Top Tips For Fitting Children's Shoes

Top Tips For Fitting Children's Shoes

Are you about to take your kids shopping for shoes? If so, then you'll want to ensure you fit them properly. With that said, below are five tips for fitting children's shoes.

1. Starting Off

You should fit their shoes when the day is almost done, and make sure your kids are wearing socks during the fitting. If the shoes they are going to try on will be worn with socks, then they should be wearing socks during fittings. You might be surprised at how socks can make a difference when it comes to whether a shoe will fit properly.

A helpful tip is to make sure your kids are wearing a sock that is a bit thicker than they'd normally wear, or thinner. If they will be trying on sandals, then they can do it barefoot. They can also wear a thinner pair of socks, if they plan on wearing socks with them.

2. The Length

Have your child sit down and then fit their shoes. Have them tap the heels of their feet on the floor because you want to make sure their foot is right at the back of the shoe. There should be a bit of space between their longest toe and the shoe; More specifically a thumbs width. Keep in mind when they stand up, the foot spreads out, which is why you want to have a general idea of the amount of room there is.

The shoe shouldn't slip. Check by gently tugging at the heel of the shoe. Once again, your child should be sitting down.

When your child stands up, push down on the tip of the shoe. You want to make sure between the end of the shoe and the end of the big toe that there are a fingers width. As long as the shoe is tight around the foot, then it doesn't matter if there is plenty of space around the foot, if the foot sits central in the shoe. However, it is best to have your kids sit while you are ensuring there is enough room for the feet.

We believe that there should be plenty of space around the toes, even if it's extra space. As long as your child can walk in the shoes and they are comfortable, then everything should be fine. Otherwise, you'll want to try on a different pair of shoes.

3. The Width

If the length is fine, the next thing to do is checking the width. The baby toes should have plenty of space, so feel around the area the baby toes. You don't want the baby toes to catch the side.

Next, take your thumb and stroke the top of the shoe. This should give you a good idea of how the leather feels. As you do this, the leather should move slightly. You want to do this because you want enough width so your toes and feet can relax.

Throughout the day, your feet can change and this is why you want to make sure shoes are wide enough. For example, your child is likely active and walks around a lot, and this means by the end of the day their feet will be a bit wider than they were at the beginning of the day. By ensuring a shoe is wide enough, you can bet your child's shoe will fit comfortable for many years to come.

4. The Depth

Checking the depth of a shoe is easy. You basically do the same thing you did when you tested the width. The goal here is to make sure there is plenty of room for the feet. If a shoe doesn't have good depth, the chances are your child will struggle to put it on.

Mary-Jane style shoes are known for having issues with depth. Your little finger should easily fit between the upper part of the shoe and the top of your kid's feet. If there is a bulge at the top, then this is a sign more depth is required. Once again, it wouldn't hurt to buy a pair of shoes that have a bit of extra space or even a little bit of a gap. This will be useful in the event your kid's feet grows within the near future.

5. The Overall Fit

If the length is alright and you have no problems with the width and depth, then you'll have to have them walk around. Keep an eye on them because they may become a bit self-conscious at first, and a lot of kids tend to stare at their shoes as they walk. Distract them because this will keep their mind off of the fact they are wearing a pair of brand new shoes. Ask them to go and grab something for you, and if they are older, then ask them to jump around a bit or run around.

What you're looking for is a natural walk. Are they having an easy time walking in the shoes? If you're not sure, then simply ask them if the shoes are comfy or not.

While you're at it, check to make sure the shoe is securely around the ankle. You can check that there's no slippage by having them stand on their tiptoes. When they do this, their shoe shouldn't slip off. If your kids aren't old enough to do this, then have them pick something up from the ground, and then look at their ankles as they bend down to get it and as they rise back to the upright position.

Those tips will come in handy when you take your child shoe shopping. Feel free to refer back to this article if needed. Good luck on finding the perfect fitting shoes for your child.