The Athlete's Foot MyFit
Our MyFit Blog aims to engage and inform so that we can collectively empower everyday athletes to better their best with every run.
Get a step ahead this back to school
Getting the right fit for a growing foot is important. A child’s foot is not yet fully developed like an adult’s foot. Young feet are quite soft and largely comprise of cartilage. This means that they can easily be reformed or potentially deformed if the shoe doesn’t fit correctly. It is important to remember when trying to find the perfect school shoe this back to school, just because the shoe goes onto the foot without protesting, doesn’t mean it FITS – or is providing the right fit!
Did you know?
During the first 11 years of a child’s life, the average foot will grow up to 17 full sizes or 34 half sizes. By 12, a child’s foot is about 90% of its adult’s length*.
When will my child’s foot stop growing?
A common question that our team of Fit Technicians and Master Fit Technicians get asked, particularly in store during back to school. Some general growing guidance to assist you with your child’s school shoe fit is:
• The average newborn’s foot (40 weeks) measures around 7.6cm in length
• From 12 months to 3 years, shoe changes can be needed approximately every 3 months**
• From 3 to 5 years, shoe change can be needed approximately every 4 to 6 months**
• From 5 to 10 years, shoe change can be needed approximately every 6 months**
**NB these figures are guidelines only – some children’s feet grow faster/slower than the average.
Why getting Fitted by the Experts matter?
1. Has your child complained about having sore feet at the end of the day?
2. Have they experienced shoes that rub and cause blisters or generally just not comfortable?
3. Have you ever noticed that you child’s foot looks to be flat, flexible and rolls in – this is due to their foot structure still developing.
During the first 12 years, staying on top of growth spurts and changes to foot shape can be challenging. The foot structure (bones, ligaments and tendons) continue to develop and change shape as the child’s foot grows. This occurs until their foot reaches close to their full adult length.
Our team of Fit Technicians and Master Fit Technicians will ensure that they measure and observe your child’s foot every time to help identify the perfect fit for the growing foot.
The largest range of Back to School shoes are only available at The Athlete’s Foot.
Did you know?
Our exclusive brand partner Ascent Footwear develop school shoes in half sizes and 7 width options!
Still can’t decide what style of school shoes you’re looking for - visit our online School Hub to check out all the styles from one place.
Unable to get to a store, or prefer to be fitted from the luxery of your own home? Contact our Fit Technicians directly through MyFit Virtual.
Our in-store teams are highly trained to kids fittings, booking in advance is essential - find your nearest store and book an appointment.
References:
*The FITZI Feet First nationwide research was commissioned by The Athlete’s Foot and was conducted by Newspoll over the period of 30 January – 2 February 2014. The research was conducted amongst 1209 respondents aged 18-64 years. To help reflect the overall population distribution, resultswere post-weighted to Australian Bureau of Statistics data on age, highest level of school completed, sex and area. This Newspoll study was carriedout in compliance with ISO 20252 – Market, Social and Opinion Research. **Based on The Athlete’s Foot ERPLY Data and store analysis 2013-14.
