Foot measuring guide
A printable step-by-step guide to accurately measure your child's foot at home for buying youth soccer cleats, with instructions for tracing the foot, marking the longest toe, and converting the centimeter measurement to US, UK, and EU sizes.
Materials
- Blank sheet of paper (letter or A4)
- Pencil (hold vertically, not tilted)
- Ruler or tape measure with centimeters
- Soccer socks
Step-by-step
- Late afternoon or evening: put on soccer socks.
- Place the paper on a hard floor against a wall.
- Child stands with heel touching the wall, weight distributed evenly.
- Trace around the foot holding the pencil straight up.
- Mark the tip of the longest toe (often the second toe, not the big toe).
- Repeat for the other foot.
- Measure heel-to-longest-toe in centimeters.
- Add 0.5 cm of growth room.
- Match to a size chart (see below).
Quick centimeter-to-size chart
| Foot (cm) | US Youth | US Adult | EU |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19.5 | 1Y | - | 32 |
| 21.5 | 3Y | - | 34 |
| 23 | 5Y | - | 36 |
| 24 | 6Y | - | 37 |
| 25 | - | 7 | 39 |
| 26 | - | 8 | 40 |
| 27 | - | 9 | 41 |
| 28 | - | 10 | 43 |
Frequently asked questions
How do I measure my child's foot for soccer cleats?+
Trace their foot on a piece of paper with the heel against a wall, mark the tip of the longest toe, and measure the distance in centimeters. Add 0.5 cm for growth room.
What time of day should I measure?+
Late afternoon. Feet swell up to 5% throughout the day; measuring in the evening captures the true playing-time foot size.
Should I measure both feet?+
Yes. Most kids have one foot 3-6 mm larger than the other. Buy for the bigger foot.