Kids’ shoe sizing is nearly standardized — a given size maps to a foot length far more consistently than clothing does. So the question that matters isn’t what size, it’s how each brand runs (true, big, or small) and how wide it’s cut. Here’s both, across the 18 kids’ shoe brands on Little & Youth, so you order the right size and width the first time.
Most sit true to size — a few outliers are worth knowing before you order online.
Each slice is the share of the 18 kids’ shoe brands on Little & Youth that runs big, true to size, or small — most cluster around true.
These brands cut their shoes a bit large, so the size runs bigger than the number suggests. The move: size down a half if your child is between sizes, or keep the roomy fit for growing room.
Birkenstock, Converse, Crocs, and UGG.
These land right where a measured foot expects them. The move: buy the size you measure — no adjustment needed.
adidas, Clarks, New Balance, Nike, pediped, Reebok, Saucony, Skechers, Steve Madden, Stride Rite, Under Armour, and Vans.
These cut a touch small, so they fit shorter than the number suggests. The move: size up a half to a full size, especially if your child is between sizes.
PUMA and See Kai Run.
Width is the fit detail a size number can’t tell you.
How many of the 18 brands are cut narrow, standard, or wide-friendly through the midfoot and toe box.
Cut close through the midfoot and toe box — great for a slim foot, tight on a wide one. For a wide-footed child, size up for room or reach for a roomier brand.
An average, medium width that suits most feet — no width adjustment needed for a typical foot.
Roomy through the toe box — and Birkenstock, Clarks, New Balance, Saucony, Stride Rite, and Under Armour go further with true Wide and Extra-Wide widths. These are the ones to reach for with a wide-footed kid.
adidas, Birkenstock, Clarks, Crocs, New Balance, pediped, Saucony, Stride Rite, and Under Armour.
All 18 brands, sorted by how they run, then by width, then by the sizes each carries. Every fit call comes from reputable, multi-voice shopper reviews.
| Brand | Sizes carried | How it runs | Width |
|---|---|---|---|
| Converse | Toddler 1C → Big Kid 5.5Y | Runs big | Standard |
| UGG | Toddler 3T → Big Kid 6K | Runs big | Standard |
| Crocs | Toddler 4 → Big Kid 7Y | Runs big | Wide-friendly |
| Birkenstock | Toddler EU 24 → Big Kid EU 34 | Runs big | Wide & X-wide |
| Nike | Toddler 1C → Big Kid 7Y | True to size | Narrow · wide avail. |
| Steve Madden | Toddler 8 → Big Kid 7Y | True to size | Narrow · wide avail. |
| Reebok | Toddler 1 → Big Kid 7Y | True to size | Standard · wide avail. |
| Skechers | Toddler 4 → Big Kid 7Y | True to size | Standard |
| Vans | Toddler 4 → Big Kid 7Y | True to size | Standard |
| Under Armour | Baby 1K → Big Kid 7 | True to size | Wide & X-wide |
| Stride Rite | Baby 0 → Big Kid 7Y | True to size | Wide & X-wide |
| New Balance | Toddler 0 → Big Kid 7Y | True to size | Wide & X-wide |
| adidas | Toddler 1k → Big Kid 7.5 | True to size | Wide-friendly |
| Clarks | Toddler 2.5 → Big Kid 5Y | True to size | Wide & X-wide |
| Saucony | Toddler 4 → Big Kid 7Y | True to size | Wide & X-wide |
| pediped | Toddler 5 → Big Kid 5Y | True to size | Wide-friendly |
| PUMA | Toddler 4 → Big Kid 7Y | Runs small | Narrow |
| See Kai Run | Toddler 3 → Big Kid 4Y | Runs small | Standard |
Around 19 of the brands on Little & Youth carry socks — all sized the same way.
The one thing to remember: kids’ socks are sized by shoe size, not age — and it works the same way at every brand that sells them, from Carter's, Old Navy, Bombas, and Skechers.
Mostly. Kids’ shoe sizes map to foot length fairly consistently, so a measured foot lands on the same standard size at most brands. Of the 18 brands here, 12 run true to size. The exceptions worth knowing: Birkenstock, Converse, Crocs, and UGG run big (size down a half), while PUMA and See Kai Run run small (size up a half).
Put the bare heel against a wall on a hard floor, mark the floor at the longest toe, and measure heel-to-mark. Do both feet and use the longer one. Add about a thumb’s-width of growing room, then match that length to the brand you’re buying.
Birkenstock, Clarks, New Balance, Saucony, Stride Rite, and Under Armour are the standouts because they offer real Wide and Extra-Wide widths. In all, 9 of the 18 brands here run wide-friendly through the toe box. The ones to avoid for a wide foot are the 3 cut narrow: Nike, PUMA, and Steve Madden.
Crocs run large and come in whole sizes only. If your child measures between two sizes, size down; if they’re right at a whole size, that size still fits roomy.
European brands like Birkenstock label shoes in EU sizes, which don’t match US numbers one-to-one. Our comparison converts from your child’s foot length, so you can line them up against US-sized brands.
Socks are sized by shoe size, not age — usually in ranges. Buy for your child’s current shoe size; if they fall between two ranges, choose the smaller for a sock that stays up. Look for a shaped heel rather than a plain tube.
Measure your child’s foot once and Little & Youth shows the size to buy across the kids’ shoe brands on the site — with how each one runs and how wide it’s cut, each pulled from that brand’s own sizing. No more ordering two sizes to return one.
Find your child's size →