When you’re looking to buy a brand-new pair of school shoes this back to school year – making sure they are looked after and kept pristine is really important – especially if your kids school has strict regulations on the look of their shoes. Whether it’s a pair of formal shoes or their PE sneakers, here’s some easy tips for looking after your little one’s shoes to help them last longer, so the only thing you need to worry about is replacing them when their feet grow!

Teach your children to put their school footwear on and off with care.

Make sure that whether they have laces, self-fastening or even Mary-jane school shoes that they are loosening straps before putting the shoes on. Having your child sit on a chair will make putting their shoes on easier.

The same goes for taking off their shoes, when they come home from school, they might be super eager to pull off their shoes and go play – try to help them take off their shoes properly by undoing fastenings and untying laces.

If the worst-case scenario happens, don’t forget we have a range of shoelaces for sale – it’s worth keeping a couple of pairs handy just in case. Our range of XPand no tie laces are really useful for pairing with PE shoes.

Work a weekly shoe cleaning session into your routine.

A great thing to do with the little ones is to have a weekly shoe cleaning session with them. Even if their leather shoes look clean, giving them a little TLC, each week should ensure that they are prepped to last a bit longer.

For the more formal school shoes, it has been recommended that at least a weekly polish is conducted, giving the leather shoes a little once over will help keep them looking perfect for the new school week ahead.

Popping balled up pieces of newspaper into PE shoes should help draw out any internal moisture and help keep them clean and fresh, although this can work for formal shoes too.

From polishing to buffing them out, by making this chore into a fun routine, the kids will love helping.

Look after your kids’ feet with innersoles

Supporting and cushioning your kids’ feet is paramount in helping them stay active for longer. The Athlete's Foot Kid's Reinforce Innersole range offers arch support and cushioning for your children’s growing feet, with materials designed to keep your kid's feet healthy. Available in a wide range of size options and with different innersoles based on activity or foot needs – you’ll be able to find the right pair for your kids.

SHOP INNERSOLES

Make your own shoe care kit.

Putting together a shoe care kit is a must have purchase when you’re in the market for school shoes. Here at The Athlete’s Foot our recommendations for your kit include:

• Shine Sponge
• Microfibre Clothes
• Old Toothbrush (for getting mud out of PE shoes/footy boots)
• Odour Eliminators

The Instant Shine Sponge

A secret weapon, this little sponge is suitable for both leather and vinyl materials it can instantly cleans and shines all colours of leather and vinyl. Perfectly sized to throw in a bag and sealed in a little tin, you’ll be able to touch up their shoes on the go if you need.

Kids PE Sneakers or even their leather school shoes, can take a lot of knocks and get a little bit sweaty – especially in the warmer months when they’re worn all day. Keep them smelling fresher for longer by picking up Odour protection products. Our Odour Eliminator spray is a quick and easy way to keep those shoes fresh – suitable for both sports and formal shoes. Shoe Freshener Balls are developed to effectively attack odours and keep any pair of shoes, gym bags, and lockers feeling and smelling fresh.

We hope you found our tips for looking after your kid’s school shoes helpful.