Baby and Toddler Shoe Sizes: Foot-Length Chart (US, EU, UK) and How to Measure

By the Babbez team

Baby and toddler shoe sizes are set by foot LENGTH, not age, so measure the foot first. In the US, a roughly 4.5-inch (11.3 cm) foot is about a size 4.5C, a 5-inch (12.6 cm) foot about 6C, and a 5.5-inch (14 cm) foot about 7.5C. Use the chart below, and re-measure every couple of months.

What size shoe does my baby wear?

Your baby wears whatever size matches their foot length today, which is why two one-year-olds can be two full sizes apart: measure the bare foot, heel to longest toe, and read it against a chart rather than guessing from the birthday. Sorting out clothes too? Our baby range (up to 24 months) and the baby clothes sizes by age guide pair with this one.

The chart below reconciles six sources (five brand charts and the barleycorn standard); values are the recommended maximum foot length per size, and the method is under the table.

Baby and toddler shoe size chart (US, EU, UK by foot length)

Measure the foot, find the centimeter range, then read across to the US, EU and UK size. The centimeter and inch columns are the anchor; treat EU and UK as close approximations.

How do US baby and toddler shoe sizes work, and what does 3C mean?

US kids' shoe sizes are a length-based ladder where each full size adds exactly one third of an inch (about 8.5 mm) and each half size adds one sixth of an inch. C stands for child (the baby-and-toddler range, 0C to 13C) and Y stands for youth (starting again at 1Y). So “3C” means child size 3, which fits a foot of roughly 4 inches (10 to 10.5 cm), often around six to nine months.

One quirk trips everyone up: after 13C the very next size is 1Y, not 14C, and the two are only one third of an inch apart. To translate a US size into the EU (Paris-point) or UK system, use our baby size converter rather than assuming the numbers line up, because they do not.

How do I measure my baby's foot at home?

You need two minutes, a sheet of paper and a ruler:

1. Put a sheet of paper against a wall and stand your baby on it, heel to the wall, with their full weight on the foot (measure standing, not sitting — the foot spreads).
2. Mark the tip of the longest toe (not always the big toe), then measure from the wall edge to the mark in centimeters.
3. Measure both feet and use the LARGER one; do it late in the day, when feet are at their biggest.
4. Match that length to the chart above, then add a little growing room as described below.

Between two sizes? Size up: a shoe a hair long is fine, while a short one cramps the toes.

How much growing room should a baby shoe have, and how often do sizes change?

The American Podiatric Medical Association suggests about 10–15 mm of toe room in front of the longest toe, and published charts, ours included, sit a touch below the pure foot-length math to leave that room. Check it with the shoe on and the child standing; much more room than that and the shoe tends to slip at the heel.

Feet grow fast early: pediped notes a toddler's foot can grow a half size or more every two to four months, so re-measure often. On whether babies need shoes at all, we point you to the authorities rather than give a verdict: Nemours KidsHealth says shoes are mainly for protecting a baby's feet, especially outdoors, and the APMA recommends light shoes with flexible soles. This guide is about fit and sizing only.

This is a fit and sizing guide, not medical or podiatric advice. For foot-health and shoe-timing questions, follow the named authorities linked above or ask your pediatrician. See our medical disclaimer.

Why does my baby wear a different shoe size in every brand (US vs EU vs UK)?

Because a shoe size is a label each manufacturer prints its own way, the same foot can be a 4.5C in one brand and a 5C in another. Two things cause most of the gap. First, each chart assigns slightly different centimeters to the same size, as the table below shows. Second, the conversion systems do not line up cleanly: EU uses Paris points and UK numbering resets after 13.5, so the EU and UK columns are typical, not exact. Shopping by UK sizes? See our UK baby shoe size chart.

Same size, different centimeters: three brand charts side by side

We compared three of our source charts, re-read on 2026-09-24, with the maximum foot length in our chart. Nike's chart actually disagrees with itself at the baby end: its CM/JP row puts 5C at 11, while its foot-length row puts 5C at 4 15/16 inches (about 12.5 cm).

Clarks sits closest to our chart, Nike's inch row a little above it and pediped a little below it, while Nike's CM/JP row is the outlier at the baby end. That row explains the "Nike runs a size large" warning, so check which row you read.

The fix is the same one that works for clothes: trust the measurement, not the number on the box, and confirm each brand's own chart. Our baby clothing sizes by brand guide shows the same label-to-label drift across the wardrobe; for clothes at this age, see what size does a 1-year-old wear (12M to 24M) and the toddler range (2T and up).

Frequently asked questions

Sources (retrieved 2026-09-09; three re-read 2026-09-24): See Kai Run sizing chart; Carter's / OshKosh B'gosh footwear size chart; Clarks kids size chart (US/UK/EU/cm); pediped foot-size chart; Nike Kids' footwear size chart; US barleycorn shoe-size standard; foot-health guidance from the Nemours KidsHealth and the American Podiatric Medical Association.