Back to school shoes

School shoes are a common purchase when parents start preparing their children to return to school. There are a few things to remember when selecting your children’s new shoes. First, plan when you will go to the shop. The week or so right before school starts is often the busiest time of year for sales of children’s shoes. If you can do your shopping a few weeks in advance, you will have less crowds and more selection available. During the fitting session, it is important to make sure your child wears school socks. This will ensure that the shoes fit properly.

Look for a shop that offers school shoes in various widths and even in half sizes. Most children do not have feet that meet the criteria for “average” size shoes. For the best fit, it is important to have access to shoes with wide or narrow widths, as well as medium. You also want a shop that offers proper measuring. Children’s feet often grow up to a whole shoe size in a year. Using the measurements you got six months ago is not a good idea. In addition, find a shop that fit both feet to make sure that the child will remain comfortable. An oversized shoe can cause as much damage as a shoe that is too small.

The summer months often find children in sandals or trainers. Wearing school shoes takes some getting used to. After you get the new shoes, get your child to wear then an hour or so each day. This will work to get the fit broken in a bit while also getting their feet used to wearing fitted shoes again. They will likely wear those shoes nine or more hours every day once school starts back. They do not need painful feet while getting back into the school routine.

Children take many more steps than adults do in a given day. The foot absorbs twice the body’s weight with every step of walking and three times the body’s weight when running. All of that stress on the foot can cause problems without properly fitting shoes. Many people experience foot problems as adults due to poorly fitted shoes worn as a child. Keep this in mind when selecting school shoes. Your child will be more comfortable throughout the day and will have fewer foot problems as adults. Taking the effort now will safe much stress and pain in the future.

Mandy Long is a fashion and clothing trend spotter who is currently researching what's trendy in school shoes this season.