Choosing the right shoes for children is an important aspect of their growth and development. Investing in a shoe fitting for your child ensures that you can avoid causing their precious feet damage — save that for high heels later in life!
Podiatrist Sam Christie, from Podmed has given us some great advice on what to look for when choosing shoes for your children:
“It’s important to know that kids only need what they need so don’t get too caught up in trying to get a shoe that is trying to correct everything. A lot of children actually need to be out of structured foot ware, and walking bare feet is excellent for foot health.
- Uneven shoe wear
- Recurring pain in the feet or legs
- Frequent tripping or falling
- Skin rashes, hard skin or lumps or bumps on the feet”
We also spoke to Betts Kids Product Development Manager Graeme Wheaton about why getting fitted is important, when children should begin wearing shoes and how young is too young to add a pair of heels to your little one’s shoe-drobe.
RESCU: When is the best age for children to start wearing shoes?
Graeme Wheaton: Young children can start wearing “structured shoes” from the time they begin to walk. These “first shoes” should be soft and flexible to allow a natural development of the foot and walking motion, while providing stability and support, particularly to the heel and ankle.
The other important function of first shoes is to provide protection from sharp stones and to protect tender young feet from hot pavements or other hot surfaces during the summer months. They also keep feet warm and dry in the winter months.
The child’s ability to flex and grip with the toes during crawling and “first standing” is an important part of learning to walk, and so bare feet is a healthy option, however there are times when a foot covering is necessary for protection.
RESCU:What kind of shoes should we look for when fitting toddlers and young children?Graeme Wheaton: Well fitted, soft flexible shoes that offer good support and stability, and a high degree of adjustability to give a snug fit on different foot shapes are ideal. Ideally leather is the best material for uppers and linings, as it will allow the foot to “breath” and is substantial enough to offer great protection and support where it’s needed. Flexible outsoles that provide good grip are essential; learning to walk is difficult enough without having slippery outsoles to deal with so we’ve invested heavily in the development of our Airflex Ultraflex technology. The technology enables natural foot movement making walking easier and more comfortable for kids.
RESCU: Why is getting fitted important?
Graeme Wheaton: Having shoes correctly fitted is essential, if a shoe is to small it can cause damage to the as yet not fully formed bones of the foot, very young children may not necessarily feel any significant discomfort from a shoe that is a little too tight, or be able to tell us the shoes are too tight, so it’s our job as parents and shoe fitters to ensure that shoes are of the correct size.
Shoes need to be accurately fitted to prevent the above situations, a well-qualified shoe fitting specialist will be able to achieve these outcomes and also allow some “growing room” to offer some value to the customer in terms of the shoes lasting a reasonable time.
RESCU: Are there any types of shoes children should not wear?
Graeme Wheaton: Yes, shoes that don’t fit correctly or shoes that are not suitable for the activity being undertaken. For example a fully rubber sandal or thong is perfectly acceptable for a trip to the beach, but will not offer adequate support, protection or breathability for all day every day wear.
RESCU: How young is too young for higher heeled shoes?
Graeme Wheaton: This is an age old question, and I think is best answered with a strong dose of “common sense” with regard to what the purpose of the shoe is, and what’s acceptable to each individual family. Shoe fitters have a responsibility to “ask the right questions” when fitting the shoes, and determine that the shoes being recommended are suitable to the intended occasion or use.
Some families may consider a small heel acceptable for a special occasion, a wedding, or a birthday dinner for a relative or family friend at a restaurant would be good examples. While other families may decide that they do not see a small heel as suitable at all.
RESCU: What about flats and sports shoes- are they good for developing feet?
Graeme Wheaton: Sport shoes are great for sport and active occasions and good quality sports shoes offer good support and functionality for these uses.
Flats are a good option for weekend casual wear but would not be recommended for school as they offer little support. Again it comes back to the right shoe for the purpose.