Kids' Shoe Size Guide

November 3, 2026

A kids shoe size guide converts your child's foot length into the correct shoe size, with about 1 to 1.5 cm of growing room added. Use a foot measurement in centimetres, match it against a children shoe size chart, and re measure every two to four months for toddlers. This guide covers toddler shoe size conversions, growing room, and how often to check.

How to measure your child's foot at home

You need a sheet of paper, a pen, a ruler, and a wall.

Place the paper on the floor against the wall.
Ask your child to stand on it with their heel touching the wall. Standing, not sitting, because the foot spreads under body weight.
Mark the tip of the longest toe. This is not always the big toe. On some children the second toe is longer.
Measure the distance from the wall edge of the paper to the mark in centimetres.
Measure both feet. One foot is often slightly longer. Always use the longer measurement.

Measure in the evening if you can. Feet swell slightly during the day, so an evening measurement is closer to the foot's largest size. For babies and children who cannot stand, hold the foot flat and measure heel to longest toe with a soft tape or a ruler.

Round up to the nearest millimetre, not down. A measurement of 15.2 cm is 15.2 cm, not 15 cm.

Age banded children shoe size chart

The table below gives typical foot lengths and sizes by age. Pakistani shoe shops commonly use UK sizing, so UK sizes are listed first. Ages are averages only. A two year old with long feet may need a size meant for a three year old. Always buy by measurement, not by age.

Age band	Typical foot length (cm)	UK size	EU size	US size
0 to 6 months	9.0 to 10.0	0 to 1	15 to 16	1 to 2
6 to 12 months	10.0 to 11.0	2 to 3	17 to 18	3 to 4
12 to 18 months	11.0 to 11.7	3.5 to 4	19	4.5 to 5
18 to 24 months	11.7 to 12.5	4.5 to 5.5	20 to 21	5.5 to 6.5
2 to 3 years	12.5 to 13.5	6 to 7	22 to 23.5	7 to 8
3 to 4 years	13.5 to 14.5	7.5 to 8.5	24 to 25.5	8.5 to 9.5
4 to 5 years	14.5 to 15.5	9 to 10	26 to 27.5	10 to 11
5 to 6 years	15.5 to 16.5	11 to 12	28 to 30	11.5 to 12.5
6 to 8 years	17.0 to 18.5	12.5 to 1.5	30.5 to 32	13 to 2
8 to 10 years	19.0 to 20.5	2 to 4	33 to 35	2.5 to 4.5
10 to 12 years	20.5 to 22.0	4 to 6	35 to 38	5 to 7

Note that after UK size 13.5, children's sizing restarts at size 1 (sometimes called size 13.5 to 1, or "junior" sizes). A junior size 1 is smaller than a child's size 13.5 by about half a size, so the restart is not a jump upward. This catches many parents out.

For adult conversions and general sizing, see the Mova shoe size guide, which covers the same UK, EU and US systems for grown up sizes.

The growing room rule

The growing room rule says you leave about 1 to 1.5 cm of space between the longest toe and the end of the shoe. That is roughly a thumb's width, or one full shoe size.

Why not more? Too much room causes the foot to slide forward, the toes to grip for stability, and the shoe to crease and break across the midfoot. Too little room means toes press the end, which is uncomfortable and wears the shoe out quickly.

A quick check with the shoe on:

Press the toe area with your thumb. You should feel the toes, not jammed against the front, with a small gap.
Check the widest part of the foot sits in the widest part of the shoe.
Look for heel slip. A little movement is fine. The heel lifting fully out with every step means the shoe is too big or the fastening is too loose.

For first walkers, aim for the lower end, around 1 cm. For a child between growth spurts, 1 to 1.2 cm is enough. If your child is clearly mid growth spurt, 1.5 cm buys you an extra month or two of wear, but no more. Shoes with 2 cm of room are too big.

How often to re measure

Children's feet grow in bursts, not steadily, so a fixed calendar does not fit every child. Use these intervals as a rule of thumb:

Age	Re measure every	Typical growth
Under 18 months	2 months	About half a size per month is possible
18 months to 3 years	3 months	One to two sizes per year
3 to 6 years	4 months	One size per year
6 to 10 years	5 to 6 months	One size per year or less
10 years and up	6 months	Slows and varies with puberty

Signs it is time to re measure before the interval is up:

Your child says their shoes feel tight or their toes hurt.
Red marks on the toes or sides of the feet after removing shoes.
Toes curling or the child walking differently to keep shoes on.
The shoe upper bulging over the toes.
Socks leaving tight rings around the toes.

Feet also grow faster in spring and summer for many children, though this varies. Do not assume last winter's shoes still fit this winter. Measure.

Toddler shoe size: special considerations

Toddler shoe size needs more care than older children's sizes for three reasons.

First, toddlers cannot tell you a shoe is too small. They adapt their walk and say nothing. You have to check physically, by pressing the toe box and looking at the feet after the shoes come off.

