Children get through a great many pairs of shoes and trainers - jumping, climbing, running and general playing means that footwear for most active kids takes quite a pounding. The only way to keep a control of shoe spending is ensuring that you know how to select comfortable shoes for your kids every time, so here are a few handy tips to keep you shoe savvy...
What can their old shoes tell you?
Finding out why an old shoe is no longer suitable can be difficult; 'they hurt' is often the best explanation you can get for why a shoe has become uncomfortable, so it can be beneficial to examine the existing shoes to look for tell-tale signs. Children's feet can grow in odd and unpredictable ways, but signs of bulging on the shoe upper or stress at the seams where the upper meets the sole can give you an indication of where the problem may be. Bulging on the top indicates the shoe may be too shallow, stress at the sides suggests it is too narrow.
Get the measure
Having your children's feet measured is recommended on every shoe-shopping trip - again, children are typically not great at vocalising whether shoes fit correctly or not. And don't assume that because your son or daughter was once found to have wide or narrow feet that this will still be the case a year later.
Choose specialists
Choosing a children's shoe specialist means you get the best possible advice on what footwear is best for your child, reducing the chances of them experiencing discomfort soon after purchase. Not only that, children's shoe specialists also have plenty of experience dealing with kids - which can be a big help if your little one has a tendency to get impatient and difficult when out shopping!
Knowing what 'fit' means
If shopping with the kids is something you rarely have time for, and you want to take advantage of the great deals you can find online with retailers such as Debenhams, you'll need to know what to look for when your child tries those new shoes on for the first time.
It can be tempting to buy shoes that are too big for a child with growing feet, in the hope that they will last longer, but you should not buy anything more than one size too big. Any more than this and the extra space will cause tripping and can lead to foot problems. Besides, that extra bit of shoe is likely to be worn and misshapen before your child's foot grows into it. Heel cups should rest snugly on the back of the foot, but not grip it, and if your child has one foot larger than the other, be sure to buy something which accommodates the larger one properly.