If there’s one thing that makes buying kids’ shoes unnecessarily stressful, it’s sizing.

You want enough room for those ridiculously fast-growing feet, but not so much room that your child is swimming in their shoes or tripping over them.

Then there’s width, heel fit, toe room and the fact that a size 27 in one brand can feel completely different from a size 27 in another.

So, how should kids’ shoes actually fit?

The short answer is this: there should be enough room for growing feet, without the foot sliding around inside the shoe.

For Australian parents, a useful starting point is around 10 mm of space beyond the longest toe. But length is only part of the picture.

Here’s what to check.

How much growing room should kids’ shoes have?

The Australian Podiatry Association recommends allowing around 1 cm of growing room between your child’s longest toe and the end of the shoe.

That’s about 10 mm.

Healthdirect Australia gives similar advice and also makes an important point: a good fit depends on length, width and depth, not just the number printed on the box.

So while it can be tempting to buy a much bigger size because “they’ll grow into it”, more space isn’t automatically better.

A shoe that is much too large can move around on the foot. The heel may lift, the foot can slide forward and your child may have to work harder to keep the shoe on.

The aim is not to buy the biggest shoe they can manage.

It’s to give them enough growing room while keeping the shoe secure.

Is the “thumb test” enough?

Photo by MART PRODUCTION from Pexels

You’ve probably seen the classic trick of pressing your thumb over the front of a child’s shoe.

It can give you a rough idea of how much space is there, but I wouldn’t rely on it alone.

Children can curl their toes when you press down, and the test tells you nothing about whether the shoe is too narrow, too shallow or slipping at the heel.

Measuring the foot in millimetres and comparing it with the brand’s actual sizing chart is much more useful.

You can use our Rafferty’s Shoes Size Guide to compare your child’s foot measurement with our sizing.

A good fit is about more than length

Getting that 10 mm of growing room is a great start.

Now look at the rest of the foot.

1. Check the toes

Your child’s toes shouldn’t look squashed together or pushed into a pointed shape.

The front of the shoe should give their toes space to sit naturally and move comfortably.

This is one of the reasons we use a wider, foot-shaped toe box in Rafferty’s Shoes barefoot sneakers. The idea is simple: the shoe should have room for the shape of the foot rather than asking the foot to fit the shape of a narrow shoe.

You can read more about our approach on our Why Barefoot page.

2. Check the width

This is the part I think gets overlooked most often.

A shoe can have plenty of room in front of the toes and still be too tight across the sides.

Research looking at children’s footwear has found that width mismatches are common, which is why simply checking shoe length isn’t enough.

Look at your child’s forefoot while they’re standing.

Their foot shouldn’t be bulging noticeably over the sides of the sole, and you shouldn’t see pressure marks after the shoes come off.

If you find yourself repeatedly sizing up just to get enough width, the shoe shape itself might not be right for your child.

3. Check the heel

The heel should feel secure without being squeezed.

Watch your child walk.

A small amount of natural movement is one thing, but their heel shouldn’t be repeatedly lifting out of the shoe.

If the heel is slipping significantly, first check the fastening. If tightening the shoe doesn’t solve the problem without making the rest of the shoe uncomfortable, the fit may be too large or the shoe shape might not suit their foot.

4. Check the top of the foot

Don’t forget the instep, which is the top part of the foot.

Some kids have higher-volume or “chunkier” feet even when their foot length is fairly average.

The shoe shouldn’t press heavily into the top of the foot, and the fastening shouldn’t look like it is barely reaching.

This is where an adjustable fastening can be really useful because two children with the same foot length can still have very different foot shapes.

5. Check the fastening

Whether it’s laces, Velcro or another adjustable closure, the fastening should help keep the foot comfortably in place.

A secure shoe shouldn’t need your child to grip with their toes just to keep it on.

Rafferty’s Shoes uses an adjustable Velcro fastening so parents can fine-tune the fit around their child’s foot.

How to measure your child’s feet for shoes at home

You don’t need any complicated equipment.

A sheet of paper, a pencil and a ruler will do.

Step 1: Put on their usual socks

Measure your child wearing the type of socks they’ll normally wear with the shoes.

Thicker socks can change the fit.

Step 2: Have them stand up

Measure while your child is standing naturally rather than sitting with their foot relaxed.

This matters because feet can become slightly longer and wider under body weight. A study involving 2,829 children found measurable changes in both foot length and width when weight-bearing. You can read the study on PubMed.

Step 3: Measure both feet

Feet aren’t always exactly the same size.

Measure both and use the larger measurement when choosing shoes.

