Picking Out Back to School Shoes

Can you believe it’s back-to-school time already? Yeah, we can’t believe it either. Getting kids ready for going back to school can be stressful, with everything you need to buy for them. This also usually includes back-to-school shoe shopping.

Your child needs to be prepared for the fall semester with a good pair of shoes. We would love to help you with tips on achieving this goal.

Check Those Old Shoes

You need to check the child’s back-to-school shoes before deciding if they are keepers. We all know children outgrow clothes and shoes rather quickly, and you wouldn’t want to assume they still fit when they don’t.

Even if they look like they are in good shape it’s better to be safe and check anyway. We recommend you check the fit of your child’s shoes once a month by gently pushing down on the front of the shoe while your child is wearing them. Ideally, you want to feel at least a quarter of an inch of space between the longest toe and the front of the shoe.

Examine the shoes themselves as well. Do you notice worn treads? Seams that appear to be stressed or splitting? Sides that are bulging outward, or toe boxes that are bent up or in. These are pretty telling signs that the shoes are too small, falling apart, or both.

Make sure to listen to your kid. If they start to complain that their feet are hurting, the first place to start is with the shoes. Check to make sure they fit correctly, and also make sure the inside doesn’t have sharp or rough areas that could be hurting your child’s foot.

Shopping with Your Child for Back to School Shoes

If you see that your child’s shoes aren’t any good for the new year, the next step is getting new ones.

New is Better than Used

Try to avoid used shoes. Yes, new shoes can be expensive, but getting old shoes could increase the risk of warts and athlete’s foot. This could also irritate your child’s feet due to previous wear patterns. Used shoes have been molded to someone else’s feet, and this will not match your child’s feet and gait.

New shoes are always a better option if you can swing them. Think of the new shoes as an investment in avoiding foot pain for your children down the line.

Online Shopping

One thing that the pandemic made better was online shopping. This has to be a personal choice of course, as there can be some obstacles you have to face going online versus going to the store.

If you do the online route, one great thing is that the selection of shoes to choose from is way, way larger. However, the main caution we have to say is that you might be tempted to settle with shoes that do not fit correctly. When you’re talking about great foot support for your child “close enough” really isn’t enough. When you get those shoes delivered make sure you do the testing of the shoe process as well.

This might mean either ordering a couple of different options to find the best fit and then sending the rest back for a refund. Or if you can only order one pair at a time, this might mean a long time commitment to find the right fit as you have to wait for shoes to be shipped back and forth.

One thing to help with online ordering is to take your child shoe shopping to find the correct ballpark size they need, and then go from there searching online. Still, make sure the shoes fit correctly though before committing to them since sizing can vary from shoe to shoe.

Keep Your Little One’s Feet Prepared is Always a High Priority

Most people think “foot problems” only happen in older adults. They don’t think children’s foot care is a thing. The truth is that foot problems can happen to anyone at any time.

A lot of kids struggle with foot and ankle pain as a result of genetics. The earlier these conditions are found and addressed, the more comfortable it is for your child.

After all, everyone’s feet are their foundation. Each step takes a toll on each foot. When a foundation is hurting, the rest of the body cannot function properly.

Contact Us for Child Foot Care

If your child or anyone in your family has foot or ankle pain, contact our offices for help! Our doctor is an expert in foot and ankle care and can help. Give us a call at (269) 373-1019, or fill out our online contact form today!