I happen to have small feet (size 6 1/2), and I used to joke about how I could almost wear kids’ size shoes. Then one day while shopping with Jo, I tried on a pair of kids’ shoes as a joke and was surprised to find that they fit. This revelation opened a whole new world for me!

I always have a hard time finding shoes I like, especially sandals. When I learned that I could now choose from kids’ collections as well, I was very excited. I also soon realized that kids’ shoes are often much cheaper than their adult-sized counterparts, which meant I was finding myself saving money as well.

I know what you’re thinking… 6 1/2 is unusually small, and there’s no way you can wear kids’ shoes. What if I told you that women’s sizes up to 8.5 or 9 have kids’ equivalents? You may not be able to find those sizes in stores, but online it’s a whole new ballgame. So, will this work for you?

The key to learning if you can wear kids’ sizes is to figure out what your shoe size translates to. At first glance, that’s hard to figure out, since US shoe sizes repeat the same numbers for kids’, men’s, and women’s shoes. A kid’s size 7 is different from a women’s size 7, which is different still from a men’s 7. However, the European shoe size scales do not repeat numbers, so it is much easier to see where your shoe size falls in all the ranges.

Take a look at the chart I’ve provided with women’s and kids’ shoe sizes on it. To use this chart, start with your normal women’s shoe size (mine is 6 1/2), or for even more accuracy, measure your foot in inches. Now find your size (or measurement) on the chart in the women’s section and see what the European equivalent is (mine is 37). Next, go to the kid’s section and find your European size in the list and see what the US equivalent is (mine is a 5). Now it’s time to go shopping!

My first purchase was a pair of Teva sandals. I couldn’t find any in town that I liked that were my size, and all the online options were expensive when I took shipping into consideration. But once I knew that my 6 1/2 in women’s sizes translated to a kids’ size 5, I easily found some sandals online that would fit me, and for a fraction of the price (the women’s version is about $10 more).