How Often to Buy a Growing Child Shoes

How often you need to buy a growing child shoes depends on a number of factors, but there are a few general rules to follow.

Growing children

Children usually grow two sizes a year for the first four years and about one size a year after that, until their full adult shoe size is reached. However, this growth is irregular. It is common for a child to grow several shoe sizes in a short period of time and then remain at a constant shoe size for an extended period of time. This irregularity means that you should check your child's shoes about every eight weeks to make sure their shoes still fit comfortably. Ideally, you should take him or her to a trained shoe fitter at a shoe store to ensure shoes are the correct length and width. You may need to check for proper fit more frequently during periods of rapid height gain, typically during puberty. You should also constantly do spot checks of your children's shoes to see if the feet look visibly cramped. If shoes are too short the toes tend to buckle up against the fabric of the shoe. Also, you can do a quick test by feeling for space between the toes and end of the shoe.

There are no hard and fast rules about how often you should replace a child's shoes, but you should check for fit every two months and expect to buy new shoes at least once or twice a year, maybe even more frequently during peak periods of growth.