My child sized out of Under Armour's velcro sneakers (currently known as the Assert 9, I think) when she hit youth size 3.5 but wasn't ready for UA's lace-up/tie shoes. These RunPlay shoes have saved our sanity. They do run a half-size smaller than UA's other sneakers -- kiddo would wear a youth 4.5 in the Assert but needs a 5 in the RunPlay Noticed another reviewer said these run wide -- that's probably true as my child's midfoot is wider than average. Other than sizing, the knock against these shoes is that they slip off easily if someone steps on your heel. But I'll keep buying these until my child is ready to tie her shoes.