Children, particularly toddlers, grow very fast. They outgrow their clothes and shoes within a very short space of time. The right size shoes are a great concern. The feet grow rather fast, and the kids must be comfortable in the shoes.
On so many occasions, after a lot of sorting and selecting, you pick what you consider as the perfect shoes for your child. Not long after, you discover the shoes are too big, or the child wears them for a while, and they become too tight. You pray for a better guide in choosing the right size shoes next time.
There are no cast-in-stone rules in making the right choices when shopping for the right fit shoes. However, good knowledge of your child’s growing feet could serve as tips for choosing the right size shoes. Here are some facts to take note of:
- Babies’ feet do not have arches. Foot arches start to develop at age two, so babies under two years do not need shoes with arch support.
- Kids’ feet grow fast. Post-natal statistics show a half size growth in babies feet every three months.
- Bones in a child’s foot are not fully formed until year five. While the feet are still growing and bones forming, the wrong fit footwear can influence growth wrongly as the tissues are still tender and can take any form.
- Perspiration occurs more in babies’ feet. Shoes designed to allow passage of air is essential for babies. Leather shoes, mesh shoes and shoes with anti-microbial linings are always a good pick.
- Ensure to have your child’s feet measured every three to four months. Keeping track of the growth of your child’s feet will enable you to provide right fitting and comfortable shoes. Wearing wrong fitting shoes can influence poor development of the feet. This may lead to muscle, back and bone problems much later in life.
- Kids’ footwear should be flexible and with a soft, minimal outsole. Hard, heavy-soled shoes will be a burden on a child learning to walk. This reduces flexibility and causes strain and discomfort on the child’s feet.