Children's Footwear: The Importance of the Design and the Fitting

Most parents don't know the first thing about selecting the right shoe or fit for their children's shoes. The answers that they may receive from a shoe salesman or a in store-fitter can also be varied. I have heard everything from it does not matter what type of shoe they wear when they are toddler age, to buy a shoe that is one size to big, it will last longer and you can stuff the toe box with paper. Even your pediatrician may have trouble answering the correct way a shoe should fit and it is no surprise... After century's of fitting children with shoes there is still no standardized approach to pediatric footwear.

Many studies in the recent years have been performed and this is what has been concluded.

We as parents put shoes on our children to protect their cute toes, keep their feet warm, clean and dry. But research suggests that shoes really do influence children's feet as they grow. "It is a child's first steps that determine their gait pattern-good or bad into adulthood."

Unlike other parts of the body, the bones in the feet continue to develop well into the child's early teen years. All the reason why the correct shoe is so important. Even at a young age the wrong shoe can cause the onset of juvenile foot deformity.

Studies have shown that most shoes are advertised to be a certain size but turn out to measure smaller. Without enough space in the front of the shoe, children do not have adequate toe movement forward as they step. If the shoe is to big then the flex point of the shoe will not match up with the flex point of the foot.

Experts advised that the tip of the longest toe should be 10-12mm from the shoes inside tip while weight bearing and looking straight ahead. They also warn about shoes that are labeled "wide" but in reality do not have a wider sole, just more material sewn into the shoe.

Many parents will use hand me down shoes. It makes sense since children outgrow everything so fast. But researchers believe that this is detrimental to a child's foot. The sole of the shoe develops its own memory and any gait abnormalities the primary wearer has will be passed on to the next recipient. Which means if one child has a very flat flexible foot and pronates, this can cause the next child to have more instability in the shoe, fall more and also walk differently then they would if they were in a new shoe of their own.

Overall there is no perfect children's shoe. You will find different opinions from from everyone you ask. Important notes... Watch your child as they walk in their shoes. They should appear stable with good support to their feet and remember to check their shoes often... Kids at these ages grow fast and you will be surprised how fast those little toes will reach the end of the shoe!