How Much Space Should A Child Have In Their Shoes?

Children grow at an alarming rate, especially when they’re having a growth spurt. Of course, you never know when this is going to happen and the new shoes and other clothing you’ve bought, are suddenly too small.

It can make it very tempting to purchase everything several sizes too big. Unfortunately, if you give your child shoes that are too large they’ll struggle to move around properly, especially when running at school. They will also be sloppy on their feet, encouraging the appearance of blisters and callouses. 

Of course, the opposite is also true, if you get them shoes which are too small their feet will be cramped, they’re likely to get blisters, and normal foot growth may be damaged.

Because children spend a lot of time in their school shoes it’s especially important that you get the size and space right for your child’s school shoes, buying from a reputable school shoe wholesaler can help!

Sizing The Feet

Getting the space right means knowing what size your child’s feet are. It’s worth noting that most people do not have two feet exactly the same size, one is always slightly bigger than the other. That’s why you need to measure both feet on your child, to ensure you get the right size shoes for them.

You’ll find simply feet measuring guides in almost every shoe shop. All your child has to do is remove their current shoe and stand with their foot at the back of the device. A slider brings the measurement stick to the front of their foot. This gives you the size of the shoe that will fit them.

But, that’s a snug fit and you need a little space to ensure they are comfortable and have room to grow. 

The minimum amount of space should be ¼ inch, although the gap should be no more than ½ inch. This is the amount of space between the big toe and the end of the inside of the shoe. A good way to test this is to get your child to try the shoes on. Then, as they’re stood up, ask them to wiggle their toes. This includes being able to wiggle their little toe. 

Once you see where the toe is you can assess how much room is left in the shoe.

Remove The Soles

But, to be really sure that the shoe is a good size for your child you can actually remove the sole. Place the sole on the floor and get your child to stand on it, with their foot at the back of the sole. This will show you the inside space of the shoe and how much they have spare.

You’ll then know whether it’s the right-sized shoe for them or not.

It’s also important to look at the shoes when your child is wearing them to make sure they don’t bulge sideways, this indicates the shoes are too narrow and can cause issues for your child both now and in the future.