How to Get Your Child’s Shoe Size Right the First Time

Why Tag Numbers Never Tell the Whole Story

Buying shoes for young children based solely on tag sizes often leads to slipping heels or clumsy tripping. Children’s foot sizing varies across brands, and soft developing feet easily squeeze into shoes that are secretly too short. When choosing structured orthopaedic footwear, precise standing foot measurements are essential to ensure the built-in arch contour and firm heel counter align exactly where they should. The most reliable way to find your child’s size is a quick standing paper-and-wall measurement at home.

The Golden Rules of Measuring Developing Feet

To capture an accurate measurement that matches our size chart, keep these practical points in mind:

• Measure Standing, Never Sitting: A child's foot spreads naturally by several millimetres under full body weight. Measuring while seated or dangling legs will result in a shoe that is too tight.
• Measure to the Absolute Longest Point: Check whether the big toe or second toe extends furthest, and mark the longest tip.
• Do Not Double-Add Growing Room: Our orthoshoes.au sizing chart already includes the recommended ~1 cm growth allowance built directly into each size recommendation. If your child’s bare foot measures 16.0 cm, choose the size matched to 16.0 cm. Adding an extra centimetre on top will result in a shoe sized for a 17.0 cm foot, making it far too loose and unstable.

The Paper-and-Wall Trick: Step-by-Step at Home

Place a clean sheet of paper flat on a hard floor, flush against a skirting board or wall. Have your child stand upright with both bare heels resting gently against the wall, distributing weight evenly. Hold a pencil upright and mark the tip of the longest toe. Measure the distance in centimetres from the edge of the paper to the mark for both feet, and use the larger measurement to select your child's size on our chart.

Safety Disclaimer: Accurate sizing provides a secure platform for everyday walking, but each child’s foot development is unique. If you have concerns about persistent toe-walking, gait asymmetries, or walking comfort, please consult a paediatrician, physiotherapist, or podiatrist for personalised clinical guidance.

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