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How To Pick Out The Correct Shoe For Your Child

Children's feet are constantly growing. For a parent purchasing the correct shoe can be a difficult process. While most youths are concerned about the latest and greatest shoes, parents should ensure those shoes are functional as well as fashionable. For parents to guarantee they purchase the right shoes, they should carefully evaluate the child’s shoe size, fit, and shoe structure.

Remember the following guideline when purchasing shoes for children:  

  1. Beware children's feet change with age. Measuring your child's foot prior to purchasing shoes is important. Improper fitting shoes can cause irritation and foot pain. Most feet are seldom precisely the same size. Shoes should always be fit for the larger foot. There should be a thumb width between the tip of the big toe and the end of the shoe. This should be examined with the child standing.

  2. Letting a child have a say in the shoe buying process promotes healthy foot habits down the road. Children should try on both shoes and walk around the store in shoes before a purchase is made. Check the toe box with the child standing by compressing the pinky and big toe to make sure it is enough for the toes to function properly.

  3. A good shoe should have a stiff heel that cannot be easily squeezed or bent

  4. The toe box of the shoe should bend flexibly when your child walks. And the shoe should have a solid midsole that should never twist in the middle. 

  5. Shoes should never be handed down from child to child. Just because a shoe size fits one child comfortably doesn’t mean it will fit another the same way. Also, sharing shoes can spread fungi like athlete’s foot and nail fungus. 

Properly fitting and structured shoes can help children avoid years of pain and future ailments. The American Podiatric Medical Association has put together a list of tips for finding properly fitting shoes for children. Click here for a list of children’s shoes that have been awarded APMA’s Seal of Acceptance. If your child is suffering from foot pain please make an appointment with one of the Doctors from Southern Maryland Foot and Ankle. 

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Clinton Office

Monday:

7:30 am-4:00 pm

Tuesday:

7:30 am-4:00 pm

Wednesday:

7:30 am-4:00 pm

Thursday:

7:30 am-4:00 pm

Friday:

7:00 am-3:00 pm

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed

Waldorf Office

Monday:

7:30 am-4:00 pm

Tuesday:

7:30 am-4:00 pm

Wednesday:

7:30 am-4:00 pm

Thursday:

7:30 am-4:00 pm

Friday:

7:00 am-3:00 pm

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed

California Office

Monday:

Closed

Tuesday:

7:30 am-4:00 pm

Wednesday:

Closed

Thursday:

7:30 am-4:00 pm

Friday:

Closed

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed