Back to school
Your children will spend most of their time in school shoes so it’s important to seek correct advice on features to look for when buying new shoes.
Here’s some tips to help you decide which school shoes are best for your child.
- The back of the shoe – To find out how supportive your child’s shoes are then push the back end of their shoes inwards. Does the back stay firm or is it flexible? If the shoe is firm then this means the heel counter is strong and provides support for the heel when walking.
- Flexibility through the toe area – Having flexibility through the toe area is important as this allows the feet to naturally bend and flex where it is supposed to. Flexibility through the ball of the foot helps enable kids to walk, run, jump, climb and play.
- Firmness in the middle – So, is there any part of the shoe that should be stiff? The answer is Yes! The middle section of the shoe (where the arch sits) should be firm. If this part of the shoe twists then the arch isn’t supported and can cause strain or potentially cause unwanted issues in the future.
- Secure – Always make sure the shoes are secure and the foot is kept in place with either laces, Velcro, or buckles. This will prevent the toes from sliding forward into the front of their shoes and prevent common issues such as toes clawing, skin and nail changes, blood blisters, ingrown toenails.
- Fit – The rule of thumb, an adult thumb width of 1.5cm, is recommended between the tip of the longest toes and the front end of their shoes.
It’s not always easy finding the right pair of shoes for your kids and therefore we recommend booking in with any of our experienced podiatrists to ensure your kids are fitted correctly before they return to school.
