Last year when I was looking for a pair of all white adidas Stan Smith tennis shoes, Nordstrom was completely sold out. I tried Zappos and while they didn’t have the women’s shoe in all white, they DID have one in youth sizes. (For those looking, the adidas Superstar is a comparable pair). Today’s post will help you convert women to youth shoe sizes easily!
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My normal size is a Women’s 5.5, and I ended up getting the shoes in a Youth 3.5. They fit like a dream and were also $20 cheaper than the adult version! Who doesn’t like to save a little cash? Most sources suggest ordering 1.5 sizes down from your women’s size when converting to a youth size, but I found that two full sizes down worked best for me.
NOTE: There can be some variation between brands, so you may need to test a several pairs to find your perfect fit.
Why Convert from Women’s to Children’s Sizes?
- Cost savings. Children’s shoes are often 20-30% cheaper than the adult version.
- It may be a better fit for petite sizes.
- Availability. Is a style you love sold out? It may not be in the children’s version.
Top sneaker manufacturers, as well as Ugg, Birkenstock, Moncler, and Dr. Martens, offer options in children’s sizes.
It may be time to try my youth-size shoe hack again. I recently came across these fantastic silver Hunter wellies in the kids’ section of a recent Garnet Hill catalog.
These awesome print oxfords were in the same catalog, and I’m finding them kinda adorable as well!
What do you think? Are you willing to give kids’ shoes a try, or have you already? Let me know in the comments below! And if you find yourself purchasing expensive footwear, be sure to check out this post on caring for your investment.
Thanks so much for your likes, shares, and follows! Until next time,
Thank you for this! OMG, your feet are smaller than my daughter’s – she’s now in a 4-5 youth, so we’ve been starting to shop in the women’s section and I was having trouble converting the sizes.
Great! Glad you found it useful! Yes, I’ve got club feet, LOL!
This is genius!! Occasionally there’s a pricey item I have my eye on that just never goes on sale while still in my size. Book marking this one for later!
Great! Glad you found it helpful!
These silver rainboots are so cool. Also love the leopard oxfords. Thanks for joining the Top of the World Style linkup.
Certainly not the kind of kid’s things I had growing up! Thanks for hosting – have added your event to my Link-up listing!
I have never seen a youth size 3.5 that was equivalent to an adult size 5.5. I have 2 daughters and 4 granddaughters. I’ve witnessed all of them wearing size 3 to 7 youth shoes and clogging around in Mom’s/Granna’s two sizes larger shoes that fell off them when they lifted their feet. Try subtracting 1.5 or 2 from the youth shoes. You’ll get the adult equivalent.
Thank you! That’s a great tip! I’m guessing sizing might vary depending upon brand. I’m typically a 5.5 or 6 in women’s shoes and have 2 youth pairs in 3.5 that work well for me. But if I were going to venture out into a new brand, I’d definitely try a couple sizes to get the best fit. Also, just to clarify, I’m referring to youth sizes (ages 8-12) not toddler sizes (under 8). The numbering system overlaps a bit and can get confusing. Thanks again for stopping by and sharing your experiences.