When it comes to buying shoes for your kids, there are so many tempting fashion options. Should you go with dainty sandals, convenient flip-flops, or cute sneakers?
But the biggest question is this; Do the shoes provide enough support for your kid’s feet? Because picking the wrong shoes can damage your child’s foot development and how they walk.
It’s not a topic many of us know about, so we asked experts at the Paediatrics Specialist Unit at East Coast Podiatry for what to look for when buying shoes for kids.
Your child will go through different walking stages during their first few years that range from the toddlers’ wobbly walking through to the school-age heel-to-toe walking. This means your child’s feet are constantly developing, adapting, and growing.
Senior podiatrist Georgina explains, “At birth, bones are soft, and they continuously evolve throughout childhood. These soft structures can deform due to repetitive actions, pressure, and footwear, especially if the footwear is not ideal for that foot.”
In the short term, shoes that don’t fit well can make a child more clumsy. They may be less coordinated, and trip or fall more often. “This can slow a child down during their walking and sports, causing them to be delayed in their milestones, or resulting in blisters on the feet,” Georgina says.
In the longer term, wrong footwear can affect the shape of a child’s foot, sometimes causing flat feet. The wrong shoes can also cause problems with how they walk. For example they may develop in-toeing – this is when a child’s feet turn inwards when they walk, instead of straight ahead. It’s sometimes called being pigeon-toed.
When podiatrists and other medical experts talk about gait, they mean the way we walk. Walking starts to develop as soon as children learn to stand up. It continues to develop as children’s muscles, bones and joints strengthen, their gross motor skills and coordination improve, and they gain confidence.
Children with gait disorders walk in ways that aren’t typical for children of that age. Gait disorders can start when children first start walking, or they might develop over time. Some common gait disorders in children include pigeon toe or in-toeing, toe walking, and out-toeing – where the feet turn outward. Grandmothers sometimes call it walking kang kang (squat) because your feet face outwards when you squat.
When it comes to gait and foot development, the key milestones podiatrists and gait specialists look out for are rolling over, crawling, cruising, walking, and running. “We pay particular attention to the quality of these actions,” Podiatrist Millie explains, “These milestones should go in order and take place within the first 24 months of life.”
In particular, take note of the way your child crawls. Crawling is important for increasing your child’s core stability and postural control, which will help them stand upright when they begin walking. “The style of crawling is very important. For example, babies who drag one leg while they crawl rather than using both hands and knees to equally crawl along can show the child is having difficulty activating some of their core and hip muscles,” says Millie.
Another thing to look out for is if your child starts running before they walk. This can indicate poor balance. Millie shares, “Rather than standing and toddling, babies with postural instability tend to fall forward taking very fast steps. This is often accompanied by flailing arms and a broad base of gait which help improve balance.”
To ensure that your child is achieving all their walking milestones on time, you can refer to your child’s Health Booklet. Bring it along and fill it in at every appointment with your doctors and paediatricians. That way, you’ll be able to spot any signs early and see a Podiatrist for early intervention.
That said, proper footwear is important for your child’s gait development even if they’re hitting all their milestones. Here are six tips to ensure you are buying the right shoes for your child:
Buying shoes that are too small is a surprisingly common mistake – partly because children grow so fast. Podiatrist Shirley encourages parents to check the fit of their child’s shoes at least once every three months. “Shoes that are too small can lead to blisters, ingrown toenails, and deformed toes. Shoes that are too big can cause shuffling, tripping and falling,”
- Shoe lengths differ between brands, so never assume your child’s shoe size.
- Always let your child try both shoes on, because it’s common to have one foot bigger than the other.
- With your child standing up, check there is a thumb’s width of space between their longest toe and the end of the shoe. You should be able to press down on the toe of the shoe – the toe box – and feel space between the end of their toes.
- Ask your child to wiggle their toes. Is it comfortable? Podiatrist Shirley advises, “Ensure the toes are not being compressed or pressed on the top.”
Picking a good shoe size is not just about the length of the shoe, but also the width. Instead of asking the sales assistant for a bigger shoe size, you might need to ask for wider models – up to D, E or EE fit.
