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Guide To Selecting The Best School Shoes For Your Kids
One of the best investments you can make when it’s back to school time is some quality school shoes for your child. A good pair of school shoes will ensure that your child is comfortable every step of the day. School shoes should allow feet to breath, while being supportive and Once you have wrapped your head around uniform policies, it’s time begin shopping for school shoes.
With the speed at which little feet can grow, and the many different styles of school shoes, we know it can be confusing selecting the right school shoes. We recommend dropping into your nearest Athlete's Foot for a fitting from our friendly team. They will be able to measure your kid’s fit and offer a school shoe that will allow for support and growth.
If you are unable to drop into one of our stores, check out our short guide to selecting the best school shoes for your kids.
How often should you upgrade your kid’s school shoes?
Kids grow very quickly, but nothing grows faster than their feet. Even if the shoes look fine, it may be time for a new pair if a certain amount of time has passed. Shoes that are too small can cause small issues like rubbing, all the way through to issues with posture. The simple rule that has stood the test of time is to check the space between the largest toe and the top of the toe cap.
As a quick guide, here is how often you should check if it is time for new shoes.
As a quick guide, here is how often you should check if it is time for new shoes.
Experts recommend doing a size checks at these intervals -
- Every 1 to 3 months until the age of three years old.
- Every 4 months until the age of five years old.
- Every 6 months until your child has finished their growth spurts.
Outside of these checkpoints there are also some obvious signs that school shoes may need to be replaced.
Visual signs of wear and tear include –
- If the tread or sole of the shoe is worn down, they can become slippery underfoot, particularly on surfaces like school hallways.
- The most obvious sign is when the toes start to touch the ends of the shoe. Once this happens it’s time for an upgrade.
- Wear on the heel and scuff marks on the sides of the inside of the shoe could be an indication of rubbing. This would be an indication that the shoes are too tight.
Things to look for when buying school shoes
School shoes are worn much more frequently than most other footwear, so it’s important to make sure they are supportive, comfortable, and durable enough to handle daily wear.
- School shoes should be flexible enough in the front to allow kid’s feet to push off with their toes, however not too flexible that the shoes are bending in the wrong spots. Pick up the shoe and try to bend it by pushing the toe upward, the shoe should bend at the base of the foot but not any further.
- School shoes should not be too heavy. Shoes that are clunky and heavy could cause foot pain and muscle aches, especially for kids that are a little smaller.
- The shoe should have enough room in the toe to allow for wiggle room. The toe box of the shoe should be deep enough to allow for some upcoming growth.
- The materials should allow the foot to breath. If the school’s dress code is a little more relaxed, you’ll have more options available to you regarding what the shoes are made of. School shoes like those from Asics and New Balance will transition from the classroom to PE classes and allow more flexibility than traditional school shoes.
Check our boys school shoes and girls school shoes for formal styles that will suit the strictest uniform policies and hybrid style trainers that can transition from the classroom to kids’ sports shoes.
