Do you know your child’s shoe size? Are you aware of his or her shoe width? While you can measure your child’s feet at home and order shoes online, a professional shoe fitting is crucial for kids, podiatrists say. Here’s why.
It’s not good news for your feet when squeezing into shoes as a child, remember! And unfortunately, it’s the same story for adults nowadays.
According to children’s fitted footwear experts, around 70% of adult foot problems are caused by wearing the wrong size shoes as kids. Because the first thirteen years of childhood are when feet are developing at their fastest rate, wearing ill-fitting shoes can create not only blisters but long-term damage.
It is extremely important to know your child’s correct shoe size.
Walk into a shoe store and trying to take your little one is not an easy matter due to lockdowns. With restrictions now relaxed, shoe fitting cannot now be easier booked.
What is fitted footwear and why is it so important?
What is your Child’s Feet? Fast facts about his/her feet. There are:
Each foot has 250,000 sweat glands, which produce enough water each day to fill an egg cup (though they might also be useful as a sports shoe).
At age 10, a child’s bones in his feet are fully developed, but his feet are made of soft spongy cartilage. He wears shoes that are too small, and this can cause long-lasting damage. His feet do not have all the nerve endings necessary to feel uncomfortable shoes.
Even though your child’s feet are healthy when they are properly fitted shoes, having a properly sized shoe is crucial for their development. You can either measure your child’s shoes yourself with a shoe measurement gauge, or have a professional measure them. A properly sized shoe will be the right width and length, and your child’s feet will be healthy.
How often should children’s feet be measured?
It is recommended that you track your child’s feet every 6-8 weeks until they’re thirteen years old, then every three to four months from then on.
Studies showed that only half of mums and 66% of dads were confident about knowing their children’s foot sizes.
In addition to:
Determine your child’s foot length and width at home with a measuring gauge, then measure their feet at home to ensure they’re wearing the proper size shoes. It’s short and wide, measuring your child’s foot length and width (shoe size 8 and a half or smaller).
What shoes should I give to my young child?
Before your child starts walking, they need shoes. A podiatrist warns that shoes should be worn even before a child starts walking.
‘It is important that pre-walkers are soft, flexible, and roomy at the forefoot, so that they are not compromising natural development or compressing the foot. They should be completely flat with a little bit of grip for assistance when moving.
Get your young child their first proper shoes as soon as they start walking, Karen warns.
What to watch for when shopping for kids’ shoes
Despite the fact that starting footwear is so critical, shoes for every age and stage of development are perfect.
Here are five things to pay attention to:
Choose shoes that are designed for children’s feet.
It’s not the style made for adult feet and reduced to a child’s size that’s the problem, it’s the flexible and lightweight soles that flex as their foot flexes that are the problem. Your child’s feet should be able to move naturally.
You need to get the right size.
It is possible to buy shoes that your child can grow into. But wearing shoes that are too small or too wide can have long-term consequences.
Instead, choose shoes that are exactly right.
Look for fastenings that are easy to fasten.
Are lace-up shoes really practical for young children? Consider how often your child will need to remove and put on her shoes (and vice versa) and then choose a fastening that works for you.
Consider how much thought you would give to the decisions your child (and their shoes) would have to make.
Children love to explore, which means their shoes must be durable enough to withstand everything from jumping in puddles to climbing trees.
You must ensure that their comfort is not compromised.
With their little ones learning to walk and run, you need lightweight and comfortable shoes.
