Many children have feet that measure average size, but some may have feet that are either narrow or wide 1. Most shoes are of average size so it is very important to make sure to purchase the right size shoe not only for the comfort of the child but to ensure proper growth ability and development of his feet 1. An easy way to tell what size and width your son's feet are is to measure them at home and compare them to charts on the Internet.
Place a piece of paper on the floor.
Tape all four corners of the paper to the floor so the paper does not move.
Place your son's foot on the paper, making sure the foot is flat on the floor as if the boy were taking a step.
Trace your son's foot on the piece of paper with a pencil, rounding at the tip of the longest toe.
Remove the boy's foot from the piece of paper 1.
Measure the foot at the center from the instep (right above the top of the arch) to the outer portion of the foot.
Measure the foot from the top of the longest toe to the tallest part of the heel.
Find a size chart (see Resources) and compare your measurements to see whether your son's foot would be considered wide.
Warnings
While you can go into the store with measurements in hand, it is always crucial to have your son try on shoes in the store as well. Each type and brand of shoe may measure differently than the one before.