For detailed instructions on how to measure your child's foot, please click here to view our How-To Sizing Guide.

SANDAL SIZING: Sandals tend to run big since they are usually worn without socks. If your child falls between two sizes, choose the smaller size.

BOOT SIZING: Boots tend to run small due to sheepskin lining and (often) thicker socks. It is usually safe to go up at least one size when buying Soft Star boots for your child.  The North Star is a more "fitted" style, so order a wide if you plan to wear with thick socks or if you want a roomy fit.

MOCCASIN NOTES: The good thing about soft, moccasin-style shoes (like the Roo or Viley) is that extra length is generally not a problem, so you can often buy with growing room. Your child's foot will slide right to the front of our moccasins and the excess length will be in the back behind their ankle—no worries about tripping over extra length at the toe. Think of it like a glove for their feet. The moc style shoe is very forgiving if too big, which is a good thing if you are on a budget.

If your child has thick or chubby feet, be sure to indicate you need a wide width. If your child has EXTRA wide feet, please read this.

Printable Tools for KID Sizes:

Click on any of the PDF files below for another tool to check size for your kids. 

IMPORTANT!   Make certain page scaling is set to "None" and NOT to "Fit to page."

Once printed,  double check to verify the ruler on the page matches identically to your own ruler at home. If they are off by even the slightest amount then this guide will not work. You can always contact us and ask us to mail you the general kid sizing guide, too.

General	Size 5	Size 6	Size 7	Size 8
Size 9	Size 10	Size 11	Size 12	Size 13

All shoes are made from soft, eco-friendly leather and lightweight, flexible soles for healthy foot development. For children in particular, this is important as the bones in their feet are still forming and not fully ossified until ages 9-11.  We believe shoes should provide protection from the elements while doing their best to simulate barefoot conditions. Soft Star Shoes are designed wider, with flexible soft soles and natural breathable materials. All our soles are as lightweight and flexible as possible while still providing the protection needed.

Our shoes have soft, flexible & protective rubber soling. Sizes 4-7 are low profile, whereas sizes 8 and up are slightly thicker to support the heavier weight of growing children. After a few days, the flat soles will mold to your child's foot while providing the protection of a sturdy, non-slip shoe. 

Which style is best for your child? 

Care Tips for Full Grain Leather Shoes

WHEN THEY FIRST ARRIVE:

Soft Star Shoes are made from eco-friendly, tanned in USA leathers.  Leather is a natural product and some variation in texture and markings is to be expected.  Because we use natural food-grade dyes in our leather, there will likely be some initial color transference to your socks or skin if your shoes become damp - this will decrease with use but please don't wear your new Soft Stars with your favorite white socks the first time you take them for a spin. 

If your shoes are a little snug at first in the toe box area, you can gently stretch them by stuffing the toe box with a slightly damp rag.  Push the cloth tightly into the front of the shoe - don't worry, you cannot hurt it!  Let the shoes sit stuffed overnight to stretch.

MAINTENANCE:

The full grain leather we use is naturally water resistant. Clean as needed with water dampened rag and let air dry. Condition the leather as often as desired with any quality leather dressing. We highly recommend Bee Natural Amore for general conditioning or Rain & Snow for enhanced water resistance. The color on shiny metallic shoes will eventually patina with use into an antique wear look - this can be accelerated with repeated use to water and high wear (e.g. scuffing toes).

WASHING:

You can use a damp cloth, or if needed you can hand wash your leather shoes using a gentle shampoo and cool water.  We don't recommend frequent washing of any leather product as it strips the leather of it's natural oils and tends to dry stiffer.

We are often asked if our shoes can be washed in a washing machine.  While not recommended as a normal course of action, when in dire straits the Elves have been known to toss a pair of shoes in the machine and generally have had good results - just don't mix them with any other item because of color bleeding, and do NOT put shoes the dryer.  Shoes with sheepskin can take 3-4 days to air dry if fully submerged in water - you can speed up the drying by stuffing with old newspapers and replacing the paper 2x a day.