The Right Sizing
Healthy shoes start with the right fit. Measure little feet in two minutes — no guesswork.
Little feet grow fast — really fast
Here's a number that surprises most parents: more than half of all children are wearing shoes that don't fit. Not from carelessness — young feet are soft, still forming, and can jump a full shoe size in just a few months, often without a single complaint. The wrong size can mean blisters today and foot problems later; the right size gives toes room to spread, flex and grow the way nature intended. The good news? Measuring your child's feet at home takes two minutes — paper, pencil, done.
How to measure — in under two minutes
Step-by-step video coming soon
We're filming a short how-to — until then, the three steps below have you covered.
How to measure your child's feet
Trace the foot
Stand your child on a sheet of paper — upright, weight on both feet — and trace around each foot with the pencil held straight up. Always do both: they're rarely identical.
Measure heel→toe
Measure in inches or centimeters from the heel to the longest toe. Use the larger foot's measurement — and measure in the afternoon, when feet are at their biggest.
Find the size
Lotta & Emil: use the measurement as it is — their sizes are listed by foot length with the growing room already built in. The product page has a calculator that does it for you. Froddo and Ocra: add about ½ inch (1–1.2 cm) — a thumb's width — then find the total in the chart below.
Find your size, by brand
Every maker cuts a little differently, so use the chart for the brand you're buying. US size first — the EU size is what's printed on the box.
Froddo size chart +
| US size | Inner length (in) | Inner length (cm) | EU (on the box) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6C | 5.6″ | 14.3 | 22 |
| 7C | 5.9″ | 15.0 | 23 |
| 8C | 6.1″ | 15.4 | 24 |
| 9C | 6.3″ | 16.0 | 25 |
| 9.5C | 6.5″ | 16.6 | 26 |
| 10C | 6.8″ | 17.2 | 27 |
| 11C | 7.0″ | 17.8 | 28 |
| 11.5C | 7.3″ | 18.5 | 29 |
| 12C | 7.6″ | 19.3 | 30 |
| 13C | 7.8″ | 19.9 | 31 |
| 1Y | 8.1″ | 20.5 | 32 |
| 2Y | 8.3″ | 21.1 | 33 |
| 3Y | 8.6″ | 21.8 | 34 |
| 3.5Y | 8.9″ | 22.5 | 35 |
| 4Y | 9.1″ | 23.1 | 36 |
| 5Y | 9.4″ | 23.8 | 37 |
| 6Y | 9.6″ | 24.5 | 38 |
Official Froddo inner lengths for closed shoes (boots & sneakers), EU 22–35 — growing room is already built in, so match your foot measurement + ½ inch to the inner length. EU 36–38 are estimated pending the official chart; sandals run slightly differently; smaller baby sizes vary by model.
Lotta & Emil size chart +
Official Lotta & Emil measurements for the Chelsea Boot. These are foot lengths with the growing room already included — match your child's measured foot to a row and don't add anything. Other Lotta & Emil models are cut on their own lasts; each product page has a size calculator for its model.
| US size | Foot length (in) | Foot length (cm) | Inside width (cm) | EU (on the box) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7C | 5.2–5.4″ | 13.2–13.7 | 5.8 | 23 |
| 8C | 5.4–5.6″ | 13.8–14.3 | 6.0 | 24 |
| 9C | 5.7–5.9″ | 14.4–15.0 | 6.1 | 25 |
| 9.5C | 5.9–6.1″ | 15.1–15.6 | 6.2 | 26 |
| 10C | 6.2–6.4″ | 15.7–16.3 | 6.5 | 27 |
| 11C | 6.5–6.7″ | 16.4–17.0 | 6.7 | 28 |
| 11.5C | 6.7–6.9″ | 17.1–17.6 | 7.0 | 29 |
| 12C | 7.0–7.2″ | 17.7–18.3 | 7.1 | 30 |
| 13C | 7.2–7.5″ | 18.4–19.0 | 7.2 | 31 |
| 1Y | 7.5–7.8″ | 19.1–19.8 | 7.3 | 32 |
| 2Y | 7.8–8.0″ | 19.9–20.3 | 7.5 | 33 |
| 3Y | 8.0–8.3″ | 20.4–21.0 | 7.7 | 34 |
| 3.5Y | 8.3–8.5″ | 21.1–21.6 | 7.9 | 35 |
| 4Y | 8.5–8.8″ | 21.7–22.3 | 8.2 | 36 |
| 5Y | 8.8–9.1″ | 22.4–23.0 | 8.5 | 37 |
Example: a foot measuring 15.1–15.6 cm takes EU 26, whose inside length is 16.8 cm — that difference is the growing room.
Ocra size chart +
| US size | Foot length (in) | Foot length (cm) | EU (on the box) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5C | 4.6″ | 11.7 | 19 |
| 4.5C | 4.9″ | 12.4 | 20 |
| 5C | 5.1″ | 13.0 | 21 |
| 6C | 5.4″ | 13.7 | 22 |
| 6.5C | 5.6″ | 14.2 | 23 |
| 7.5C | 5.9″ | 14.9 | 24 |
| 8C | 6.1″ | 15.5 | 25 |
| 9.5C | 6.3″ | 16.1 | 26 |
| 10.5C | 6.6″ | 16.8 | 27 |
| 11C | 6.9″ | 17.4 | 28 |
| 12C | 7.1″ | 18.1 | 29 |
| 12.5C | 7.4″ | 18.8 | 30 |
| 13C | 7.7″ | 19.6 | 31 |
| 1.5Y | 8.1″ | 20.5 | 32 |
| 2Y | 8.3″ | 21.0 | 33 |
| 3Y | 8.5″ | 21.6 | 34 |
| 3.5Y | 8.8″ | 22.3 | 35 |
| 4Y | 9.0″ | 22.8 | 36 |
| 5Y | 9.2″ | 23.4 | 37 |
| 6Y | 9.4″ | 24.0 | 38 |
Official Ocra chart (Ocra sizes run EU 19–42; we list through EU 38). Measure the foot, add about ½ inch — Ocra recommends 0.5–1 cm of growing room — then find the total here. Between sizes? Size up.
Sizes are a guide — when in doubt, size up.
Signs it's time for the next size
- Red marks or indentations after shoes come off
- Toes curling, or the longest toe reaching the very end
- Your child pulling shoes off or refusing to wear them
- Less than a thumb's width of room at the front
Sizing FAQs
How much room should kids' shoes have to grow? +
Leave about ½ inch (1–1.2 cm, a thumb's width) beyond the longest toe. Less than that and they'll be outgrown quickly; much more and the shoe won't support the foot. Lotta & Emil's charts already include this, so with them you match the measurement as it is.
How often should I check my child's shoe size? +
A good rule of thumb: every 2 months for ages 1–2, every 4 months for ages 3–4, and every 6 months for ages 5–6 — sooner if shoes look tight or your child starts avoiding them.
What's the best time of day to measure feet? +
Late afternoon or evening, when feet are at their largest. Measure both feet, standing with weight on both, and use the larger one.
My child is between two sizes — which do I choose? +
Size up. The extra room gives feet space to grow and is far safer than a shoe that's already snug.
Still unsure? Ask us — we'll help you get it right.