To the choice of shoes for the child, all parents are suitable with great responsibility. On the quality of shoes depends a lot - and the mood of the baby, and the correct gait, and the development of the foot. Therefore, before going to a children's shoe store for shopping, all experts recommend determining the model and choose only high-quality footwear made from natural materials. A huge role in the correct choice of children's shoes is played by the size of the child's leg.
It is known that children grow very fast and many objects from their wardrobe have time to abuse only a few times. The same applies to shoes - the baby's leg is intensively growing during the first years of life, so parents often have to change shoes, sandals and boots. And since high-quality children's shoes are not cheap, it is important to purchase the most comfortable pair, corresponding to the size of the child's foot.
How to know the size of a child's foot?
For most parents this issue is not easy. Often, inexperienced moms and dads determine the size of the child's leg incorrectly. The most common mistakes parents make when trying to find out the size of a child's foot:
- When buying shoes ask advice from the baby: "Heels a heel or a sock?". Children, as a rule, are much less susceptible to such factors. Therefore, it is likely that the child will answer "No", but in fact it will be vice versa. Children, first of all pay attention to the color of shoes and its shape. This determines their choice.
- When buying shoes, try to determine the size of the child's foot, applying to the foot of the sole of the model you like. Here it should be remembered that the dimensions of the sole and inner insole can vary significantly. In this situation, the probability of buying tight shoes for the baby is great.
- When choosing shoes try to squeeze a finger between the heel of the child and the back. The child can pinch his fingers, and the shoes will seem suitable to the parents. And only during the first walks it will be possible to determine a slip with the size.
For those parents who are completely unaware of children's shoes, there is a special table of the size of the child's legs by age. Thanks to this table you can determine the approximate size, based on the age of the baby. The table of the size of a child's leg by age is presented below. Parents should be aware that all values are averaged, quite often there are significant deviations from the figures below.
| Age | Foot length | US Size | European size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inches | Cm | |||
| 0-3 months. | 3.7 | 9.5 | 0-2 | 16-17 |
| 0-6 months. | 4.1 | 10.5 | 2.5-3.5 | 17-18 |
| 6-12 months. | 4.6 | 11.7 | 4-4.5 | 19 |
| 12-18 months. | 4.9 | 12.5 | 5-5.5 | 20 |
| 18-24 months. | 5.2 | 13.4 | 6-6.5 | 21-22 |
| 2 years | 5.6 | 14.3 | 7th | 23 |
| 2.5 years | 5.8 | 14.7 | 7.5-8 | 24 |
| 2,5-3 years | 6th | 15.2 | 8-8.5 | 25 |
| 3-3,5 years | 6.3 | 16 | 9-9.5 | 26th |
| 4 years | 6.7 | 17.3 | 10-10.5 | 27th |
| 4-4.5 years | 6.9 | 17.6 | 11-11.5 | 28 |
| 5 years | 7.2 | 18.4 | 12 | 29 |
In addition to the table, there is another method, how to determine the size of the child's legs. To do this, parents need to circle the baby's foot with a pencil and measure the distance from the heel to the tip of the thumb. The figure is the size of the child's leg. This system of measuring the size of the foot is common in the territory of the former CIS countries. In the countries of Western Europe and America, the so-called stihmassovaya system of measuring the size of the child's foot is used. On each pair of shoes the length of the inner insoles is indicated in the ceilings (1 stih = 2/3 cm).
When buying any shoes - for the summer or for the winter, parents should remember that the child will grow from this pair quite quickly. Therefore, it makes no sense to buy sandals or boots for a while. You should always leave a small reserve - for growth. As a rule, children's shoes are worn for not more than one season. Therefore, with limited financial resources, you should not buy expensive branded shoes - it will not last long for your baby.