Understanding Kids' Shoe Sizing
Children's shoe sizes in the US/Canada and UK/India systems use a separate formula from adult sizes: US Child = 3 × foot (inches) − 9⅔. This “child” scale runs from about size 1 up to 13.5 (little kids), then resets: “big kid” or “youth” sizes start again at 1 (which is the continuation at child size 14). Youth sizes run 1 through 7, after which the child transitions to adult sizing.
UK children's sizes follow the same pattern but are offset by 1: UK Child = US Child − 1.
EU sizes use the same Paris Point formula for children as for adults (EU = 1.5 × foot cm + 2), so there is no separate “kids' EU” scale.
Kids' Shoe Size Conversion Chart
Little kids (US 10.5–13.5) and youth/big kids (US 1–7):
| US/CA | UK/IN | EU | JP/MX | CN | Inches | cm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10.5 | 9.5 | 28 | 17 | 24 | 6.7 | 17.1 |
| 11 | 10 | 28 | 17.5 | 25 | 6.9 | 17.5 |
| 11.5 | 10.5 | 29 | 18 | 26 | 7.1 | 17.9 |
| 12 | 11 | 30 | 18.5 | 27 | 7.2 | 18.3 |
| 12.5 | 11.5 | 30 | 19 | 28 | 7.4 | 18.8 |
| 13 | 12 | 31 | 19 | 28 | 7.6 | 19.2 |
| 13.5 | 12.5 | 31 | 19.5 | 29 | 7.7 | 19.6 |
| 1 | 13 | 32 | 20 | 30 | 7.9 | 20 |
| 1.5 | 13.5 | 33 | 20.5 | 31 | 8.1 | 20.5 |
| 2 | 1 | 33 | 21 | 32 | 8.2 | 20.9 |
| 2.5 | 1.5 | 34 | 21.5 | 33 | 8.4 | 21.3 |
| 3 | 2 | 35 | 21.5 | 33 | 8.6 | 21.7 |
| 3.5 | 2.5 | 35 | 22 | 34 | 8.7 | 22.2 |
| 4 | 3 | 36 | 22.5 | 35 | 8.9 | 22.6 |
| 4.5 | 3.5 | 37 | 23 | 36 | 9.1 | 23 |
| 5 | 4 | 37 | 23.5 | 37 | 9.2 | 23.4 |
| 5.5 | 4.5 | 38 | 24 | 38 | 9.4 | 23.8 |
| 6 | 5 | 38 | 24.5 | 39 | 9.6 | 24.3 |
| 6.5 | 5.5 | 39 | 24.5 | 39 | 9.7 | 24.7 |
| 7 | 6 | 40 | 25 | 40 | 9.9 | 25.1 |
Worked Examples
- US Child 12: foot = 18.3 cm. UK = 11, EU 30, JP 18.5.
- US Youth 3: foot = 21.7 cm. UK = 2, EU 35, JP 21.5.
- US Child 10.5: foot = 17.1 cm. UK = 9.5, EU 28.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing “big kid 1” with “toddler 1”: Youth size 1 is for a foot about 20 cm long. Infant size 1 is for a much smaller foot (~9 cm).
- Using adult conversion rules: “US Men − 1 = UK” does not work for children. The child formula has a different offset.
- Buying for too much growth room: Podiatrists recommend about 1 cm beyond the longest toe. Two sizes up often leads to tripping.
When to Move to Adult Sizes
At US Youth 7 (foot ≈ 25.1 cm), the next step is adult sizing. Youth 7 ≈ US Women's 8.5 or US Men's 7.5.
Set the converter to “Kids (5–12)” on the shoe size converter to look up any kids' size.