What You Need To Know About Buying School Shoes

The annual back to school period is a hectic time for parents and children. The long list of supplies and uniforms can go on forever. Then, there’s the added challenge of balancing this with your kid wanting the latest and greatest in everything. It can add up to a fairly stressful few days. Adding in the need to buy school shoes can make the whole exercise one big headache. Regardless of the age and gender of your school kid, once you start the back-to-school shopping, you’ll find that there are many designs to choose from. You’ll only get even more confused by balancing out different designs with all the other functional characteristics school shoes should have.

Sophie McLellan, the owner and podiatrist at Little Big Feet and co-founder of Skobi School Shoes, Australia’s only line of school shoes designed by a pediatric podiatrist, discusses the tips and tricks parents should know when they are choosing their children’s school shoes!

Below is a list of things to know and tricks you should arm yourself with before entering the yearly battle to find the best school shoe for your kids:

Pick Your Stores Wisely

There are hundreds of different stores you can choose from when purchasing your child’s next pair of school shoes. With the demand that it creates during the school opening season, it shouldn’t surprise you that stores will also produce their own pairs of school shoes to sell.

Don’t be fooled by the huge lines and sale prices though, you need to ensure the staff these stores employ are correctly trained to fit your children’s feet, don’t be afraid to ask the store manager if their staff get specific training to fit kids and if not, go somewhere else.

Moreover, to make the shopping process faster and easier for you, if you’ve got a tried-and-tested store already, then go for that option. That way, you know for certain that the store or brand, such as Atti and Anna Kids Shoes, you’re buying from is trusted. This way, you rest assured that you can come home with a pair of shoes that’ll last the entire school year.

Check The Fit Yourself

The best trick to see if your kid’s feet are too big or too small for the shoe size the fitting technician is suggesting is to take the inner sole out of the shoe and place the child’s foot on top of it. Make sure they’re standing when you measure and ensure there is around a thumbs-width before the longest toe hits the end and that no part of your child’s foot fall over the edge to avoid rubbing.

Ask Questions

There are some fundamental questions parents should ask the fitting technician when their kids are trying on school shoes. These include: does this shoe best fit my child’s everyday needs? What materials is this shoe made from? Selecting a shoe that is inappropriate to your child’s needs is a fundamental cause of excessive wear and tear. Similarly, as compared to most artificial leathers, full-grain leathers are much more breathable and wear nicely over time.

Listen

If your child is complaining about tightness, rubbing, or pain, it’s best to investigate what the cause is. The shoes may be too narrow or the wrong shape for their foot. Use the innersole method I mentioned above and ask the technician if there are more options your child can try on.

Remember that your kids are going to wear these shoes every single day and for the entire time they’re at school. Your kid has to be comfortable in the shoes or they’ll have a hard time moving around the school. You don’t want your children to suffer from sore feet at the end of the school day simply because they were forced to wear shoes that aren’t comfortable for them.

Beyond comfort, also factor in the personal style of your child who’ll be wearing the shoes. This is of higher importance, especially if you’ve got a daughter. Girls can be very particular about style, and it can help your daughter have more confidence in school when they’re also confident about the footwear they have.

Compromise

Does your child like the shoe you are going to buy them? If not, you may need to prepare yourself for the daily battle that will commence every time it comes to putting their school shoes on. A shoe that they love aesthetically and functionally, will always be happily worn.

A friendly reminder that parents can use when choosing school shoes for their children is to always think of their kid. For instance, when parents want to be practical, they’ll often tend to buy shoes that are slightly bigger than their kids’ feet. That way, there’s enough room for their kids to grow into their shoes the entire school year.

While this may be friendly on the pocket, it may not exactly be the best choice for your child. Buying shoes in the wrong size can lead to discomfort. Some kids may also feel embarrassed that they’re wearing shoes that are too loose for them. If you’re really on a budget, you don’t necessarily have to buy the most expensive pair of shoes. You only need to balance out the price with the quality so it lasts your kid the entire year.

Final Word

Buying school shoes can be a trying process, as a podiatrist we see kids and parents come into the clinic for a range of issues, however, we have always found making the process fun and relatable the easiest way to get through it. As a parent, you need to ensure you are placing your kid’s feet into a shoe that is the best option for them, especially since kids spend 80% of their day in them!

To ensure your kid’s feet are being correctly fitted and to have your questions answered by a podiatrist, head over to www.skobishoes.com.au

 

Author’s Bio

Sophie is co-owner of Little Big Feet Podiatry, and co-founder of Skobi Shoes as well as being a mother, wife, sister and daughter! Sophie oversees the selection of all footwear into Little Big Feet and ensures the quality, craftsmanship and aesthetics are up to scratch for both parents and children. Sophie trains all of the staff in correct footwear selection and fitting, and has a strong relationship with our suppliers.