5 Steps to Fitting Kids’ Shoes Correctly

Sometimes I don’t know what to think! My toddler is wearing size 8 rain boots, but size 8.5 sneakers. Yet when I tried to put size 8 cowboy boots on him – no dice. Hmmm. I guess I needed to check his shoe size.

5 steps to fitting kids’ shoes correctly

How in the world do I go about fitting kids’ shoes correctly? I asked myself one day! Especially when I like to order online to get the best deals and selections, it’s really important to know fit kids’ shoes properly.

So I did some sleuthing… the internet is great for that, right?

Here’s what I learned about fitting kids’ shoes correctly:

This post is brought to you by pediped®

Measure BOTH feet.Purchase shoes for the larger sized foot. Ideally, have your child’s foot professionally sized with a measuring gauge, but nowadays, there are lots of tools online for measuring your child’s feet. pediped® has a printable sizing guide (be sure your printer is set correctly), an app for measuring your child’s foot, and a foldable measuring tool you can purchase! So many ways to make sure you are fitting kids’ shoes correctly!

Test the toe fit. There should be about a half inch of space (about a thumb width) between the longest toe and the end of the shoe

Test the ankle fit by gently tugging at the back of the shoe, while your child is wearing them and sitting down. The shoe should not pop off.

Feel all around the shoe – remember that shoe size is primarily two-dimensional, but feet are three dimensional. So feel the sides and top of the foot while it’s in the shoe to be sure there’s no bulging or tightness. Snug is okay.

Have your child walk in the shoe and observe. They should be able to walk naturally with the shoe not slipping or gaping.

Are you concerned about fittings kids’ shoes correctly?

When I order shoes online, there’s a huge amount of holding my breath to see if I’ve done a good job fitting my kids’ shoes! But lately I’ve been getting better at it, and even when I get the wrong size, at least I know what to look for now!

My son’s been tooling around in these pediped® Flex Adrian sneakers. He loves their easy on/off wide straps! (So do I!).

I love them most because he had the exact same style of pediped® shoes when he was just about eighteen months old!

My time flies… but great shoes are still great shoes, so I’m happy he’s got a new pair of pediped®s on! I know I’ve told you this before because I share our new pediped’s with you regularly, but don’t forget the awesome features of this shoe:

• machine-washable – yay! Spring mud is a beast!
• breathable and flexible – that’s just healthy
• Flex-Fit system with removable inserts to give you a little wiggle room on sizing, extending your shoe usage.

pediped® shoes celebrates 10 years

Celebrate with pediped® as they turn ten this year! I’ve been a supporter of this fabulous brand for half their lifetime (since I’ve had kids!). A decade later, pediped® is a globally recognized award-winning children’s brand and the new gold standard in children’s footwear. Their shoes are an excellent choice for parents who want their children’s feet to develop naturally and healthily – hey, that’s all of us!

Here’s to happy feet!

Thanks to pediped® for providing shoes for this post! All opinions are my own.