Step 4: Measure heel to longest toe

Measure from the back of the heel to the tip of the longest toe.

And yes, the longest toe isn’t always the big toe.

Record the measurement in millimetres.

Step 5: Add growing room

For Australian guidance, around 10 mm is a useful starting point.

Then compare that measurement with the actual internal measurements or sizing recommendations provided by the shoe brand.

Step 6: Check the shoe once it’s on

Measurements help you choose the size.

They don’t replace the final fit check.

Once the shoes arrive, check:

• toe space

• width

• heel security

• room over the instep

• fastening

• how your child actually walks in them

How can I tell if my child’s shoes are too small?

Young kids aren’t always going to walk up to you and announce:

“Mum, I believe my current footwear has insufficient internal length.”

Unfortunately.

Sometimes they’ll happily keep wearing shoes they’ve outgrown.

Possible signs that a pair may be getting too small include:

• toes reaching the front of the shoe

• less room for the toes to move

• redness or pressure marks after wearing them

• rubbing or recurring blisters

• complaints of sore toes or feet

• suddenly resisting a pair of shoes they previously wore happily

• difficulty getting the shoes on or fastening them

We have a separate guide on signs your kid’s shoes are too small if you want to go deeper into that particular question.

The important thing is not to wait until your child complains.

Especially with toddlers, regular measuring is much more reliable.

How do I know if kids’ shoes are too big?

Growing room is useful.

Swimming room isn’t.

Signs a shoe may be too big include:

• significant heel slipping

• the foot sliding forward inside the shoe

• large gaps around the sides

• needing to pull the fastening extremely tight

• the shoe visibly moving independently of the foot

• your child suddenly appearing less steady in that particular pair

Buying several sizes ahead might feel economical, especially when you know another growth spurt is coming, but shoes still need to fit the child who is wearing them now.

How often should I measure my child’s feet?

Kids’ feet can grow surprisingly quickly, especially when they’re little.

The Australian Podiatry Association recommends checking sizing approximately:

Up to age 3: every 1 to 3 months

Ages 3 to 5: around every 4 months

From age 5: around every 6 months

That doesn’t mean your child automatically needs new shoes every few months.

It means it’s worth checking.

Research following children between one and five years of age has also shown that shoe-size changes can happen within a matter of months, particularly in younger children.

And because kids have a habit of growing five centimetres overnight just after you bought them an entire new wardrobe, I’d always recheck sooner after an obvious growth spurt.

Why do kids’ shoe sizes vary between brands?

Because the number printed on the shoe doesn’t tell you everything about the space inside it.

Different manufacturers use different shoe shapes, lasts and internal allowances.

So an EU 26 from one brand doesn’t guarantee exactly the same internal fit as an EU 26 from another.

This is why I always recommend starting with the actual foot measurement, then checking the individual brand’s size chart.

If your child measures 160 mm, that information is much more useful than simply knowing they wore a particular numbered size in their last pair of shoes.

This is especially important when you’re buying kids’ shoes online.

What if my child has wide or chunky feet?

This came up again and again when we asked parents what made buying kids’ shoes difficult.

A lot of parents said some version of:

“My child’s feet are wide, so shoes that are long enough are often too narrow.”

Or:

“I have to size up just to get them done up.”

If this sounds familiar, focus on the shape of the shoe, not just the size.

Look for enough space through the forefoot and toes, plus an adjustable fastening that can accommodate your child’s instep.

Simply going up one or two sizes to get extra width can leave you with too much empty space in front of the toes.

Length and width need to work together.

When should you get your child’s feet checked?

Most shoe-fitting questions are exactly that: shoe-fitting questions.

But if your child has persistent foot pain, regularly limps, has noticeable asymmetry, is constantly falling or tripping, or you’re concerned about the way they walk, it’s worth speaking with a qualified health professional such as a podiatrist.

The Australian Podiatry Association has more information about children’s foot development and when assessment may be useful.

Shoes aren’t a treatment for every foot or walking concern, and different children can have very different needs.

The easiest way to remember it

When you’re checking your child’s shoes, don’t ask only:

“Is there enough room at the front?”

Ask:

Is there enough room to grow?

Can their toes sit naturally?

Does the width suit their foot?

Is the heel reasonably secure?

Is there comfortable room over the top of the foot?

Can the shoe be fastened securely without squeezing?

If all of those things look good, you’re much closer to a genuinely good fit than you’ll ever get from relying on the size number alone.

And if you’re shopping Rafferty’s Shoes, start by measuring both feet in millimetres and head to our Kids Shoe Size Guide.

A few minutes with a piece of paper and a ruler can save a lot of sizing guesswork later.