Shoe sizing can be inconsistent. It doesn't matter if it's EU, UK or US sizing, every style and brand is different. Think of it like buying two t-shirts; sure they look the same but the size and fit can be completely different - even within the same brand! 

At Skobi, we design and manufacture all of our shoes. We know our sizing and that means we can accurately find yours.

You'll see our "Fit Finder" next to every shoe on our website. Simply follow our measuring guide and enter the length into the Fit Finder. Our special algorithm will find your size and include growth room.

Because we design and manufacture our shoes, we've got access to specific measurements and specifications from our factories.

Having this information enabled us to create an algorithm for our online experience.

Sure we can provide a generic size chart as a guide...but knowing the exact length of every size and style means we can accurately calculate your size (to the millimetre!) - including growth room.

You can find the Fit Finder on each shoe page, just below the price.

Just remember...It's normal to have different sizes across our styles of shoes. Entering your measurements in our Fit Finder for each style will give you the best size recommendation.

Simple!

Sometimes our Fit Finder will suggests two sizes - think of it like a half size. The smaller size will have about half a thumbs width of growth room, while the bigger size will have a little more than a thumbs width.

The obvious choice would be to choose the bigger size because technically they can be worn for longer. However a shoe size changes in length and width. So if you're fitting a wider foot or have orthotics go ahead grab the bigger size but we’d recommend the smaller size for narrower feet to ensure the best fit everywhere.

When we talk about width, we're referring to the space/volume that's inside the shoe. At Skobi, we've tried to simplify things as much as possible - so we've made our own widths.

Why? Well research suggests our Australian feet are shaped a little different...so our shoes should too!

With that in mind, a Standard Skobi width should give adequate space and depth for most Aussie feet. Our Narrow width will have less space and our Wide our will have a little more. For styles that are described as Narrow-Standard or Standard - Wide, they'll sit in between.

Want to know a little trick we use to get the perfect fit every time? Grab an innersole fit pack too!

We understand shoe sizing (in particular, kids shoe sizing) can be confusing...even moreso if you're coming from another shoe style or brand.

The last thing we want to do is confuse you with tricky size charts, which is why all Skobi shoes are in European (EU) sizing. EU sizing is one simple scale from infant (starting around EU18) right through to adult (typically up to EU48).

Australian sizing is often used interchangeably with US sizing (which is different to UK sizing). A helpful hint is to take a look at the sizing in a pair of sneakers your child is currently wearing and determine if the brand is from US/UK. Most athletic brands will use the US system.

Because you may already be familiar with AU (US) sizing, and to assist you with your size selection, here's a generic size conversion chart that you should use as a guide only. We recommend using our FitFinder to determine your Skobi size accurately.

Podiatrist research tells us that anywhere from 8mm – 18mm growth room is optimal. This is only a guide and can vary from child to child. For younger children (pre-school age) we generally suggest a little less growth room while they are still establishing their gait, and it can be detrimental to their development to have a shoe that is too large on their foot. This guide however, is generally suitable for children once they’re of primary school age. Our Skobi FitFinder will automatically select sizes for you (allowing for this growth room) based upon your child’s foot length.

A great way to check how much growth room your child has is to take out an insole from a current pair, have your child stand on it, and check the distance from their longest toe to the end of the insole. As a rough guide you should have about a thumb’s width.

Research shows us that good quality footwear positively affects the gait, growth and mechanics of a child’s feet and legs. There are also several studies that discuss the consequences of ill-fitting footwear. 

Shoes that are too small cause blistering, lesser toe deformities and gait anomalies. Shoes that are too big cause tripping and falling.

Although it makes sense for the budget, the long term consequences may end up more expensive. If you have questions about the fit, feel free to contact us for guidance.

As a general rule we don’t recommend passing shoes onto others unless you’ve first had the shoes checked by your Podiatrist. Individual mechanics can cause unfavourable wear patterns in shoes (often very quickly), which may in turn cause problems for the receiver of the handed-down shoes. A Podiatrist will be able to assess the shoes for structural stability and wear.

Selecting the best shoe for your child can be difficult. Here are a few key tips to ensure you’re making a good selection:

Choose a style that most suits your child’s activity levels (for example, if they’re really tough on their shoes you may want to consider a style with a robust toe-bumper).

Ensure you have the correct fit. Your child will not benefit from shoes that are too big or too small. If you have questions about the fit, feel free to contact us for guidance.

Choose a style that your child likes. There is nothing worse than your child not wanting to wear their school shoes.

Let your child participate in the selection process. It sometimes requires compromise on everyone’s behalf to find something that both you and your child agree upon.

Consider the construction and composition. For some children, the weight of the shoe matters. Some Skobi styles are specifically engineered to be lightweight, while others are heavier and more robust. Skobi also offers a range of different compositions, varying from minimal stitching/seams through to robust textile/leather blends. There's something for everyone.

They sure are!

