Are teens feet getting bigger?

[Pea-n-Me]

I am amazed at some of the sizes of my teens' friends' feet, and even my own kids' feet!

One of DS's friends wore a size 15 at age 13. Another is a size 13 at age 14. And they are still growing!

I don't remember my own teen friends having feet that big when I was growing up, but maybe I was just unaware.

And girls are no exception. In middle school some of them were already wearing size 11s.

Anyone else notice this trend? Wondering how stores will handle this as selections are slim in some of the bigger sizes, "special orders" being necessary much of the time.

 

[HM]

I remember when I was a teen in the 70s wearing a size 9. That was about the largest you could find shoes for women. After having two kids, I now wear a 10. It's gotten a lot easier to find larger shoes. I was shoe shopping last weekend and noticed that there were shoes up to size 16 in mens and 12 in womens at Nordstrom Rack.

My son was wearing a size 13 in middle school. But, although he has continued to get taller and is now 6'3" at age 19, his feet stopped there (thank goodness). My DD17 wears a 9 and her feet stopped growing about three years ago too (while she continued to get taller...though I think she's finished at 5'9").

So for those kids the OP talks about with the large feet....they COULD be done with the growth of their feet while still getting taller, if my kids are any indication.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

My son was wearing a size 13 in middle school. But, although he has continued to get taller and is now 6'3" at age 19, his feet stopped there (thank goodness). My DD17 wears a 9 and her feet stopped growing about three years ago too (while she continued to get taller...though I think she's finished at 5'9").

So for those kids the OP talks about with the large feet....they COULD be done with the growth of their feet while still getting taller, if my kids are any indication.

I was wondering about this.

I was shoe shopping last weekend and noticed that there were shoes up to size 16 in mens and 12 in womens at Nordstrom Rack.

Interesting! I've seen up to 12s or so in women's, but haven't noticed much past 13, maybe a few in 14 for men. Good to know!

 

[ncmickeyluvr]

My dd is 12 and wears a 9.5 in tennis shoes. A 9 in most other shoes. She's worn this size for well over a year. I'm hopeful that they're done growing!!!

 

[goofyintoronto]

My 12 year old boy wears a size 11 shoe!! So ya, i think kids nowadays are getting bigger and bigger!

 

[minkydog]

I am amazed at some of the sizes of my teens' friends' feet, and even my own kids' feet!

One of DS's friends wore a size 15 at age 13. Another is a size 13 at age 14. And they are still growing!

I don't remember my own teen friends having feet that big when I was growing up, but maybe I was just unaware.

And girls are no exception. In middle school some of them were already wearing size 11s.

Anyone else notice this trend? Wondering how stores will handle this as selections are slim in some of the bigger sizes, "special orders" being necessary much of the time.

My DD19 wears a size 7; she is 5'4". DS26 wore a size 11 by 12th grade and continued to grow for about 2 more years; he is 6"1 and wears a size 12. Christian is 17; he's 6'1" and wears a size 10, but he is still growing andi expect him to be at least 6'2-3" eventually.

 

[JVL1018]

My 13 year old(today!) daughter wears a 10. Yikes! She hasn't changed her shoe size in over a year, so I'm hoping she's done.

I'm 5'4" with a 7.5- was 7 before kids. She is 5'5" now, not sure how much more she'll grow. My husband is only 5'7".

 

[JessicaR]

I think so. My boys have big feet! My 15 year old is 6' and wears a size 14 sneaker.

I wear a smaller size shoe but back in the 80's is was pretty normal only now is it considered small. My mom wears a 5. My nieces are all at least a size 9.

Better nutrition, non smoking moms? I do wonder why this is!

 

[Caseheidi]

I was a size 10 by the time I hit middle school. Now I am a 12. I have always hated shoe shopping as my choices are very limited. About 5 years ago I started noticing a little improvement. Talking to the manager of the shoe department I was told that the average size for Women's shoes had gone up to a 9 from a 7.5 over the previous 20 + years. So the answer is yes, feet size has increased in general.

 

[katrina1122]

In 5th grade I was already in a size 9 women's shoe way back in the early 80's
My niece who is currently in the 4th grade wears a size 8, so I'd say she's on her way to a 9. These seem fairly in line. Her mom (my sis) was a size 8 in 5th grade. So were alot of my cousins. Maybe my family just has big feet, but the sizes you are saying seem pretty dead on for what I remember growing up.

I only grew one size up to a 10 in HS, but over the last couple years my feet had a growth spurt and I'm now an 11 to an 11.5. (never had kids so you can't blame it on that).

 

[soccerdad72]

It does seem so, yes. My 12-year old is already a 9 or 9 1/2 (depending on the shoe). I only wear an 8 1/2. Seems like it was only a few months ago, he was a 7.

