With Christmas and New Year over it’s hard to believe that it’s soon time to get ready for the new school year. New uniforms, books and checking to see if kids still fit into their school shoes. 

Kids spend a lot of time in their school shoes, taking up to 16,000 steps a day so getting the right school shoe is important. 

A good shoe not only provides proper support, but is also appropriate for the activities they will be participating in.  

We’re here to help put you on the right track, to not only get the best value for money, but to get the right fit for your child. 

 

Before you purchase the shoes, ask your child: 

-How much running do they do in their shoes? 

-How many days per week do they wear them? 

-And how old are their school shoes? 

 

It’s important to ask these questions, as shoe technology has improved significantly over the previous couple of years. Companies such as Ascent are making school shoes with running shoe technology to increase movement efficiency and decrease the overall weight of the shoe, whilst still sticking to uniform guidelines. The only issue is with these shoes is that they do wear out in less time than traditional shoes. So be aware when purchasing. 

Purchasing shoes in a bigger size so that your child will “grow in to them” is a big NO! Having a shoe that is too big can lead to blisters and musculoskeletal conditions of the foot and lower leg, which can lead to big problems going forward. A perfect shoe fit is 0.5-1 size on top of your measured foot size to allow for the foot to swell during activity without restricting motion. 

 

What to look for: 

  • A rigid “heel counter” enabling the rear foot to be locked in to the shoe and prevent slippage.
  • Fixation through laces, or velcro to prevent midfoot movement.
  • Nil flexibility through rotation of the midsole. In simple terms: not being able to scrunch the shoe in to a ball. A little bit of flex is good, but it should be free moving.
  • Width across the forefoot – should not rub on the foot. 
  • Your child should be comfortable in the shoes straight away without feeling any pain. 
  • Toe room: your child should be able to wiggle their toes. 
  • Try shoes on later in the day as feet tend to swell by the afternoon. 

Remember to take care of those shoes, get them fitted properly by the experts, and if there’s anything we can do to help, come and see the Podiatry team here at CSSM. 

 

About the author

CSSM Podiatrist Alicia Schifferle has a comprehensive knowledge of feet and footwear and firmly believes that healthy feet equal a healthy life. As a podiatrist, she has an understanding of the vast range of musculoskeletal injuries that occur in the foot and leg as well as the most appropriate and effective treatment approaches for each individual patient.