When selecting school shoes it is important to consider the level of support each shoe offers. Each of Skobi’s levels of support are designed to meet the varying needs of children. All levels will comfortably accommodate orthotics, but will ultimately contribute to a different support outcome.

Skobi talks about 3 types of support:

Natural motion
Unlike a barefoot school shoe, which is void of any support, Skobi’s natural motion shoes offer support, however they provide a softer, more flexible feel underfoot. Our natural motion shoes are the most lightweight in our Skobi collection. Sensitive kids, first time school shoe wearers and younger children tend to respond nicely to this feel.

Moderate Stability
Most children will comfortably wear a moderate stability offering. This support level offers a reinforced heel counter, a slightly firmer sole unit (than a natural motion style), and will nicely accommodate orthotics if required. Most of these styles tend to carry a little more weight than our natural motion styles.

Optimal stability
Often parents seek a maximal stability option. Some children will need the additional reinforcement of a slightly deeper heel counter and a slightly firmer sole than is found in the moderate offering.

All Skobi styles (excluding sandals) feature a removable footbed that will accommodate orthotics. 

The range of orthotics varies greatly, as will the density and the thickness, so just how much room the orthotics take up will depend on the type of orthotic that your child is prescribed. Your Podiatrist should check that the orthotics are the correct fit inside your child’s school shoes. If you are purchasing school shoes without your orthotics on hand, we would typically suggest you choose a wider (deeper) style that will provide greater allowance for the orthotics, and if you are a half size; i.e. "between sizes" (for example, if our Fit Guide suggests you could be a 30 or 31) then we would recommend you choose the larger of the suggested sizes.

Generally speaking, an enclosed shoe with adjustability in its closure (Velcro and lace) will provide the best fit.

Studies have shown that good quality footwear positively affects the running and walking gait of children. On average, most children spend upward of 1,000 hours per year in their school shoes, making school shoes the most important footwear consideration for children.

The effects of ill-fitting shoes have been widely demonstrated and may present as either dermatological (blistering, pressure spots, nail injuries etc) or mechanical (toe-walking, in-toeing, toe deformities etc) concerns.

A resounding yes! We carry brown school shoes in our most popular styles. 

If your local Skobi retailer doesn't carry brown stock, get correctly fitted in another Skobi colour in store and ask for it to be ordered in. Alternatively, purchase online using our FitFinder.

Our regularly updated list of retailers can be found on our stockist page. We suggest making your own enquiries with our retailers for the styles they carry.

We're always on the hunt for stockists to partner with. If you know of a team that would be the perfect fit for Skobi (pun intended!), let us know.

It is your responsibility to ensure your order is correct at the time of purchase. In the event of a mistake, we urge you to contact us ASAP. We will try our best to correct your order however, in the event the shoes have left our warehouse, you will need to follow our usual returns process.

Shipping is charged at a flat rate of $8.95 Aus wide, regardless of the number of shoes purchased.

For our friends in New Zealand, we'll ship across the ditch for a flat rate of $28, regardless of carton size.

We use both Australia Post and a select range of reliable couriers on all orders. Our couriers have authority to leave your parcel.

Locations that are generally not suitable to leave a parcel include:

Addresses where there is high foot traffic, where the property is close to the street, apartments that are not accessible for delivery, apartment mail rooms where no one is in attendance and locations where there is no protection from weather or pets.

It is your responsibility to ensure the shipping address is correct at the time of purchase to avoid unnecessary delays and postage costs. 

Our couriers will not deliver to a PO box. For orders shipping to a PO Box or Parcel Locker, we use the Australia Post network, which may be slightly slower. Please keep this in mind if your order has a delivery deadline.

We know our school shoe orders need to be processed quickly; especially for our back to school shoppers. We use premium couriers and AusPost to ensure your shoes arrive safely and as quickly as possible.

We supply all orders from our warehouse in Brisbane, Australia. If your item is in stock, we do our best to dispatch your order on the next business day.

Shipping times vary depending on your location. If you are in a metro region, typically you should receive your shoes within 2-3 business days from date of purchase and for regional locations, allow 5-8 business days. Once parcels leave our warehouse, transit times are out of our control.

Yes! You will receive an automatic email notification from us when your order is scanned by our couriers/ AusPost. This email will contain everything you need to track your parcels journey.

Don't forget to check your spam folders before getting in touch!

Unfortunately we only ship within Australia and NZ at this point in time.

We hope you'll love your Skobi's as much as we do, but if you have any issues please visit our returns page for more information.

Head to our Returns page and read our return policy.

Follow the prompts and await an email with further instructions. Depending on volume, sometimes our email response may be delayed so please be patient.

Be to check your spam folder if you have not received a response within 24 business hours.

We're able to assess any footwear to determine if your child's shoes are damaged/defective due to a manufacturing fault or wear and tear/misuse.

You can find more detail here and if you're still unsure, reach out and we'll have our team assess your shoes.