Choosing Shoes for Children
The doctors at Mercer-Ocean Podiatry get a lot of questions from patients about shoes, and how to choose the best shoes for their families. Children three and older experience foot growth at the rate of one-half a foot size every four to six months, but a growth spurt can cause a child’s feet can grow up to two sizes in a six month period. So how can you keep their feet comfy, without going broke from buying new shoes? Leave room for growth when selecting. There should always be extra room for a child’s foot to grow in the toe area or ‘box’ of the shoe. A good measure for this extra wiggle room could be the width of one of your fingers. From the tip of the child’s big toe to the tip of the shoe, extra space the length of one finger width should do. As kids age, they put their shoes through a lot, and luckily most shoes are made to withstand some of this wear and tear. Before tossing every scuffed pair, look around the edge of the sole for wear in the material. This is a sign t...