Choosing first shoes - theory

Choosing the right shoe is no longer just about checking the growth space with your thumb while your kid's foot is in there. Btw. did you know that kids reflectively bend their toes if you press the toe box? Did you also know that kids do not feel if the shoe is too small, therefore you should check the size regularly? If you want the shoe to be a perfect fit, you should consider not only the length, but also width, instep and ankle/heel size. It might get a bit overwhelming, but once you find the right shoe, you will probably feel it was worth it.

The foot size (length/width) is best determined by putting your child's foot on a paper with their heel to the wall and mark where the thumb/the widest part ends.

vpavucine.blogspot.com

 vpavucine.blogspot.com

The formula of determing whether child's foot is narrow/normal/wide goes like this: Divide the length by its width and compare with the table below. Anastasia's foot is 12.4cm long and 5.8cm wide (12.4/5.8=2.14 -> her foot is normal)

	Ratio length/width
Foot length	Very wide	Wider	Normal	Narrow
<13		<2,15	2,15-2,3	>2,3
13-16	<2	2-2,25	2,25-2,5	>2,5
16-20	<2,2	2,2-2,4	2,4-2,65	>2,65
>20	<2,4	2,4-2,6	>2,6	no data

Zdroj: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ySHTMqyk-Ke19JBku1FJa3LREp_2Nd-haaxoyxkZmNI/edit?pli=1#gid=138046747, autor: Lila Michalíková.

For determing other factors (instep, heel/ankle width) there are no clear formulas, one has to use own observations.

Growth space

It is usually recommended  

first steps: 1 cm až 1,2 cm
confident steps: 1,2 cm až 1,5 cm
max 1,7 cm (for winter shoes can be more if you expect your kid to wear thicker socks)

There should not be less than 0.5cm of growth space as the foot needs some wiggly space. 

Toe box

It is extremely important to look at the toe box in order to prevent feet deformation and enable the toes to work as they are intended to. The toe box should not be rounded (with the longest part in the middle) as almost nobody has their middle finger the longest.

www.altrarunning.com

Sole

The shoe sole should be flexible both vertically and horizontally, it should be possible to roll it and there should be zero drop (no heel)