OUR GUIDE TO YOUR BABY’S FIRST SHOE FITTING

Trying to find the right shoes for your boy or girl can be as frustrating as trying to keep them on your kid's feet. Comfort is important, as shoes that are too small or too big, will result in your little hell-raiser kicking them off the first chance they get.

The wrong sized shoes can be detrimental to their foot development, causing even more problems down the track. With all that doom and gloom out the way, here's our handy guide to finding the right sized kids shoes for your little one, so you can be sure their feet are well looked after.

How to Fit Bub for Shoes

Whether you’re buying online or heading in-store, you want to have an idea of your little one’s foot length before stuffing their little feet into a pair of shoes.

You can measure their foot a number of ways, which may give you varying results, depending on how much your baby chooses to fidget and kick!

For one, you can trace around their foot on a sheet of paper - they may be entertained enough with this method. Or, if you’re game, you can grab a ruler and measure their tiny feet while they nap.

Babies grow so fast, you’ll have to measure their feet at least three times a year. You can find the right shoe size easily by using Bobux’s baby shoe fitting guide.

What Size Fits What Age?

Baby shoe fitting can be confusing. You may be wondering, which shoe size is supposed to fit what age? But it doesn't work like that. This isn’t a perfect way of fitting baby shoes, because all feet grow and develop differently.

OK, so it can be useful to have a rough idea of what size range you should be looking at... Generally, a newborn’s chubby little feet will fit a European size 15 shoe. From 3 months to 9 months, baby’s foot could range from a European size 16 to 17. You can check out our conversion chart if you need a UK or US size for that - along with a guide on how to fit baby shoes. 

Age isn’t a great indicator of the ideal shoe. Maybe your little one is only stumbling, or maybe they’re running. Unfortunately, babies aren’t very conscientious, they don’t know how to meet goals and expectations at certain ages!

So, it’s best to consider some factors other than age when you're figuring out which shoe is best for your kid. Figuring out what stage your baby is at is a far better plan.

When deciding on shoes, consider whether they are sitting, crawling, cruising, walking, or running and jumping... and generally causing havoc.

Find out how you can pair your newborn shoes with stylish outfits or read more about our premium leather Soft Soles today. 

How Should Baby Shoes Fit

Holding your baby’s foot in your hand, you’ve probably thought about how fragile it is. How on earth do those tubby little toes survive!?

Babies’ feet are soft and the bones are pliable. They need shoes that let them stretch and flex their feet without getting in the way. With that in mind, here are some general rules that should show your baby's shoe fits in a comfortable and healthy way:

• The shoe should reflect your baby's foot shape. The tip should be boxy - a square shape.
• The shoe should glide smoothly on and off the heel. If it slides out too easily, it's too big. If it looks like it pinches baby's heel, it's too small.
• The soles should be soft and pliable - preferably soft soles made of leather or non-slip suede. You should be able to bend them over.
• You should be able to grab a small amount of material about the foot when your child is wearing the shoe - if you can't, the shoe may be too tight.

Most importantly, check the amount of wiggle room your toddling baby has at the tip of their toes. They need enough for movement, but not so much that they’ll trip and land on their face. Who wants to deal with that mess? For children who are only sitting and crawling, this isn't as much of a big deal.

For shoes that are podiatrist approved, Bobux has a huge range of shoes for prewalkers that are uber-cool and super-comfy. Browse our full range of newborn and kids shoes today!