Children wear all types of shoes, and they are sprouting up so rapidly that they often outgrow their shoes before they have worn out. Therefore, having an idea of what to look for in a shoe is helpful when you head to the mall or local athletic store. Have your child's feet measured. In general, the feet need to be measured every time shoes are bought. This is even true for older children and teens who seem to have stopped growing, because subtle changes in shoe size may still occur as one gets older Try on shoes at the end of the day.
Feet normally swell during the course of the day's activity.
It is also normal to have a slight discrepancy in foot size between the two feet. Try on both shoes for comfort. Go with the size of shoe that fits the larger foot. Allow about one-half inch space at the end of the longest toe to the end of the shoe. Make sure the heel doesn't slip with normal walking, but the snugness of the shoe should still allow for all the toes to wiggle freely within the shoe.