WMS system, the foot shapes are divided into 3 groups: wide, medium and narrow.

How far are my child’s feet?

In order to find out whether your child has narrow or wide feet, you can have this measured in a shoe store of the WMS children’s shoes. With this knowledge, you will have a good orientation about what to look for. Unfortunately, you cannot measure the WMS size yourself, so going to a professional is highly recommended.
Tip: Some pediatricians also have a WMS measuring device in their practice.

These shoe brands manufacture WMS children’s shoes

Tom Thumb
Elephants (Deichmann)
Kappa
Lurchi (salamander)
judge
Ricosta
Superfit

These shoe stores carry WMS children’s shoes

These shoe stores sell shoes with the WMS system and can measure themselves:

Are you looking for a WMS shoe store near you??

Here you will find a shoe store in your city
Search function of the German shoe institute for shoe shops with WMS shoes
(Tip: Search for "1" lists several shops in the postcode area "1xxxx"). However, this list is not complete, as new shoe stores are opening all the time and are not included here.

Check the shoes with a measuring device

You can easily check the shoe size with the "plus12" measuring device.

To measure children’s shoes, you can also purchase a measuring device (measuring rail or plus12 measuring device) for around € 13. It is then measured in two steps:

Put children’s feet on and read the length of the feet
Place the measuring device in the shoe and press the lever. The rail is extended by the minimum addition of 12 mm required. Read the value and compare it with the foot length. Same value = shoe fits
Info: You can also measure the maximum margin of 17 mm. Simply set 5 mm more.

Tip: Print the measuring template for shoes

If you have little time, you can also get one for free prefabricated measuring template print out instead of tinkering yourself. Here, some manufacturers and dealers offer templates, which saves time and prevents errors.

Printable size chart at amazon

Tip: Check the correct length with the insole

With some shoes you can also use the insole to measure your shoes.

Place the child’s foot on the removed insole
Mark out the longest toe with a pen
Check length: There should be 12-17 mm space to the edge

Tip: buy children’s shoes online? Order several sizes!

Often one does not dare to order the shoe in several children’s shoe sizes or is afraid of complicated return formalities. But: The big online shops (e.g. zalando and amazon) have made the return extremely easy and currently reimburse you for any return postage. So just always order one size larger directly.

Are you currently looking for good children’s shoes??

Have a look at our useful shoe tips:

	So you can save money
	So you can find shoe stores nearby

♡ Independent: Advice instead of commerce
♡ Diverse: For every budget
♡ Honestly: We are parents ourselves
♡ Open: for your ideas and criticism

book tips

Children’s feet children’s shoes – everything worth knowing about small feet and shoes
The great book by the Austrian research group provides practical information about children’s shoes, children’s foot development, children’s shoe sizes, materials, used shoes, socks, running games and more. Easy and stimulating to read in 60 minutes!
To the book