Smart Shoe Choices for Your Child

It won’t be long until kids are enjoying their summer vacation. Hopefully, this means they’ll be active, and not just staying indoors playing video games, watching shows on Netflix, or wasting time online. (As with virtually anything in life, those activities are all fine in moderation…but “moderation” is the operative word!)

When kids are active during summer months—as they should be—their shoes may need to be replaced on a more frequent basis than normal. Of course, feet grow rapidly during developmental years, even when children are fairly inactive. This means shoes that fit only months earlier might be too tight now.

Given that they’ll need to be replaced rather often, it’s important for parents to know how to find the best shoes for children. Here are some tips for buying children’s shoes:

• Have your child’s foot measured every time. As the base of the human body, feet develop quickly to support everything else. This means that your son or daughter’s feet have likely grown since their last pair. So, enlist the help of an employee in the store or use the measuring device to determine your child’s current shoe size. Of course, be sure to keep the next tip in mind before you buy the shoes!
• A shoe size is only a guide. This is important to keep in mind because not all makes of shoes fit the same way. It is entirely possible to be a size-7 for one brand and a size-8 in another. So instead of relying on the number printed on the inside of the tongue, have your child actually try on shoes before buying them.
• Go shopping later in the day. Feet actually widen during the course of the day, which means that it is best to head to the store later (when feet are at their widest) for optimal comfort.
• Your child’s toes should be able to wiggle freely. If they can’t, he or she needs a different pair.
• There should be room in the front. A pair of shoes that fits well will have about a thumb’s width of space between the longest (not largest!) toe and the front.

If you have questions, would like more information children’s shoes, or need to see a foot doctor in the Greater Milwaukee area, contact Wisconsin Foot Center. We provide first-class foot care services for patients of all ages, so give us call at (414) 425-8400 to schedule an appointment today.