Baby Shoe Size Chart by Age: 0-12 Months Infant Shoe Size Chart (2026)

US Baby Shoe Size Chart: 0 to 12 Months (Full Chart)

This chart lists every half size from 0 to 4.5, which covers almost every baby from birth to the first birthday. The foot lengths are calculated with the same Brannock-style formula used in US shoe stores and in all of our size charts, so the numbers agree with our children’s shoe size by age chart and the main size calculator.

*Typical ages are averages. Two babies of the same age can be two sizes apart, so the foot length column is what decides the size.

What Does “1C,” “2C,” “3C” Mean on Baby Shoe Labels?

The “C” stands for “child.” It is part of the US children’s size system and does not mean months. A 3C is the same as infant size 3: same foot length (about 10.4 cm, 4 1/8″), usually worn around 6 to 9 months. Brands such as Nike, Adidas and New Balance print the C; many baby brands print only the number.

What Age Wears Each Baby Shoe Size?

Know the size but not the age it fits? Here is each size worked the other way.

What age is baby shoe size 3?

A size 3 (3C) usually fits babies of about 6 to 9 months, with a foot of about 10.4 cm (4 1/8″). A 10.5 cm foot is a size 3. Some larger babies reach it at 5 months, and some smaller babies at 10 months, which is why measuring matters more than the month.

Month-by-Month Breakdown: What Size Shoe Does a Baby Wear?

This is the usual range at each age, from newborn to 2 years. If your baby measures outside the range, trust the measurement.

Infant Shoe Size Chart: Sizes 0C to 10C (Baby and Toddler)

“Infant” sizes on most US sites and brand charts (including Nike’s baby and toddler chart) run from 0C or 1C up to 10C. Here is the complete run with UK, EU, inches, cm and Mondopoint, so you can buy from any country.

Past 12 months? See the 12 to 24 month baby shoe size chart, the kids’ shoe size chart and how fast kids’ feet grow.

How to Measure Your Baby’s Foot at Home (The Right Way)

What you’ll need

A sheet of paper, a pencil, a ruler with centimetres, and ideally a second adult. The best moment is when your baby is calm or sleepy, such as after a feed.

Step by step

1. Babies who are not standing yet: lay the paper on a firm surface, hold the foot gently flat with the heel at the paper’s edge and the toes relaxed (babies curl their toes, so wait for them to uncurl).
2. Babies who stand: stand them on the paper with their heel against a wall and their weight on both feet. Feet spread when standing, which is the size you need for walking shoes.
3. Mark the longest toe with the pencil held straight up. Do not trace the whole outline; tracing adds width and length.
4. Measure from heel to the mark in cm. Measure both feet and use the longer one.
5. Look up the size in the finder or chart. Do not add growing room first: the size already includes it.

Check the fit in the shoe too: about a thumb’s width (roughly 1 to 1.5 cm, or 1/2 inch) between the longest toe and the front of the shoe is right. More than about 2 cm (3/4 inch) and the shoe is too big. More help: how to measure baby feet.

For walkers 2T and up: Squatchi Kids Shoe Sizer

A home foot measurer for toddlers and kids that reads both length and width. It starts at toddler size 2T, so it is not designed for young babies. For babies under about 2 years, the paper method above is just as accurate.

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Why Baby Shoe Size Charts Disagree (and Which One to Trust)

Look at five baby charts and you will find five different lengths for the same size. Some list size 3 at about 4 1/8″, others at 4 3/8″. That is not because one is wrong. They measure different things:

• Foot length charts (like ours) tell you the bare foot that fits each size. The growing room is built into the shoe. Use these with a measured foot.
• Brand charts often list slightly longer figures. Stride Rite’s chart, for example, lists size 3 at about 4.3″ (10.8 cm) against 4.1″ (10.4 cm) on a standard chart, because each brand builds its own last.
• Insole or “inner length” charts, common on EU, Chinese, Temu, Shein and AliExpress listings, give the inside length of the shoe. That is your baby’s foot plus growing room, so it is about 1 to 1.5 cm longer than the foot.

