Advice for Choosing Shoes for Kids
In the run-up to a baby shower, or perhaps the birthday of a friend’s young child, one of the most popular gift choices is a new pair of shoes. Kids’ shoes are highly specialized items, so they need to be very specially designed in order to fit the small and continually growing feet of a child. Most of the time, shoes purchased for a young child will become too small in no time at all.
There is no doubt they can also be expensive, and they will need to be purchased all over again when the child grows. Nevertheless, there are perhaps savings to be made here. The shoe care routine for a pair of child’s shoes is much less onerous than almost any other kind. You will want to keep them clean, but all the usual shoe care paraphernalia – shoe trees, specialized storage, a shoe deodorizer spray, and a polishing kit – are hardly necessary for a pair of children’s shoes. Nonetheless, if you are about to go and buy some, there are a few things to consider.
Fortunately, you’re never going to be the first parent or doting relative to purchase a pair of kid’s shoes, and there’s a definite way to go about it. You might be familiar with old photos of barefoot kids – shoes were once considered a gift to mark the transition into adulthood – but those days are long gone. Shoe care company ShoeFresh says that children’s wear is a massive market, and there are many options out there and many who have gone before to learn from. Here follows then some of the most important things to get right:
When To Buy
As mentioned, the rapidly growing feet of any kid between birth and puberty means that they are going to require new shoes pretty often! And complaints from the kid about them being uncomfortable could be an indication that it’s time to buy a new pair (but it could just as well be kids moaning because, well, kids moan).
Also read: What to Pack for Europe: Clothing, Accessories, and Shoes to Bring on Your Next Trip
Naturally, it will be easy to tell when they simply don’t fit anymore but be sure to check the wear both inside and outside of the shoe. Kid’s shoes tend to fit quite snugly from the beginning, meaning that any internal wear will almost certainly make wearing them uncomfortable, especially if the inside is worn and does not provide sufficient cushioning.
Shopping Tips
There are also a few tips for shopping for kids’ shoes too. These are:
Do it Late in the Afternoon
When you are having a child’s feet measured and some shoes fitted, you want to do this in the late afternoon as feet swell during the day. This is true of anybody, but it is especially so with kids.
Go With a Specialized Kids Footwear Outlet
Kids don’t particularly like being dragged around any shops besides toy shops! Accordingly, you should take them to children’s shoe shops, which normally bring a bit of colorful fun to the process thereby keeping the kid satisfied until the job is done.
Avoid Overspending
As any kid is likely to outgrow a new pair of shoes pretty quickly, it’s wise not to overspend. You can expect to be right back in the shoe store before long, so it’s best not to be racking up lofty bills.
Last Word
As a final point about kids’ shoes, you should bear in mind that while there are indeed many different practical considerations, it is important not to forget the value of novelty where children are concerned – get some fun, colorful shoes for your kid. Any which also light up will, of course, be a solid choice too.
