By Arden Smith DPM, FACFAS, FACFAOM
Our patients often ask our award-winning expert podiatrists at Advanced Foot Care for tips on back-to-school shoe shopping. Kids’ feet grow and change quickly, which means you likely be shoe shopping this back to school season. As you head to the store, consider these shoe buying tips and insights.
Find the right fit
Your child’s feet can grow up to two sizes in six months, so you need to account for rapid growth when buying shoes.
Shopping for shoes at the end of the day is really important, especially if you are buying athletic shoes that will be worn in end of day sports. Even children’s feet swell and having proper fitting shoes is very important.
When shopping, don’t assume a new pair will offer proper support. Check to see that the toe box is wide enough, and the shoe doesn’t bend in the middle of the sole.
Replace worn-out shoes
Because shoes lose shock absorption over time, wearing worn-out shoes can elevate the risk for Achilles tendinitis, ankle sprains, stress fractures, and heel pain in kids.. Inspect old shoes and replace any that lacks sufficient cushioning and arch support, or have excessive wear to the bottom, or around the edges of the sole.
Even something as simple as tying shoes well is important. Shoes that are loose on the foot, especially in sports, can lead to a multitude of injuries from the foot moving all around in the shoe. This is especially true when a child wears a custom foot orthotic in their shoe, since in order for the custom foot orthotic to work, it needs to be well-aligned with the foot at all times.
One of the most important pieces of advice that we give parents is to see one of our expert podiatrists when they notice odd wear patterns on shoes. This often leads to important diagnoses of things such as hyper pronation, flatfeet, asymmetries, and rotational abnormalities.
Our expert, award-winning podiatrists at Advanced Foot Care of Manhasset, Huntington, Coram, Woodbury, Mineola, Williston Park, Maspeth and Ronkonkoma will be happy to evaluate your child’s feet and help you make an appropriate choice regarding shoes for your child.
