Back to School Shoe Fitting Tips
From the day my daughter was born I’ve been obsessed with buying her footwear. It seems like a frivolous detail, but who can resist hand-knit baby booties or tiny replicas of popular adult running shoes? Not me!
Now that she’s almost three, I’m more concerned with purchasing a shoe that fits right and is supportive for her little developing feet, but being stylish wouldn’t hurt either.
So I asked the experts for their advice. The technicians at Geox fit hundreds of kids for new shoes at their stores across Canada – especially now, during the busy back to school season. They helped me dispel some of the myths behind shoes for kids (like how big you should really go, and who really needs to invest in arch-supporting orthopaedic shoes). Watch our shoe-fitting lesson below for our helpful tips!
More Shoe-Fitting Tips For Moms And Dads:*
1. Since newborn feet have no bones, only cartilage, it’s important that their shoes are made of materials that are soft and flexible. When buying shoes, avoid synthetics like vinyl and plastic as they stimulate perspiration.
2. Support for the ankle is important for your baby’s first walking shoe. The shoe should be reinforced yet flexible to aid movement and balance.
3. By age 3, bones have taken shape. Look for shoes with removable insoles so that the life of the shoe can be extended for these active kids. At this stage, growth of the foot averages a half size every 6 months.
4. For kids over 3: check the heel for proper positioning; check the spacing at the top of the foot for excess pressure; check the width while the child is standing for any pressure on either side of the foot; check the length and space between the toes and the tip of the shoe; and finally check that the flex points are in the right place and the heel remains in proper position while child is walking.
*Tips from expert shoe-fitter Fred Norman, President of Kiddie Kobbler
By Flora Cheung