What size shoe laces do I need?

Not all shoe laces are made equal. The right pair can make busy mornings easier for both kids and parents, so it’s important to choose the right type.

Length is a key factor, as it can significantly impact your child’s comfort, safety and ability to learn to tie their own shoes independently - making it well worth taking the time to get it right.

In this blog, we discuss buying the right size shoe laces for your child’s shoes - a simple guide you can bookmark and come back to whenever you need it.

Are all shoe laces the same length?

You might think you can simply reuse shoe laces from an old pair of shoes - after all, all shoe laces are basically the same, right?

Not quite. Beyond colour, there are two big differentiators between different shoe laces: shape and size.

Shape is usually easy to gauge. Some shoes - usually more formal styles like some school shoes – often use thin, round laces that look sleek and smart. Others may use flat laces, like those you probably have on your own trainers.

Size is a little bit more complicated, because it relies on a number of factors. Firstly, smaller shoes require smaller laces - which is why adult size shoe laces are likely to dwarf most children’s shoes.

Secondly, other factors can have an impact, such as eyelet spacing and the design of the shoe. For instance, a boot or high top trainer will likely need longer laces than a low-rise shoe.

You should also consider that different lacing styles can affect how long the laces need to be. Additionally, your child’s preferences about how much leftover lace you want to leave will also be important.

Important! Overly long shoe laces can be a trip hazard, especially for children, making it extra important to get a good fit.

Do shoe laces stretch over time?

You might think that the simplest way to determine the right lace length is to measure their existing laces, but this isn’t always the case. To know if this is a good idea, consider why you’re changing the laces:

• Because your child wants a different style/colour/pattern - go ahead and measure the old laces, as they will be the best guide if your child finds them comfortable.
• Because the old laces are worn out and need to be replaced - avoid measuring the old laces, as the pulling force used when tying laces can stretch them, giving you an inaccurate assessment of the size you need.

Here at Start-Rite, we pride ourselves on the high quality and durability of all aspects of our shoes, including the laces. This means that for most primary school children and younger, shoes are much more likely to be outgrown than outworn – particularly babies’ or toddlers’ shoes that don’t get worn for such a long time.

However, since children’s feet grow more slowly as they get older, you may find their shoes show more signs of wear as they reach secondary school, especially for high traffic shoes like those they wear to school, if they’re not well looked after. These are possible candidates for lace replacement.

How to determine what shoe lace length you need

Generally speaking, shoe lace length can be determined by looking at the number of eyelets on your children’s shoes.

If in doubt, another option is to use an adult shoe lace or a piece of string to lace your child’s shoes and tie them up as you would normally. Then you can measure how much excess there is and estimate how much shorter your child’s laces would need to be.

While shoe lace length isn’t something most of us give much thought to, getting it right helps to protect your child from slips, trips and falls when they’re out and about. It’s a vital part of the shoe that supports development and overall health - impressive for something so simple!

Author: Click, published 18-06-2026.