Back to school time is here, and with the new clothing, backpacks, school supplies, lunchboxes, and haircuts comes shoe shopping. For many parents and children alike, shoe shopping can be a nightmare of an experience. Ensuring your children are getting shoes that fit fight and offer the best support while still being stylish and trendy can lead to lots of temper tantrums and crankiness.
Shoe fit and shoe support are the two main aspects that parents must keep in mind when buying shoes for their children. In order for their feet to grow properly and healthily, it’s important to find shoes that are suitable and not just trendy.
Shoe Buying Tips for Parents
The most important tip when buying shoes for your children is to always choose quality over price. If a pair of shoes is too good a deal to be true, it probably means they aren’t the best quality and will hurt your children’s feet.
Getting your child’s foot properly measured each time you go shoe shopping is the first step to ensuring their shoes fit properly. Any parent knows their children’s sizes can increase dramatically from month to month. A quarter-size difference in foot size can make the difference between which size shoe you should buy.
Second, ensure the shoes have enough flexibility in the toes so your child can jump, run, and walk with ease. If the shoe doesn’t allow the toes to bend, it can disrupt the mechanics of the foot and even of the ankles and knees.
You must also check for the rigidity of the arch and heel of the shoe. There should always be arch support while the child’s foot develops, so make sure to check for a good insole. If your child has flat feet or requires more support, you should get more information about insoles or in some cases, orthotics for their shoes.
Next, look at the material. While this can change with the children’s age, they should always be breathable with high quality fasteners to ensure they don’t break. Poor quality laces and velcro snaps can mean your child isn’t getting the support they need and may wear out the shoes even more quickly. Children’s shoes should never be backless, and should always have some sort of back fastener to ensure they are comfortable.
Foot health care should be a part of a child’s regular health care to ensure proper development. It’s necessary that parents regularly check for fungus, warts, bruises, blisters, wounds, corns, and calluses to ensure they get the proper treatment if necessary.
Getting your children’s feet checked regularly by a chiropodist, particularly if they’re involved in sports requiring specialized footwear, is also beneficial. Diagnosing children’s foot conditions early leads to a better chance of it being completely corrected and will allow more comfort for your child!
Contact Collective Foot and Wellness Clinic
If your child has a foot condition or you need more information about finding the best shoes for them, contact Collective Foot and Wellness Clinic. We can help children and adults alike determine the best shoe and accessories for their foot.
Whether you require a checkup on foot health for your child or want to inquire about orthotics or other foot health accessories, we can help. Contact us today to book an appointment!