How can a parent measure a child's foot size at home?

Parents can mark the length of their children's feet on either paper or the floor and compare the measurements to sizing charts for various brands of shoes. Alternatively, shoe retailers such as Pediped and Stride Rite offer online tools and sizing applications to determine a child's proper shoe size.

Children's feet should be measured in the evening because feet swell over the course of the day. The child should stand or sit with feet flat on the floor while the parent marks the ends of each foot at the heels and toes. The parent can then use the length of the larger foot to determine shoe size through sizing charts for individual brands.

Parents can also download shoe sizing applications on their tablets; Pediped's Sizing Guide and Stride Rite's RiteFit iPad apps allow parents to measure their children's feet digitally. These retailers also offer printable sizing charts on their websites.