How to choose the right school shoes for your children

Shoes are one of the most expensive items you will purchase when heading back to school. Laces, Velcro or buckles, leather shoes or trainers? With so many options for individual preferences, we’ve narrowed down the most essential elements of a good quality school shoe to help you choose well for your child.

Children’s feet grow and change constantly. Children’s feet don’t form properly until puberty, and until then they are soft and flexible and influenced by their activities and the shoes they wear. Flat feet are also common in toddlers and will often correct themselves at the child grows.

With 26 bones, 33 joints and over 100 tendons, muscles and ligaments, this intricate and highly developed structure needs great care to develop and form properly. Therefore correctly-fitting shoes play an important role.

The characteristics of a good quality and supportive school shoe

A good quality and supportive school shoe will have the following features:

1. A flexible and flat sole – pick up the shoe and bend back the sole, it needs to be flexible enough for your child to be able to push off on the shoes easily when they take a step. Hard soled shoes can be painful after wearing them for the day, especially if they’re running around.
2. A padded and absorbent inner sole – some shoes have removable inner soles so you can wash them easily. While this is not essential, look for a padded sole which provides more comfort.
3. Lots of toe room – a well thought out and designed school shoe will be snug in the heel but have plenty of wiggle room for the toes, fitting well around the sides of the foot.
4. Not too heavy – the shoe should not be heavy which can be tiring on little feet and cause children to drag on their feet.
5. A leather shoe upper is breathable and will reduce sweating and odours.
6. Laces, Velcro or buckles are all fine as long as the shoe fits well and is secure on the foot.

How to measure that the shoe fits right

We like these six steps from Choice Magazine which we’ve shared below.

Book an appointment for your child at a Sanders Podiatry Clinic – Linden Park, Stirling and Mt Barker

Our family-friendly clinics are located in Linden Park, Stirling and Mt Barker. We work with children of all ages, from toddlers to teens, helping them develop good habits to look after their feet and addressing any concerns along the way.

Call us to make an appointment with one of our experienced podiatrists.

Sander Podiatry Adelaide – 08 8379 1456  (Greenhill Podiatry)

Sander Podiatry Stirling – 08 8339 3344

Sander Podiatry Mount Barker –  08 8370 1590