If You're a Woman With Small Feet, You Could Save Money With This Shoe Hack

This article goes out to all the women with tiny feet! Did you know that having a small shoe size can actually save you money? Now, you may have read that and thought that isn't true, as a women’s size 8 is typically the same price as a women’s size 11. Yes, that is correct.

But what you might not have known is that many women with small feet can fit into children’s sizes. And if you've ever been to the children’s shoe department, you probably noticed that kids' sizes are usually cheaper than adult sizes, which translates into you saving money. And when you save money, you can buy more shoes (girl math!).

Listen up, ladies! There's a fun and frugal way to save money on shoes and no it doesn't involve buying shoes at Goodwill. Instead, just buy kids' sizes. That's right, many women who have a small shoe size can often fit into youth sizes at a lower price point.

TikTok creator @vintageaffairs shared a video about this hack, and it has gained a lot of traction. She shows off a pair of youth size 6 black Vans with a white stripe that she bought for $50. The women's size 8 of the same shoes cost $70. She saved $20 by buying the kids' size.

In the comments section, many other women shared that they've been in on this trick for some time. One user wrote, "I’ve been doing this for years because kids shoes are just so much cuter." Another claimed, "No literally I've been doing this for years it's the best."

So how do you know what kid's size to get? The rule is simple: Just subtract two from your women's size. For example, if you're a women's size 7, you would be a youth size 5.

As a former Journey's employee, I can confirm that this does actually work. I currently own a pair of the Timberland Premium 6-inch Waterproof Boot in a youth size 5.5, even though I'm a women's size 7.5. I love them, and I saved $60 by buying them in a kid's size.

There are a few things to keep in mind when buying kids' shoes for yourself, though. First, this little trick only works for kids' unisex shoes. Second, the quality of kid's shoes isn't always as good as the quality of women's shoes. And third, there may be some minor differences in the shoe's appearance.

It's also worth noting that many shoe brands don't run that high in youth sizes. Many may go up to size 3 or 4, which translates to a woman's size 5 or 6. Timberland, Adidas, Nike, Reebok, and other brands go up to at least a kids' size 7, which translates to a woman's size 9.

According to creator @aastrokicks, men can also save some moola by shopping in a different shoe section: The women's shoe section. If you are a man, add 1.5 to your shoe size and that is what your size in women's shoes should be.

Depending on the brand, purchasing a shoe in a women's size can be cheaper. For example, the Women's Timberland Premium 6-Inch Waterproof Boot costs $170. Meanwhile, the Men's Timberland Premium 6-Inch Waterproof Boot is $198. They are essentially the same boot.

But the catch is that most shoe brands only go up to size 11 for women. So only men who wear a size 9.5 or below can fit into the women's size.

Furthermore, this hack doesn't always save you money. Take the case of Vans, which charges the same amount for men's versus women's shoes, so there is really no benefit to getting a woman's size if you are a man.