Finding the correct size soccer cleats for your toddler is a daunting task, and my wife and I just found that out the hard way.
To be clear, this article isn’t about me trying to help you find the best soccer cleat on the market.
I’m not looking to sell you on a brand like Umbro, Nike, or Adidas.
This article isn’t to help you find cleats that are made with some sort of “super” material that will help your kid shoot like Messi or dribble like Ronaldo.
Cleats don’t do that.
No. The purpose of this article is to help you, a parent looking to buy your toddler a pair of cleats, figure out what the numbers and letters on children’s cleats mean.
I’m writing it to help new soccer parents get their kid the proper-fitting cleats.
Embed from Getty ImagesA pair that won’t leave their feet hurting and will be comfortable to wear and run in.
My wife and I approached this endeavor thinking we would only need to find a size 8 kids’ shoe for our toddler.
After all, that’s what his other shoes had printed on them, that’s what his current shoe size should be.
Right?
Not a chance.
Understanding Children’s Sizing
You see, when it comes to kids’ cleats in the US, there are different levels of shoes available.
A letter “K” after a number stands for “Kids”.
These sizes typically cover the range from infants to toddlers, and even include sizes for young preschoolers.
The shoe sizes will usually range from 0K to 13K.
If you see a “C” or a “T”, fear not.
Different brands sometimes use the letter “C” to indicate “Child”, and the letter “T” to indicate “Toddler”. You can pretty much interchange these letters with the letter “K”.
Embed from Getty ImagesFor example, a size 7K will likely fit the same as a size 7C.
Finding The Right Fit
This doesn’t mean you should take the sizes at face value. You’ll always want to measure the shoe to your toddler’s foot to make sure the fit isn’t too tight nor too loose.
Two different brands can carry the same numerical system for their shoe sizing, but the same sizes may fit slightly differently from one another.
Embed from Getty ImagesSo always make sure to fit each cleat onto both of your childs feet and choose the larger size for both.
You’ll also want to leave a little room for growth, especially if you have a child on the younger side, since they tend to outgrow things at a faster rate.
Big Kids Sizing
It’s important to note that once the shoe sizing reaches 13K, it tends to transition back to the number one.
This reset will usually follow a numerical sizing or as a number followed by the letter “Y”.
The “Y” stands for “Youth”, and the size range usually starts at 1Y and goes up to 7Y.
“Youth” shoe sizing usually covers the age range of 7 – 12-year-olds.
The age range for the “Youth” shoe sizing is usually around 7 – 12-year-olds.
You can use the same steps as before to get the right shoe size.
- Always check to see if the shoes fit well on both feet, and go with the bigger of the two for both.
- Make sure to leave room for a bit of growth.
- If you’re switching shoe brands, make sure to try the new ones, as the same size may fit slightly differently, and you may have to size up or down.
Always make sure your child has properly fitting footwear that won’t cause any discomfort or long-term damage.
Better Fit, Better Footwork, Better Football
This will be a lengthy process, but in the end it will be absolutely worth it.
I promise.
As parents, we always want to give our little ones the best possible tools to set them up for success.
Embed from Getty ImagesBelow, I’ve linked a page with kids’ shoe size charts.
So if you’re a visual learner, like myself, you’ll find this page incredibly useful.
It breaks down the age range, sizing for US, UK, and Euro, and the foot length in inches and centimeters.
As always, thank you for reading, and I hope you got some use out of this post.
If you found it helpful, please leave a comment below and let me know what cleats you got for your child.
We got our son some Black/Pink ADIDAS GOLETTO cleats.
He loves them.