Buying shoes for children whether they are toddler shoes, sneakers, fashion shoes or school shoes, it is imperative to look into details carefully. It also takes time to choose ones before purchasing because, sometimes, children can’t tell if the shoes they are wearing are a comfortable fit then they go walk with improperly fitting shoes. This can cause long-term and harmful health problems later when they are adults. There are a few tips to help you choose the right pair of shoes for your children. Let’s see below.

When to Replace New Shoes for Your Child?

Children’s feet are the part that grows faster than any part of the body in the first three years of their development. Generally, you will need to replace their shoes every three or four months a year because their feet will grow in half a size or a whole size.

In addition, you will need to replace their shoes every four or five months a year when your children are at the age of five or six. During this time period, children’s feet will healthily and rapidly grow half a size to a size difference.

For children aged seven to ten, they will need new shoes replaced every five months in a year as their feet begin to slowly grow in half a size or a size difference.

Additionally, when your children are at the age of 11 to 14, their feet will grow steadily and they will need new shoes every six months. Also, boys’ feet are likely to grow faster than girls during this time period.

Measure sizes properly

The perfect time to measure shoe sizes is in the afternoon or evening because they become bigger during the day. Below are a few tips to measure your child’s feet at home;

• Have your child stand on a sheet of paper taped on the floor.
• Draw around their foot with a pen and make sure to keep the pen at a 90° angle to the paper.
• Measure the longest length from the tip of the longest toe to the heel.

From the tips above, the last step to do is compare your child’s foot length to a foot measurement chart to get the right shoe size for them.

Shoe Materials are also essential

There are four parts of kids’ shoes consist of the upper, the insole lining, the outer sole and the heel;

The Upper

The upper part of the shoes should be breathable materials such as mesh, cotton or canvas.

The insole

The insole pads should be made of absorbent material. For example, absorbent microfiber material is sweat-absorbent, breathable and lighter compared with leather lining. Also, all toddlers younger than 16 months have flat feet and fully develop an arch by 6-8 years olds so they do not need special arch support.

The outer sole

Thick and heavy outer soles can cause stumbles and falls. Therefore, the outer sole should provide traction, cushioning, and flexibility to support the feet.

Heel

Toddlers don’t need heels on their shoes because flat outer soles cause less harm and make it easier to begin walking. Also, older children can wear shoes with heels but they should not be higher than one inch as tall heels can cause foot cramps, slip and fall accidents.

Conclusion

Selecting shoes for children sometimes can be overwhelming. Therefore, making efforts to find a perfect-fitting pair for your kids can help prevent long-term foot problems and develop their healthy feet when they grow up.