Summer is over and if your feet aren’t hurting a little, you may not have played hard enough. Even if your feet don’t hurt, back to school expenses might be painful.
The beginning of the school year is when parents frequently have to make the tight budget of getting all school supplies and buying school clothes. Too frequently, shoes are the last thing left to be purchased. Children's shoes can make a big difference in injuries and pain.
Parents also get discouraged when they finally buy a pair of nice, supportive shoes and find out that the child has outgrown them within a couple months. Shoes don’t have to be expensive to be quality, so here are some general tips that can help.
Tips to Buying Shoes for Children-Get the Best Fit
- Orthotics – A well made, padded, higher arched, stiffer shoe insert is surprisingly a cheap way to turn fair shoes into good shoes and good shoes into great shoes. Over-the-counter inserts are not expensive and they can be moved to different shoes. Come in to the clinic for personalized needs. Even if you don’t have an appointment, $40 can buy a supportive set of orthotics for your kids.
- Rubber – Buy a shoe with real rubber outsole. It is more rugged that the flimsy, degradable tread that is recently making shoes cheaper.
- Stiffer – Make sure the shoe is stiff in the middle and back. If it is limp, chances are it is not supportive and your child will likely feel it quickly.
- Cross trainer – Cross trainers are generally more supportive and are getting more fashionable. New Balance, Asics, and Saucony are usually good brands. The more common brands like Nike, Adidas, Sketchers and Reebok can be okay, but look for ones that have a removable insole.