Tuesday, 15 January 2019 15:35

How to Stay Sane When Buying Kids Shoes

Taking your children for new shoes can be rough going. How do you know if the shoe fits right? While buying kids shoes online may feel easier, it’s important to know you bought the right fit and quality for your child’s ever-growing feet. Here are some of my simple tips when shopping either online or in-store:

  • All shoes should be long enough to accommodate the longest toe. Sometimes the longest toe is the second toe, not the first one.
  • Shoes need to have a stiff heel and be sturdy. If you can bend it into a pretzel, it probably isn’t a good shoe for your child
  • Are they easy to get on and off? Depending on your child’s age, this can save you time, and/or encourage them to wear the shoes.
  • They need to be relatively comfortable.

If your child absolutely hates the feel of the shoe in the store, don’t buy them. If you shop in a brick and mortar, the salesperson will use a Brannock Device to find out what size your child’s foot is. That is the big silver metal device that is used to measure both the width and length of the foot. Instead of that device, they may use a Ritz stick which is not as accurate.

brannock device     ritz stick

My best advice is to always go to the store and have your child’s feet measured for both length and width. The salesperson can then suggest choices taking the size into consideration. Bringing them into your Podiatrist to check the fit is also a good idea. Here is a short video about shoe size. It’s worth a watch.

At South Shore Foot Care, we treat children along with adults every day. Call us so we can help you: in Franklin Square at 516-374-3668 or in Cedarhurst at 516-775-8440.


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