Most times, the choices are limitless when buying a pair of shoes. You will find that the number of shoe choices that are available can often be massive.
And this can be more so when confusing acronyms such as GS get introduced into the mix, which in turn further complicates your shoe choice.
But the question remains: what does GS mean in shoes? In the case of shoes, GS means “Grade School.”
This simply refers to the fact that the shoe is designed to fit a child’s foot at Grade School-age.
GS does not mean one size of the shoe but means a range of shoe sizes within which your Grade School-aged child will be able to find their size.
The GS acronym is one of many shoe sizes that are categorized as acronyms introduced by Nike. This acronym is used extensively in the Air Jordan range.
Since then, it has been widely adopted across several other brands. Many other acronyms help sort shoes into different ranges of sizes.
This is to make sure that buyers can buy the ideal shoe size for themselves and their children.
Shoe Terminology Explained
Apart from GS, there are several other abbreviations that are useful to know.
Remember that, however, most of these abbreviations adhere to Nike. Below are a few of them and what they mean:
- GS means Grade School
- PS stands for Preschool
- EP refers to Engineered Performance
- TD means Toddler
- BG denotes Boy Grade School
- GG stands for Girl Grade School
- BC means Baby Crib
Meaning of GS in Nike
After answering the question, “What does GS mean in shoes?” Let’s look at what it also means at Nike.
The GS acronym is used by Nike in the Air Jordan shoe line. The acronym, which can also be referred to as an abbreviation, is the same as several other manufacturers or brands, and it means Grade Shoe.
Furthermore, all shoes from Nike that have the GS sign on them are produced for children.
In addition, it is also a standard for large sneakers aimed at children going to grade school.
The GS shoes will be for a specific age group whenever Nike designs them.
Nike does this, given the fact that it has an extensive range of size options for all markets.
That being said, GS actually makes it easier for buyers to pick out what shoes they should buy.
And, any shoes labeled as GS equal Grade School whenever you are buying shoes on the StockX website.
You will find out that brands on StockX have a variety of sizing standards.
Although the shoes will fit children going to grade school, all sneakers with GS.
Also, sneakers produced by the Jordan brand have GS sizes. Although, when it comes to differentiating between genders, Jordan takes a step further.
You will sometimes find the same shoe size marked BG, and BG denotes Boy Grade School, which means that the shoes are aimed at boys in grade schools, not girls.
So, technically, Jordan includes BG, thanks to the fact that the shoes possess a wide construction.
However, the shoes have a narrow construction and will target both boys and girls, given the fact that Jordan has GS.
How to Measure Your Child’s Feet for Nike
As you know, Nike is a brand for athletic and casual footwear that is quite popular and loved.
Additionally, the company has a huge selection of kids’ shoes. So, below are laid-out instructions on how you can measure your child’s feet:
What You Need:
- Wall
- Flat Surface
- A ruler
- Pen and paper
Laid-Out Instructions
- First, you need to make your child stand on a flat surface and make sure that the back of your child is against a wall.
- Then, you can now proceed to align your child’s heel with the wall.
- That being done, get the ruler and place it on the inside of the feet. After that, you are to measure from the wall to the longest toe.
- Now, write down the results. You are now to go to Nike’s sizing tool and enter the measurements you recorded.
- This will then recommend what size you should get.
Pro Tips
- Even for babies, ensure that you measure your child’s feet in the afternoon, given the fact that feet are likely to swell slightly toward the end of the day, and that’s a crucial point to consider.
- Make sure your child wears a pair of regular socks that he or she normally wears. Ensure that the socks are not too thick or too thin.
- Allow for 5 inches from the longest toe to the front of the shoe when your child is trying the shoes.
- Immediately after the shoes are on, encourage your child to walk and do some slight jogging on the spot to make sure that the size is right.
- This also goes the same with the little ones, and by little ones, I mean those who are able-toggling age and above.
FAQs
It is quite true that GS shoes are relatively new to so many people, and that includes the very people that GS shoes are designed for.
So, below are a few frequently asked questions regarding the main question, “What does GS mean in shoes?”
What Does Y Stand For in Shoe Size?
The letter Y you find in GS shoe sizes means “youth.” These shoe sizes are for grade school kids around the age of 11 to 13 years old.
Smaller kids with big feet can also use them, as can adults with too-small feet that cannot fit any of the adult shoe sizes.
What Does 7K Size Mean?
The letter K has the same function as in GS US shoe sizes have a letter Y, but in this case, it is for the UK.
It actually means kid, and that in turn means that the 7K is a size of shoe for kids. The number 7 is used to specify the size.
That means that the 7K is a size of shoe for kids, and it is also the same as the US size 7Y.
Final Thoughts
In general, and as mentioned above, there are a lot of acronyms used for indicating shoes.
A lot of the acronyms are aimed at defining size categories for children’s shoes.
This is to help people locate the best shoe for the feet of their continuously growing children.
Putting on the right shoe size will help the growth process of your kid’s foot and also prevent their feet from hurting or making them uncomfortable.
I do hope that with all the information in this guide on “What Does GS Mean in Shoes?” you can now have a better understanding of what GS means in shoes and can also easily pick a new perfect-fit pair of shoes for your children.
