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What size for children's shoes?

Choosing the right shoe size for a child is never easy. The task is all the more difficult if you are a mother for the first time. As babies' feet grow at an incredible rate, they may need a new pair of shoes at least every 2 months. How to find the right size for your children's feet? Follow this guide to keep your baby's feet comfortable in their new shoes.

The growth of children's feet

During the first 5 years of life, your child's foot will grow rapidly.

  • Until he is 2 years old, his foot changes size every 2 months
  • Between 2 and 3 years old, his shoe size increases approximately every 3 months
  • Between 3 and 5 years, it changes every 4 or 5 months
  • From the age of 5, his foot only increases 2 sizes per year
  • At the age of 14, he generally reaches his final greatness.

The rate of foot growth may not be the same in all children. If you are already a mother, you may find that your youngest does not have the same size as his eldest when he was the same age or quite simply, you can compare with another child of the same age.

Add to this remark that the size can also vary depending on the brand, the origin and the cut of the shoe. To make the observation, make the comparison between Italian shoes and French shoes of the same size, the former are most of the time larger.

The importance of the right shoe size

As your child's feet grow very quickly, you must determine their size carefully before offering them a new pair of shoes. First, make sure it is of good quality. Cheap or poor quality shoes can damage your little one's foot.

They expose to risks of deformation, because his foot is still very flexible, flat and soft. Just like the wrong size, poor quality can lead to foot pathologies when your child becomes an adult.

So when his shoes get too small for him, you need to replace them. To find out if he should stop wearing them, check if the front toe of his shoes deforms under the pressure of his toes. Increase the shoe size if this is the case. Your toddler's feet should be supported without being tight.

The correct shoe size should allow one of your fingers to fit between the shoe and your child's heel. In addition to being useful for growth, this space is also useful for the movement of the foot during walking. With your partner, plan a budget for the purchase of new pairs of shoes each time your child's size increases.

The different sizes for children

The sizes usually correspond to the age of the child. They may vary depending on the country that manufactures the shoes. As foot growth is highly variable, the foot sizes you will see on the shoes are for reference only. The children's sizes listed below are the averages used in the European Union.

Between 0 and 3 months, your child's foot size is about 9,7 cm, this corresponds to size 16.

Between 3 and 6 months, the foot is 10,4 cm, this is equivalent to size 17.

Between 6 and 9 months, his foot measures 11,1 cm, which requires size 18.

Between 9 and 12 months, that's 11,7 cm, he needs a size 19.

For a 2 year old, with a 15,1 cm foot, the correct shoe size is 24.

For a child between 2 and a half and 3 years old, with a foot measuring 15,7 cm, the suitable shoe size is 25 and over.

For a child of about 4 and a half years old, whose foot is 17 cm, you need size 27.

If your child is between two sizes, always prefer to take the one above.

Children's foot measurement

To buy the right pair of shoes, the ideal would be to bring your little one with you. If this is not possible, you have to go through the measurement of his foot. Do it the same day or the day before the purchase.

For this purpose, you can use a pedometer, otherwise, you can also take a pencil, a ruler and a sheet. The sheet remains optional, not all children agree to climb on it.

It should be noted that the measurement is done barefoot, even if your little one will wear socks. It will not affect the comfort of his feet in his new shoes.

If your child is already standing

Measurements must be taken standing up. Once his feet are well spread out, you will draw 4 pencil lines including:

one in front of his longest toe, making sure that the pencil is perpendicular to the sheet

one behind his heel making sure the pencil is against the small bump in the heel and still perpendicular to the paper

one on the side of his foot with the pencil against the small bump at the base of the little toe

one on the side of his foot with the pencil against the small bump at the base of the big toe

After measuring the length and width of your little one's foot, connect the first two points and then the last two. You will get a slightly tilted cross.

Then, start again with his other foot, because it is not rare that the two feet do not have the same measurements. However, if the difference is more than 0,4, it is possible that your child moved or that your pencil was not perpendicular during the measurement. In this case, you must repeat from the beginning.

If your child can't stand up yet

If your toddler can't stand up yet, it means he's too young to wear shoes. Instead, buy her some slippers. To know what size is suitable for his shoes, you must also take his measurements.

When he is lying down, take a ruler and place it under his feet.

Measure the length of his foot from the heel to the longest toe. Make sure this toe is not bent, as this will skew your data.

Measure the width of his foot from the base of the big toe to the base of the little toe.

 

Your children go to school, they lose all their clothes and you constantly have to buy new ones, we have the solution for you.

We offer self-adhesive and iron-on labels to mark children's belongings.

Our personalized labels are studied for children and our packs are adapted to the age and the needs of each one.

You can discover our Crib package and our School package for the return of children and many others on our site Pepahart.eu.

 

 

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