How to Measure Toddler Feet and Choose the Right Sneaker Size

Toddlers can't tell you that a shoe pinches, and size labels aren't consistent between brands. A careful measurement at home is the most reliable starting point. It takes a few minutes and costs nothing.

What you need

• A sheet of paper larger than your child's foot, taped to a hard floor
• A pencil or pen you can hold straight up
• A ruler or tape measure marked in both inches and millimeters
• The socks your child normally wears with sneakers
• A helper, if one is available, to keep your toddler still and smiling

How to measure at home, step by step

This method follows the at-home approach described by the nonprofit Soles4Souls, combined with fit guidance from the AAP and APMA.

1. Put on everyday socksUse the socks your child will actually wear with the sneakers. APMA advises trying shoes on with the socks or tights the child will wear, and the same logic applies when measuring.
2. Have your child standYour toddler should stand on the paper with their full weight on the foot. Soles4Souls describes tracing with the child standing, not sitting.
3. Trace the outlineHold the pencil upright and trace around the whole foot, keeping the line close to the sock.
4. Measure the lengthMeasure from the back of the heel to the tip of the longest toe.
5. Repeat on the other footTrace and measure both feet. APMA says to buy for the larger foot.
6. Add toe roomSoles4Souls suggests adding ¼ to ½ inch to the measured length. The total is your target to compare against a size chart.
7. Convert with the brand's own chartLook up your target on the size chart for the exact brand you're buying. Don't assume a size from another brand carries over.

How much toe room? Four sources compared

Different organizations describe toe room in different units, but they land in a similar range.

In practice, the finger-width press test is the quick check in a store or at home. The millimeter or inch figure is what you add to a tracing before you read a size chart. Extra room beyond that isn't the goal: Pediped warns against buying a full size up.

Width matters as much as length

APMA says the toe box should be at least as wide as the widest part of the foot, and it does not recommend narrow, tapered shoes. Soles4Souls describes the right width as snug without pinching. When you look at your tracing, note the widest point across the ball of the foot as well as the length.

If your child has wide or high-volume feet, look for brands that say so plainly. Ten Little, for example, says its shoes fit wide, chubby or high-volume feet as well as AFO/SMO braces and orthotics. If your child wears braces or orthotics, ask the clinician who prescribed them about footwear.

Why sizes differ by brand

There is no single toddler size chart in the US. Retailers publish their own, and they don't always agree. Kohl's even labels its chart 'a general guide.' Here is how two age-based charts compare.

A chart based on length is more useful than one based on age. Blitzresults, for instance, lists sizes in half steps from US 4.5C at 12.3 cm (EU 20) up to US 9.5C at 16.0 cm (EU 26). Treat age charts like those from Kids Foot Locker and Kohl's as a rough starting point, and let your tracing decide.

Check the fit with the shoes on

• Press test: with your child standing, feel for the top of the big toe. The AAP's target is about a finger-width to the inside edge of the shoe.
• No breaking in: APMA advises avoiding shoes that need breaking in. They should feel right from day one.
• Bring your child: APMA recommends taking the child shopping so shoes can be tried on, not guessed.
• Watch behavior: the 2012 APMA and Stride Rite tips note that a child who keeps taking shoes off may be telling you the fit is poor.
• Tight is worse than none: the AAP says no shoes at all is better than shoes that are too tight.

How often to re-measure

Sources give different intervals. That's less confusing than it looks, because each one answers a slightly different question.

• AAP: check fit about once a month, and expect a first pair to last no more than two to three months.
• APMA and Stride Rite, 2012: measure every two to three months until the toddler years, then every three to four months.
• APMA buying guide: check size every four to six months because of growth and brand differences, and measure before every purchase.

A routine that satisfies all three is simple: do the finger-width press test monthly, and trace and measure before every new pair.