Do you Need Growing Room in Kids School Shoes?

At school, children will spend several hours in their school shoes, so it’s important that they’re comfortable, fit well and can withstand everything that is thrown at them. 

At Lelli Kelly Shop, we have a great selection of school shoes that are perfect for growing kids. 

How quickly do kids' feet grow?

As kids' feet grow, their bones and muscles develop, leading to longer and leaner feet. This change in shape is often why people are shocked at the rate in which their feet grow.

It is important to understand how babies and kids' feet grow so you can know what size shoes to buy. Listed below is a summary of how babies and kids feet grow:

Is it bad to leave growing room in kids shoes?

Many people think that it is a good idea to leave a little bit of growing room in your kids shoes since their feet grow so quickly. 

Putting your kids in shoes that are too big can negatively affect their development and limit their support, which in turn could expose them to potential injuries, blisters and sores.

How much growing room should there be in school shoes?

We only ever recommend leaving a minimum of 0.5 cm and a maximum of 1.5 cm gap from the longest toe to the end of the shoe. 

You can test this by pressing your thumb up to their longest toe while they have the shoes on. If there is more than a thumbs width of space, then the shoes are too big. If there is less than a thumb width, then the shoes are too small. 

Should you size up in kids' school shoes?

Measuring your kids feet is key when you’re choosing school shoes, and this will help to get you a much more accurate fit instead of simply sizing up. Your kids may need a wider or narrower fit than before, they may have only grown half a size, or they may have even jumped up by a size and a half. 

If you do want to size up, then we only ever recommend sizing up by half a size. This will help to accommodate when feet are either too big or too small for either size. 

You can use our handy size guide to help when you’re buying your kids shoes, as well as our dedicated guide on how to measure your toddlers and children's feet. 

Best school shoes for growing feet

The Elaine Black Patent Lace Up School Shoes are the perfect pair of shoes that can be laced-up to the desired tightness, which is perfect for growing feet. They come with a choice of different laces, either velvet or traditional styles, which can be changed as your child's feet grow, or whenever they simply want to change things up. 

The Elaine shoes also come with a super supportive chunky sole unit and padded leather linings for a comfortable fit all day.

Our Nicole SNR Black Patent School Shoes are a classic style of school shoes that are great for growing feet thanks to the velcro strap which can be tightened or loosened depending on how your kids feet are growing. 

They are also a mix of brogues and traditional school shoes, making them ideal for those who don’t want the full foot coverage of a traditional brogue. 

The Lauren Black Patent Adjustable School Shoes come with an adjustable strap fastening that feature a large glitter butterfly. These straps are perfect for ensuring your kids feet are securely fastened in the shoes, and the chunky sole unit helps to keep your feet secure and stable as they walk and run.