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What Does GS Mean in Shoes? All You Need to Know

When it comes to shoes, you will be told all sorts of different terms and figures used to indicate sizes. One of these terms is 'GS' shoe size. And that brings us to our second question: what does ‘GS’ mean in shoes, and how do you use it to find the right size for your kids?

Kids grow way too fast and need comfortable and adaptable pairs like our Vessi shoes, so making sure you get the right size is essential. In order to solve this problem, Nike used the "GS" acronym for their Air Jordan shoe line. The 'GS' stands for Grade School and most likely shoes to fit a grade schooler.

Keep in mind that the GS sizing rate is not a final shoe size, but rather a number of shoes sizes likely required for grade school students. GS is not grade school specific and adults can wear the shoes as well.

Below is a chart of all the GS shoe sizes that you need to know about.

GS Shoe Size Chart

GS Shoe Size Chart

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Other Shoe Acronyms You Should Know About

Other shoe acronyms you should know about

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The GS is just one of several terms used to categorize shoes for their respective easy identification. Below are some acronyms you should be familiar with.

  • K- Stands for "kids" shoes and are designed to be worn by kids.

  • Y- Used interchangeably for "years" or "youth" and are meant for kids of a specific age.

  • N- Stands for "narrow" and is meant for people with narrow feet.

  • W- "Wide" shoes meant for anyone with relatively wide feet compared to the standard size.

  • M- Refers to "medium" shoe size and is meant for anyone who would find the wide shoes too loose and the narrow shoes too tight.

  • R- "Regular" shoes for anyone with an average foot width and length.

  • GG- Stands for "girls grade" school size and is targeted towards girls of a grade school age.

  • BG- Similar to the "GG," "BG" stands for "boys grade" school shoes which target boys of a grade school age.

  • HC- Stands for "hard court" and is meant for shoes often used on hard and abrasive surfaces. These shoes have a more hardened sole than the average shoe sole.

  • PRM- These are shoes with more "premium" materials used on them. For instance, you can get Jordan GS shoes with more nuanced colours which would make them more premium.

  • OVO- Another Nike line formed from a collaboration with Drake's label, October's Very Own.

  • OG- Used by Jordan shoes to refer to the original releases of a specific design, which might make the OG shoes slightly costly.

  • PS- Refers to "pre-school" kids' shoe size.

Frequently Asked Questions About GS Shoes

Frequently Asked Questions About GS Shoes

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a) Are GS shoes for kids only?

GS shoes are for people who have smaller feet (moderately smaller for adults or children) and require a tight fit. Adults will love the GS-sized shoes just as much as the kids with feet a bit larger than the size range.

b) Is GS men's shoe size the same as women's?

In most people, the foot width is different among different people. The same goes with the foot length. For the most part, when sizing up GS with shoes, you can typically select from the children's shoe sizes provided by the shoe store based on the store location. There are differences in the UK shoe sizes compared to the US.

c) Is GS 7 the same as Men's 7?

The GS 7 is short of the Men's 7 in length but the size may be different as Men's 7 is meant for an adult foot. It is true that most men’s shoes are wider than those for a kid. However, GS sizing can still work for men who have small feet as GS size shoes actually have similar length with adult size shoes.

d) What is the average shoe size for a 12-year-old?

Every child has different feet in length, but we see the average shoe size of size 7 to be the universal size of foot for 12 year olds. There is a chart you can use to measure GS shoe sizes, but you still have to take the kid back and try the shoes on extensively.

e) Do all shoe brands have grade school sizes?

The Nike Air Jordan introduced the GS shoe sizing concept. However, most brands are jumping on to the idea. GS Nike shoes are different brands' standard for the GS sizes but GS sizes could run really small or really large depending on the brand but that idea has really spread to almost all the brands.

f) How often should you replace your kids' shoes?

Our Vessi shoes are durable, comfortable, and made with high quality materials and if your kids wear like this you won’t have to replace them often. Although kids grow out of their clothing so fast, you would need to buy a new pair every six months. Still, children tend to get into numerous shenanigans, which means you must clean their sneakers regularly to ensure they last long.

g) What is the difference between the Jordan 4 and Jordan 4 GS?

There might be modifications made to the Jordan 4 GS shoes to be more comfortable for anyone who isn't too much for the original adult shoes. The problem could be that in grade school, my children might have the same size of feet in length but not in width, not allowing the general shoe fit.

h) Should the inner shoe dimensions be equal to my foot size?

No. Your foot size should be at least half a centimetre longer than the outer sole. If you're a size 37, it means the shoe's footbed is a 38.

i) Can I buy GS shoes online?

Children's shoes are sold in most of the stores. However, even so, you should still get the shoes for grade school kids physically since getting the properly sized GS pair is not easy per se. Luckily, our stores at Vessi have a great return policy on their shoes.

Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts

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GS in shoes means 'grade school', but does not limit to grade schoolers. But no matter the size you’re wearing, these Vessi shoes keep you comfortable and reliable. Their shoes make sure that all else are provided with the best guarantee, which no other brand in the shoe industry can offer.

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