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 19 kids’ shoe brands on Little & Youth, so you order the right size and width the first time.
The short answer: Most kids’ shoes — 12 of the 19 brands on Little & Youth — run true to size, so a measured foot lands on a size that applies across brands.
The ones to be mindful of are Birkenstock, Converse, Crocs, Hatley, and UGG, which run big (so the recommendation is to size down a half), and PUMA and See Kai Run, which run small (so size up a half).
Width matters as much as length; 3 brands are cut narrow and 9 run wide-friendly, though that is specifically how they are cut, not a width you can choose. Only New Balance and Stride Rite sell true Wide and Extra-Wide, and Saucony a Wide, while Birkenstock sells a Narrow.
Measure once. Little & Youth turns it into the size to buy, flags whether width will be a problem, and shows how each brand it covers nudges that size.
How each brand runs and how wide it’s cut is crowd sentiment, not a Little & Youth determination. The sizes on this page are computed from each brand’s own published chart; the run and width notes below are what parents report, drawn from public shopper reviews.
Most sit true to size — a few outliers are worth knowing before you order online.
Each slice is the share of the 19 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, Hatley, 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.
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.
Converse, Hatley, Reebok, See Kai Run, Skechers, UGG, and Vans.
Roomy through the toe box — and New Balance and Stride Rite go further with true Wide and Extra-Wide widths you can actually pick. 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.
Kids’ shoe sizes carry a letter that marks the age band — but brands don’t all use them the same way, which is half the confusion.
The smallest walking sizes (UGG’s 3T).
The middle band (Vans 1C, Converse 2C).
The largest kids’ band before adult sizes (Vans 3Y, Converse 6Y).
UGG uses K for big-kid sizes (6K), while Under Armour and adidas use it for the smallest sizes (1K, 1k). On its own, K doesn’t tell you the band — read the brand’s category.
Some brands (Crocs, Steve Madden) print just a number; European brands like Birkenstock use EU sizes (24–34), which don’t line up one-to-one with US numbers.
The letter marks a category, not a fixed size, and the numbering restarts at 1 between little kid and big kid — so a 1Y is a full size bigger than a 13C. The reliable move is to match the measured foot length to the brand’s own chart, not the letter.
All 19 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 2C → Big Kid 5.5Y | Runs big | Runs standardone width |
| Hatley | Toddler 4 Toddler → Big Kid 4 Kids | Runs big | Runs standardone width |
| UGG | Toddler 4T → Big Kid 6K | Runs big | Runs standardone width |
| Crocs | Children C2 → Junior J6 | Runs big | Runs wide-friendlyone width |
| Birkenstock | Toddler EU 24 → Big Kid EU 34 | Runs big | Runs wide-friendlyRegular · Narrow |
| Nike | Toddler 1C → Big Kid 7Y | True to size | Runs narrowone width |
| Steve Madden | Toddler 7.5 → Kid 7 | True to size | Runs narrowone width |
| Skechers | Infant 0 → Big Kid 8 | True to size | Runs standardone width |
| Vans | Infant 1C → Big Kid 3Y | True to size | Runs standardone width |
| Reebok | Toddler 1 → Big Kid 7Y | True to size | Runs standardone width |
| Under Armour | Baby 1K → Big Kid 7 | True to size | Runs wide-friendlyone width |
| New Balance | Toddler 0 → Big Kid 7Y | True to size | Runs wide-friendlyM · Wide · X-Wide |
| adidas | Toddler 1k → Big Kid 7.5 | True to size | Runs wide-friendlyone width |
| Stride Rite | Baby 1 → Big Kid 7Y | True to size | Runs wide-friendlyM · W · XW |
| Clarks | Toddler 2.5 → Big Kid 5Y | True to size | Runs wide-friendlyone width |
| pediped | Kid EU 18 → Youth EU 36 | True to size | Runs wide-friendlyone width |
| Saucony | Little Kid 4 → Big Kid 7 | True to size | Runs wide-friendlyMedium · Wide |
| PUMA | Toddler 4 → Big Kid 7Y | Runs small | Runs narrowone width |
| See Kai Run | Toddler 3 → Big Kid 4Y | Runs small | Runs standardone width |
Around 25 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 19 brands here, 12 run true to size. The exceptions worth knowing: Birkenstock, Converse, Crocs, Hatley, and UGG run big (size down a half), while PUMA and See Kai Run run small (size up a half).
Stand your child on a piece of paper with the bare heel against a wall, and mark the paper at the longest toe. Do both feet and use the longer one, then measure heel to mark. Enter that measured length as-is — the size charts already leave room to move, so you don’t need to add any. If you’re buying ahead for growth, size up a deliberate half rather than padding the measurement.
They mark the age band — T is toddler, C is little kid, Y is big kid — and K means “kids,” though brands use it inconsistently (UGG’s 6K is a big-kid size, while Under Armour’s 1K is a baby size). The section above breaks them down; when in doubt, match the foot length to the chart, not the letter.
New Balance and Stride Rite are the standouts because they offer real Wide and Extra-Wide widths; Saucony offers a Wide. Every other brand here sells one width only, so for them 'wide' describes how the shoe is cut, not something you can choose. In all, 9 of the 19 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. For a narrow foot, Birkenstock sells a Narrow width.
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 →