“Children’s feet are naturally chubby and wide,” Georgina explains, “Their shoes need a wider toe box to accommodate for the natural width of their feet.”
Podiatrist Elliott echoes this, explaining a wider toe box reduces the risk of forefoot complications and ingrown toenails. He adds that narrow-fitting shoes with rigid rubber toe boxes are also discouraged. “This is because they compress the toes, leading to deformities such as juvenile bunions.”
Flip flops and other slip-on shoes are convenient, but they can cause gait problems in young children. It’s because you have to grip them with your toes and simultaneously keep your ankle stable as you move.
“These shoe styles don’t properly secure a child’s ankle, and result in decreased stability,” Georgina shares.
- Instead of flip flops, look for sandals or shoes with some sort of fastening, like shoelaces, velcro straps, or buckles. These allow you to adjust the shoe’s fit to hold your child’s foot and ankle securely.
- Elliott recommends “sandals with straps over the forefoot, midfoot, and rearfoot.” He adds, “There are many brands here in Singapore that do pretty sandals with good support.”
Children are constantly playing, running and jumping about. So it’s important that they wear shoes with adequate cushioning. A good pair of shoes should also mimic the natural bending motion of the foot.
For this reason podiatrists say you should avoid shoes with flat, thick, or hard plastic bases.
- Look for shoes with a good rubber sole instead. “Many sports shoes are great for this, giving approximately 10mm of cushion under the heel, encouraging the correct heel to toe motion during gait,” shares Georgina.
Look for shoes that have a rigid middle section to avoid having your child’s feet twist around inside of the shoes. A middle section that is too flexible “leaves your child vulnerable to injury around the foot and ankle,” Elliott shares, “Because flexible shoes do not support the foot effectively, your child expends more energy when walking, which can lead to early onset fatigue.”
- “A good shoe should only bend at the forefoot area as this bends with your child’s toe movement when they walk and facilitates the natural gait cycle.” Shirley explains, “The backing of the shoe should also be sturdy and not collapsible.” Try pinching the sides of the heel area, do they collapse?
- Some shoes have additional padding around the top edge of the heel to support and add comfort to the heel and ankle areas.
- Twist the shoe into a figure of eight. If you can bend the shoe easily, it is too soft.
Different activities require different kinds of shoes. The cushioning, support, grip, and design of the shoes won’t be the same. As such, Podiatrist Paul points out the importance of having your child wear the right shoe for the right activity. “For example, if your child does tennis, they should wear tennis shoes. To play at the park, they should wear sturdy sports shoes.”
For sports shoes, look for washable shoes or washable insoles. Kids’ feet might be smaller than adult feet, but they have the same amount of sweat glands. Plus, they generally run around more, which causes their feet to sweat more.
How To Get The Right Fit For Children’s Shoes
- Shoe lengths differ between brands, so never assume your child’s shoe size.
- Always let your child try both shoes on, because it’s common to have one foot bigger than the other.
- Look for shoes with wiggle room in the toe area to avoid blisters or ingrown toenails
- Avoid shoes that are copies of adult shoes, like pointed toes or heels, They can irritate the toes and hinder normal foot growth.
- Look for shoes with a supportive heel area that does not collapse.
- Choose shoes with a flexible front toe box area that bend with your child’s toe movement when they walk.
- Look for shoes with rigid middle section to avoid having your child’s feet twist around inside of the shoes.
How To Get The Right Form For Children’s Shoes
- Look for shoes with straps, buckles, Velcro, or laces so you can tighten or loosen the openings as necessary.
- For good traction, choose quality non-slip soles in materials like leather and rubber.
- Look for shoes with insoles that cushion feet.
- Look for shoes that are made from breathable or washable materials to let sweat escape and keep feet dry.
Pay Attention To The Function Of Children’s Shoes
- Choose shoes to match the activity.
- For school age children, look for shoes that are easy to get off and on, so they can change their shoes for sports or other co-curricular activities.
- Toddlers also need shoes that you can easily take off for nap times.
This article was originally published on June 3, 2022, and updated on April 14, 2023.