Measure your child's bare foot from heel to longest toe in centimeters, then find the closest length in the chart below to read the US kids, UK and EU size. If the length sits right between two rows, pick the larger size.
Kids shoe size chart, 4C to 7Y
This chart matches foot length to US kids, UK and EU sizes, from 4C toddler sizes up to 7Y big kid sizes. Foot length in centimeters (cm) comes first, because it is the one number that means the same thing in every brand and every country. Toddler sizes are the C rows near the top. Big kid sizes are the Y rows at the bottom.
| Foot length (cm) | Foot length (in) | US kids | UK | EU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11.5 | 4.53 | 4C | 3.5 | 19.5 |
| 12.0 | 4.72 | 4.5C | 4 | 20.5 |
| 12.4 | 4.88 | 5C | 4.5 | 21 |
| 12.8 | 5.04 | 5.5C | 5 | 21.5 |
| 13.2 | 5.20 | 6C | 5.5 | 22 |
| 13.6 | 5.35 | 6.5C | 6 | 23 |
| 14.1 | 5.55 | 7C | 6.5 | 23.5 |
| 14.5 | 5.71 | 7.5C | 7 | 24.5 |
| 14.9 | 5.87 | 8C | 7.5 | 25 |
| 15.3 | 6.02 | 8.5C | 8 | 25.5 |
| 15.8 | 6.22 | 9C | 8.5 | 26 |
| 16.2 | 6.38 | 9.5C | 9 | 26.5 |
| 16.6 | 6.54 | 10C | 9.5 | 27 |
| 17.0 | 6.69 | 10.5C | 10 | 27.5 |
| 17.5 | 6.89 | 11C | 10.5 | 28 |
| 17.9 | 7.05 | 11.5C | 11 | 28.5 |
| 18.3 | 7.20 | 12C | 11.5 | 29.5 |
| 18.7 | 7.36 | 12.5C | 12 | 30 |
| 19.2 | 7.56 | 13C | 12.5 | 31 |
| 19.6 | 7.72 | 13.5C | 13 | 31.5 |
| 20.0 | 7.87 | 1Y | 13.5 | 32 |
| 20.4 | 8.03 | 1.5Y | 1 | 33 |
| 20.8 | 8.19 | 2Y | 1.5 | 33.5 |
| 21.3 | 8.39 | 2.5Y | 2 | 34 |
| 21.7 | 8.54 | 3Y | 2.5 | 35 |
| 22.1 | 8.70 | 3.5Y | 3 | 35.5 |
| 22.5 | 8.86 | 4Y | 3.5 | 36 |
| 23.0 | 9.06 | 4.5Y | 4 | 36.5 |
| 23.4 | 9.21 | 5Y | 4.5 | 37.5 |
| 23.8 | 9.37 | 5.5Y | 5 | 38 |
| 24.2 | 9.53 | 6Y | 5.5 | 38.5 |
| 24.7 | 9.72 | 6.5Y | 6 | 39 |
| 25.1 | 9.88 | 7Y | 6.5 | 40 |
How to read the chart
In the first column, find the length closest to your child's measurement, then read across the row. If you measured in inches, use the second column instead. A US to EU conversion works the same way: find the US kids size, then read the EU size in the same row.
Sizes sit about 0.4 cm apart, which is half a US size.
Right between two sizes? Round up
When a length sits right between two rows, choose the larger size. A slightly tight shoe can hurt, and a young child may not tell you. The Austrian Children's Feet – Children's Shoes research project notes that children's nervous systems are still developing, so they may not find too-small shoes uncomfortable. It is a common problem. In one large study of 858 preschoolers, 69.4% of the children checked were wearing outdoor shoes that were too short.
C vs Y sizes
C means child (toddler and little kid sizes) and Y means youth (big kid sizes). The C sizes run up to 13.5C, then the count starts again at 1Y. So 1Y is the next size up from 13.5C, not a smaller shoe. Our guide to 13C vs 1Y kids shoe sizes explains the jump.
Big kid to adult sizes
From 2.5Y up, big kid sizes also have a US men's and US women's equal. This helps when an older child shops adult styles, or when you shop the other way round.
| US kids | Foot length (cm) | US men's | US women's |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5Y | 21.3 | 3 | 4 |
| 3Y | 21.7 | 3.5 | 4.5 |
| 3.5Y | 22.1 | 4 | 5 |
| 4Y | 22.5 | 4.5 | 5.5 |
| 4.5Y | 23.0 | 5 | 6 |
| 5Y | 23.4 | 5.5 | 6.5 |
| 5.5Y | 23.8 | 6 | 7 |
| 6Y | 24.2 | 6.5 | 7.5 |
| 6.5Y | 24.7 | 7 | 8 |
| 7Y | 25.1 | 7.5 | 8.5 |
Why one chart isn't enough
One chart can't fit every brand, because each brand cuts its shoes a little differently. The same foot can be a different size in two brands. As one parent put it on r/toddlers: "I literally check every single size chart to figure it out because sizes vary from brand to brand."
Here is how a few brands compare with the chart above, based on their own published charts:
- Nike lines up with the standard chart. Size up if you're between sizes.
- Adidas runs small, so the estimate is half a size up.
- Converse Chuck Taylors run about half a size large, so Parsnip's Converse estimate is half a size down. Other Converse styles are true to size, so check Converse's own chart for those.
- Vans runs small, about a full size for little kids and less for big kids.
So a child with a 16.5 cm foot is about a 10C on the chart. That works out to a 10C in Nike, 10.5C in Adidas, 11C in Vans and 9.5C in Converse Chuck Taylors. Same foot, four different numbers.
This is why Parsnip gives you a size estimate for each of 15 brands from one measurement, each with a one-line fit note. It starts from the same standard chart, then shifts each brand by half sizes to match that brand's own chart.
Sizes are estimates. Fit can change between brands and even between styles from the same brand. Before you buy, check the brand's own size chart, such as Nike's kids footwear size chart, and read what other parents say about how the style fits.
Measure first, then use the chart
The chart only works with a real foot length, so measure before you shop. Feet grow fast, so age or the size of the last pair is only a rough guess. Measure both feet and use the longer one. The American Podiatric Medical Association also advises buying for the larger foot.
You can measure with paper, a pencil and a ruler. Our guide on how to measure kids' feet walks through it step by step. With Parsnip on iPhone or Android, you can also tap heel and toe in the camera instead. Picture Tap freezes one camera frame so you can place the pins on a still image, because kids just don't stand still. Already have a length? Type it in with Manual Entry.
What about growing room?
The lengths in this chart are bare foot lengths, and brand charts already build in normal toe room. You don't need to add extra length before you read the chart. Some parents still choose a little more room so shoes last longer as feet grow. Stride Rite says young children's feet can grow about half a size every few months.
In Parsnip, that extra is your choice, called Wiggle Room: Base +0 cm, Cozy +0.5 cm, Growing +0.75 cm or Roomy +1 cm, added to the length you measured before sizing. Our guide to kids' shoe growing room explains how much room to leave and how to check it.