We can’t help that our kids grow too quickly for our liking, and with this comes the challenge of having to buy new shoes from seasonally to monthly sooner than we expect.

It’s hard enough choosing a pair to buy so we wanted to make it easier for you and give you our top tips on how to measure kids’ feet so that once you’ve chosen the perfect pair, your kids will be sized up and ready to take on the world in their brand-new shoes.

Use Our Printable Measuring Guide

Measuring the length, width and depth can be as easy as finding a wall, grabbing a sheet of paper, and tracing your kids’ foot with a pencil. Follow our printable, step-by-step guide on foot measurement here.

Tips on measuring foot width

Feet come in all shapes and sizes from extra narrow to extra wide. This plays a significant role when it comes to finding the right shoe so it’s important to get this right before you buy shoes. Make sure you’re measuring the flattest part of the ball of your foot (the widest point) by stepping on the ruler or tape measure.

Tips on measuring foot length

Try your best to stand flat-footed with your heel against a wall. Use a ruler or tape measure on the floor to measure from the back of your heel to the tip of your longest toe.

Tips on measuring by shoe type

Lace Ups

It’s safe to say that more than half the shoes we own are lace ups, so you want to make sure you know how to measure your foot specifically for them. Although you can use the lace mechanism to tighten the fit of your shoe, you want to make sure you don’t have too much space behind your heel or in front of your toes as this can cause tripping and discomfort. The ideal spacing should be half an inch at the front of the shoe and an eighth of an inch at the back. There is an exception however if your buying running or sports shoes as your feet tend to expand as they heat up during activities, so you may need to allow for a little more space than what we’ve recommended above.

In both cases you should always consider sock thickness so it’s always a good idea to measure with socks on.

Leather

If you’re looking for business, formal or school shoes it’s good to know exactly how to measure your feet before you decide on the which shoes to buy. Different leathers offer less give and stretch so whether you’re buying a mary jane buckle shoe or self-fastening styles it’s important to consider the type of leather it’s made of as you may need to allow for extra toe space especially if shoes are made from a full grain or bonded leather. Leather shoes will slowly adjust to your foot shape over time, but you also want to look after your foot during the initial stage of breaking leather shoes in.

Need help finding the perfect shoe? Speak to one of our Fit Technicians through our award-winning virtual fitting service MyFit Virtual. You can call, video or live chat with us and our team will help you find the perfect shoe based on your child’s daily activities & foot type.

Still not sure? Visit us in-store and have your feet fitted using our MyFit 3D system. MyFit3D is The Athlete’s Foot’s exclusive fitting technology designed to find you the perfect fit. It does this by combining a 3D scan of your foot, a video recording of your gait and a look at how your pressure is distributed under your foot. These combine to help find you the perfect shoe for you.