 

[Katy Belle]

I definitely think so. DH wears a 12 or 13.
DS17 wears a 15 0r 16
DS15 wears a 13 or 14
DS12 wears a 12

DS17 is 6'4 and his feet have stopped growing.

I help fit shoes for Marching Band. We have many boys in size 13,14, a few in 15 and 16. I didn't help fit the girls, but I know our Drum Major last year was in a women's 12!

 

[MouseEarsForAll]

I am amazed at some of the sizes of my teens' friends' feet, and even my own kids' feet!

One of DS's friends wore a size 15 at age 13. Another is a size 13 at age 14. And they are still growing!

I don't remember my own teen friends having feet that big when I was growing up, but maybe I was just unaware.

And girls are no exception. In middle school some of them were already wearing size 11s.

Anyone else notice this trend? Wondering how stores will handle this as selections are slim in some of the bigger sizes, "special orders" being necessary much of the time.

I definitely agree. Some of it is genes, but the other half...kids are getting bigger. And by bigger, I mean giant. 3 year olds are already 40", 8 year olds are five feet, and 12 year olds are 5'5". I'm pretty sure I was the "old average" growing up. What are these kids eating?

 

[chiefmickeymouse]

DS 15 is a size 15.
DD 12 is a size 12.

I guess I can't say "act your age not your shoe size" for a few years.

I'm happy to hear there are so many out there with the same issue. I was beginning to worry about my kid's freakishly big feet!

I've been saying for a while that someone could make a fortune providing clothing for the "big kids". DS needs a sized 30 waist pair of jeans in a 37 inch length. DD 12 had a heck of a time finding appropriate clothes (and still does). She was 5'5 in the fourth grade, and the junior sized clothing is way too risque. Any one feel like starting a business?

 

[Sgt Mickey]

It seems like it I am always amazed.

I always wore a 6 1/2 until I had the twins I wear a 7 now.

My 12 year old dd was a 6 1/2 /7.

 

[goofyintoronto]

I definitely think so. DH wears a 12 or 13.
DS17 wears a 15 0r 16
DS15 wears a 13 or 14

DS 15 is a size 15.
DD 12 is a size 12.

 

[NotUrsula]

Not just kids; it affects all of us. http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/homegarden/173960701.html?refer=y

As a young adult I wore a 7.5; I remember once needing to borrow a pair of my taller sister's size 9 shoes for a funeral, and I had to stuff tissue into the toes. Now, after 2 children I also wear a 9.

I also think that part of the issue is that these days women, at least, are less likely to want to suffer for style. They are wearing the size that they really wear rather than jamming their feet into too-small shoes for the sake of vanity, which was par for the course in my mother's day.

My father was prone to joking about the family big-feet trait; he used to call his shoes fish-boxes -- and he wore an 11.5! My DH has small feet for a man, he wears a 9, but thanks to my genetic contribution, our DS at age 14 passed him by 5 sizes.

(FWIW, DS went up 6 shoe sizes in the course of a year, but has remained steady at that size for 18 months now. The pediatrician says this is normal and that kids literally grow from the bottom up -- their feet are usually the first body parts to reach full growth, and everything else gradually catches up. I sure hope he's done now, because he has really pricey taste in shoes.)

 

[jgh]

I have noticed this as well!

I wear a 7.5 or 8 in womens, which I thought was average, but I've noticed ALL my friends have huge feet! My future DH's sister is 16 and wears an 11. My friends who are twins and 19 wear 11.5-12 (they can never find shoes!).

 

[Southernmiss]

I think so. My boys have big feet! My 15 year old is 6' and wears a size 14 sneaker.

I wear a smaller size shoe but back in the 80's is was pretty normal only now is it considered small. My mom wears a 5. My nieces are all at least a size 9.

Better nutrition, non smoking moms? I do wonder why this is!

I agree.

DD 10 Wears a ladies' 10

DS 13 Wears an 11

DS 15 Wears a 12

DS 18 Wears 10 his feet stopped growing a few years ago.


DH wears a 7 extra wide-talk about hard to find! He's only 5'1"

Since having kids I wear a 7.5 to 8 was a narrow 7.

 

[bapcap]

I wear a size 7 to 8, depending on the type of shoe and years ago I would have a hard time finding a popular style in my size...lots of gals back then were about the same size. My daughter, on the other hand, wears a size 9 or 10 and my son is in a 12 or 13.
Quite a while back, in a discussion with a friend we talked about the change in shoe sizes in our kids and she told me she thought it was due to hormones that are fed to animals in our diet. You know, cows, pigs, chickens, etc. Her family raised chickens and turkeys for consumption and she said the general public would be surprised at the hormones the animals are given to fatten them up for eating.
Kind of makes sense to me...