Second, toddler feet are chubby, not just long. Width and instep height matter as much as length. A shoe that fits by length but is narrow will leave marks on the sides. Look for shoes with adjustable fastenings, such as straps, so you can accommodate the instep.

Third, pre walkers do not need hard shoes at all. Barefoot time on safe floors, or soft non slip socks and booties, is enough until your child walks confidently outdoors. A stiff shoe on a new walker can make learning to walk harder. Once walking is steady, choose a flexible sole that bends at the ball of the foot, a light shoe, and a grippy outsole for tiles and marble floors, which are common in Pakistani homes.

UK, EU and US sizes: which one to trust

Pakistani retailers mix sizing systems. Local bazaar shoes often follow UK sizing. Imported shoes may be marked in EU or US sizes. Online listings sometimes show all three.

Practical advice:

Measure in centimetres first. The cm measurement is the only thing that does not lie.
Convert to the size system the specific brand uses. Do not convert UK to US mentally, because US sizing differs between brands and between "youth" and "kids" labels.
If a listing shows foot length in cm, buy by that, not by the nominal size.
Keep a note of your child's current foot length on your phone so you can check any chart on the spot.

The same foot length can map to slightly different sizes between brands, just as with adult shoes. If you are buying from a shop with a clear returns policy, order the measured size and one half size up, then return the wrong pair. For sizing and returns questions before ordering, the Mova customer FAQs cover common issues.

School shoes and everyday shoes: fit differences

School shoes are worn for eight hours a day, five days a week, so fit matters more than for party shoes worn twice a month.

Buy school shoes at the end of the day, when feet are at their largest.
Bring the school socks to the fitting, or socks of similar thickness. Thin cotton socks and thick winter socks can change the fit by half a size.
Check the fit again after four to six weeks of wear, not just at purchase. School shoes compress and stretch with daily use.
For sandals and open shoes worn in summer, growing room can be slightly less, around 1 cm, because the foot is held differently.

For everyday casual wear, browse the casual shoes collection for options that work for school holidays and weekends. For warmer months, the sandals collection covers open styles.

Common fitting mistakes to avoid

Buying shoes "to grow into" with 2 cm or more of room. This causes tripping and unnatural walking.
Handing down shoes between siblings without checking wear. A shoe moulds to the first wearer's foot. If the sole is worn unevenly, it will not support the second child properly.
Trusting age labels. "For ages 5 to 6" is a marketing average, not a measurement.
Measuring with socks that are too thick, then wearing the shoes with thin socks, or the reverse.
Forgetting to measure both feet and buying for the shorter one.
Buying shoes in the morning for all day wear. Feet can be half a size larger by evening.

Where to buy

You can browse kids' shoes at Mova in the kids collection, which covers everyday and school ready styles in the sizes discussed above. If you want to compare against adult sizing for older children, the full product range includes everything currently stocked.

Frequently asked questions

What size shoes does a 2 year old wear in Pakistan?

Most 2 year olds in Pakistan wear a UK size 5 to 6, which matches a foot length of about 12 to 13 cm. However, the spread at this age is wide. Some 2 year olds need a size 4 and others a size 7. Measure the foot in centimetres and use the chart above rather than buying by age.

How do I measure my child's shoe size at home?

Stand your child on a piece of paper against a wall, mark the longest toe, and measure from the wall to the mark in centimetres. Measure both feet and use the longer one. Add 1 to 1.5 cm for growing room, then match the total against a size chart. The full steps are in the first section of this guide.

How much growing room should kids' shoes have?

About 1 to 1.5 cm between the longest toe and the end of the shoe. That is roughly one thumb width or one full size. More than that and the shoe is too big, causing slipping and tripping. Less than that and the shoe will be outgrown within weeks.

Do UK and US kids shoe sizes match?

No. A US kids size is usually about half to one size different from the UK size for the same foot, and the exact difference varies by brand. US sizing also uses confusing labels such as "toddler" and "youth" that overlap. Always convert from the foot length in centimetres rather than converting between size systems.

How often should I check if my child's shoes still fit?

Every 2 months under 18 months of age, every 3 months from 18 months to 3 years, every 4 months from 3 to 6 years, and every 6 months after that. Also check whenever your child complains of tightness, or you see red marks on the feet after shoes come off.

Is it okay to buy kids' shoes one size bigger?

One size bigger, meaning about 1 cm of extra room, is fine and normal. Two sizes bigger is not. The foot slides, the toes grip to keep the shoe on, and the child's walk changes. For school shoes worn all day, a half to one size of growing room is the safe range.

Sources and further reading

NHS (National Health Service, United Kingdom) children's foot health guidance
American Academy of Pediatrics footwear and walking development guidance
Society of Shoe Fitters children's fitting guidance
World Health Organization child growth standards

Related guides

Back to blog