Aaaaah,Back to School time, depending on which side of the parenting fence you are on you are jumping for joy or sad for the end of summer.

But whatever you feel about this time of year one thing never changes – kids grow! And that means new uniform and new school shoes.

While the wrong size clothes might be annoying or irritating, the wrong size shoes can have a BIG impact. Foot pain in children can lead to all kinds of issues in the future, so best to take the time to get the fit right now.

Why are school shoes important?

Typically school shoes are the shoes kids spend the most time in.

While a badly fitting pair of trousers might be annoying or look a little silly a badly fitting pair of shoes can HURT. And, if it continues over a few weeks or even months, that pain can start to affect how your child moves and walks and runs, which means the ankles become involved and then the knees, hips, lower back, upper back and neck. It’s like that old song says, “The foot bone’s connected to the ankle bone, the ankle bone’s connected to the shin bone . . . . .” and on up the chain.

Prevent injury

Not just long term joint problems but falls and injuries right now. If shoes don’t fit correctly then your child can literally be tripping over his own feet, losing his balance and generally being clumsy and hurting themselves.

Please remember – if your child complains of foot pain check it out!

Top Tips –

• Buy shoes for today
• Leather and natural fibres allow the foot to breathe – doubly important here in the heat!
• Check the inside of the shoe for seams and stitching that might irritate
• If your child does get a blister always use a little bit of antiseptic and a plaster to prevent infection – kids feet get sweaty!

Got more questions? Book a free 15 minute telephone consultation

Download our guide to supporting kid’s feet

Good, solid foundations make for good backs!