The rule: measure the foot, then use the brand’s own chart if it has one. If the listing gives insole length, choose an insole 1 to 1.5 cm longer than the foot.

Baby Shoe Sizes in UK, EU, Chinese and cm

UK baby sizes run about half a size below US sizes (US 3 = UK 2.5), and EU baby sizes start around 15 (EU 16 is about a US 1). Chinese and many online listings use cm or an insole length, often written as “11” or “11 cm”. Use this table to cross-check.

Example: a listing that says “size 11 (insole 11 cm)” fits a foot of about 9.5 to 10 cm, which is a US size 2 to 2.5, not a size 11. More conversions: baby shoe size conversion chart, China shoe size to US and US vs UK vs EU sizes.

Baby Shoe Width Sizing: The Part Most Parents Miss

Length can be right while the shoe still pinches. Many babies have chubby, high-volume feet, and most budget baby shoes come in one standard width.

If the shoe bulges at the sides or leaves red marks but the toes have room, go up a width, not a length. More in our baby shoe width guide.

Soft Sole vs Hard Sole: Which Stage Needs Which?

Brand-by-Brand Sizing Notes for 0-12 Month Shoes

Baby brands do not all size the same way. Here is what to know before ordering:

• Stride Rite: number sizes with M, W and XW widths in many styles (widths usually start around size 3). Its chart lists slightly longer foot lengths than a standard chart.
• Nike, Adidas, New Balance: use C sizes (for example 2C, 3C) and publish their own baby and toddler charts. New Balance offers wide (W) in many infant styles.
• Robeez and other soft-sole brands: often sell by age range (such as 0 to 6 months) rather than number. Check the foot length they list, not just the age.
• Store and fashion brands: sizing varies most. Check the brand’s chart and recent reviews for “runs small” or “runs narrow” before ordering.

More brand charts: Nike, Adidas, New Balance and Crocs.

When Do Babies Actually Need Shoes?

Later than most people think. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that babies learning to walk do best barefoot indoors, where they can grip and feel the floor. Shoes are for protection outdoors and warmth, not for “support”.

• Indoors on safe floors: bare feet or non-slip socks.
• Outdoors, before walking: soft soles or booties for warmth and protection.
• Walking outdoors: a flexible first-walker shoe.
• Photos and outfits: fine, as long as the sole is soft.

Full guide: when should babies wear shoes.

Signs the Shoe Is Too Tight (When Your Baby Can’t Tell You)

• Red marks or dents on the toes, sides or heel after taking the shoe off.
• Your baby pulls the shoes off every time, or gets fussy once they are on.
• Toes curled under, or no space when you press the front of the shoe.
• The shoe is a struggle to get on, or bulges at the sides.
• Rubbing or redness at the heel.

If you see any of these, measure again and size up. Hand-me-downs are fine if they are lightly worn; skip pairs with compressed, lopsided insoles or worn-down heels.

Common mistakes when buying baby shoes online

• Ordering by the age on the box. Age ranges overlap; measure first.
• Adding growing room twice. Do not add 1/2 inch to the foot and then use a foot-length chart. Add room only when a listing gives insole length.
• Buying far too big. More than about 3/4 inch (2 cm) of space makes shoes slip and trip.
• Mixing up 4C and 4Y, or reading “11” on a Chinese listing as a US 11.
• Stocking up. Feet can grow 3 to 4 sizes in the first year.

Frequently Asked Questions: Baby and Infant Shoe Sizes

How We Checked These Sizes

More Baby and Kids’ Size Guides

• Newborn shoe size guide
• Baby shoe size chart: 0 to 3 months
• Baby shoe size chart: 3 to 6 months
• Baby shoe size chart: 6 to 12 months
• 12 to 24 month shoe size chart
• Baby shoe size conversion chart
• How to measure baby feet
• Baby shoe width guide
• Children’s shoe size by age
• Best toddler shoes (India)