It is said that "Shoes are the most important purchase a girl will make in her life" so it’s no wonder many parents want to know the exact size of their baby’s shoe. Various factors affect how well a child’s shoe will fit on your baby's foot. Some of these factors include the shape of the baby's foot, the socks that your baby is wearing, and the way you measure your baby's shoe size. The first step to measuring your baby’s foot is to measure their heel-to-toe length. To do this, place a ruler flat on a hard surface, straighten out the ruler so it is flat and place one side of your child's foot on top of the ruler. Then, measure the distance from the heel to the tip of your baby’s longest toe. Write this number down, then subtract exactly 3/16 inches (1/4 centimeter) from this number. This is your baby's actual shoe size. The second step to measuring your baby’s shoe size is by measuring the width of their foot at their widest point. To do this, use a ruler and measure the width of your baby's foot from the widest part of the heel to the widest part of the foot across their toes. Again, write this number down then divide that number by 2. This measurement is your baby’s “width” size. Next, find your baby shoe size by adding both measurements together and divide that number by 2. To ensure you aren’t buying a shoe that is too big or too small for your child, add or subtract 1 from your total before you make a purchase. For example, if you have a baby with a width of 3 and heel to toe length of 12 inches (30.5 centimeters), you would get the following calculation: (30.5cm X 1 = 30.5cm) + (30.5cm X .5 = 15.75cm) + 30.5 cm = 55.25cm With the process above, you will have determined the size of your child's foot in American inner sizing, but there are other ways to measure your baby's foot for an even more accurate fit. These measurements include: You can use American sizes to determine the size of a baby's foot which is usually 1/4 inch longer than the sole length measurement using European sizing, or .5cm longer than the sole length measurement using the UK sizing. Shoe size is often determined by the length of the foot from the heel to toe in inches, centimeters, or millimeters. The width of a shoe is typically determined by measuring around the widest part of the foot and subtracting .5 cm (1/4") from that measurement for a snug fit or 1 cm (1/2") for a loose fit. Shoe length and width are the most important measurements of a shoe. It is best to get a caregiver or friend to assist you since each child's foot is different.