Kid’s Shoes..."The Question"
Well, let’s start with the question...
“What is the best shoe for this
child‘s feet?”
You will get this question often, so
let’s evaluate their feet and then make a
determination is the best way to proceed. The
majority of children have flexible developing
feet. For the most part they develop and grow
into healthy active adult feet, which are easily
fit with the heel set firmly in the heel counter, a
slight space in front of the toes providing some
grow room.
“What size are their feet?”
When measuring the feet there is foot size
and there is shoe size. These seldom match,
particularly with children. We need to
incorporate that additional 3/8 to 5/8” space
for growth. Oh, wait there is also the width
concern. “Do they come in wide?” Some do
and some don’t, it depends on the
manufacturer. The shoes can’t
be tight, just wide enough so
there is growth space and
never compressing the feet.
“How long will the shoes last?”
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Pedorthic Footcare Association www.pedorthics.org
This is a common
question that depends
on type of shoe and
activity or activities
for its answer. Are
these play shoes
or church shoes?
Running, jumping,
walking, hopping, standing
on tippytoes. These activities help build muscle
strength balance and coordination. We want
to encourage these activities which develop
all of the body including the feet, but they are
hard on shoes and will shorten the life of the
product. As the child gets older and growth
slows down they may have a longer opportunity
to wear the shoes out before they grow out of
them.
Now it’s your turn to ask some questions...
How old are they?
You can then determine where the child is
in bone and muscle development. Generally,
11 months to 3 years the feet may grow 1-2
sizes in 4 months time. 3-7 years their growth
slows and now they start to wear the shoes out
or break them down or get them very dirty.