How to Pick the Perfect Pair of Kids' School Shoes
Parents want nothing but the best for their children. And if they can provide the perfect school shoes for them, why wouldn't they?
But the question is, what constitutes a perfect pair? How do you find them?
These are the common questions among parents embarking on a shopping journey at the start of the academic year. Shopping for school shoes is essential because your child will wear them for most of the week, which can impact their developing feet.
Here's where the team at Everflex steps in to intervene. First, we will answer the questions and help you pick the ideal pair of school shoes by enumerating the features you need to check.
It may seem like information overload for you, but trust us when we say you'll get to know all these by heart after years of doing it.
You'll buy school shoes for your child until they learn to do it independently. Until then, we advise you to start familiarising yourself with these features. Let's dive right into the task at hand!
Ensure a Comfortable Fit
As mentioned, your child will wear school shoes for most of the week, around 30 hours. And if you want them to perform their best academically, their footwear should not distract them by being painful or uncomfortable.
As a result, the following tips are imperative to look for to guarantee a snug fit for their school shoes:
- Get your child's correct size. Either you get their measurements by yourself or take them to professionals. For example, if you buy school shoes in-store, there will likely be trained staff who can measure for you.
Check the width and length of each foot separately. Most importantly, shop in the afternoon to account for the swelling of your child's feet. Use the socks they intend to wear during the academic year.
- Choose styles with a wide toe box because your child's toes must have enough room to splay naturally, impacting their balance.
Go for rounded or squared toes because pointy ones usually squeeze toes together, leading to possible foot deformities.
Ask your child to wiggle their toes while trying on the school shoes and ensure a 1 cm gap between their longest toe and the footwear's tip.
- Flexibility is essential because school shoes must move naturally with the feet while your child moves around. To test, bend the footwear by pushing the toe upwards. The school shoes should curl until the ball of the foot, not further.
- A firm heel counter supports the ankle and feet, so they mustn't bend in if you try to press them.
- Removable innersoles are essential so kids who need more support have room to fit them into the school shoes.
Guarantee Security and Adjustability
Fastenings provide security and adjustability in school shoes, which are essential to keep footwear in place and guarantee support and comfort for your child. Everflex has three fastenings: touch-fastening straps, buckles, and laces.
1. Touch-fastening straps
Hook and loop fastening is another name for touch-fastening straps. School shoes that use this are more suitable for early learners who can open and close straps independently.
They are easy to use and provide an adjustable fit that allows your child to tighten or loosen the fit. However, there are some limitations you need to know about touch-fastening straps:
- There's a limit to the number of times your child can open and close them. Once the adhesion wears out, you must replace the school shoes because they won't close anymore and can be an accident hazard.
- You will hear a distinctive sound whenever your child pries the touch-fastening straps apart, which can be annoying.
- Dirt, lint, and other particles can easily stick to the straps, which lessens their adhesion. However, you can use household items like tweezers and duct tape to remove them.
- The touch-fastening straps of school shoes can attach to different materials and destroy them.
2. Buckles
Buckles are closure devices that fasten two loose ends by latching onto any holes in the other strap. School shoes with this type of fastening don't come undone, keeping them secure.
Learning how to use buckles is an excellent way to strengthen your child's fine motor skills and problem-solving abilities. Some limitations to buckles include the following:
- The holes are evenly spaced; one might be too tight while the next too loose. There's no middle ground.
- Opening the buckles during an emergency is challenging when your kid must quickly remove the school shoes.
3. Laces
Older and more advanced students should wear school shoes with laces because they need to know how to tie laces.
Among the three fastenings, laces are the only ones independent from the footwear, which means you can clean and replace them separately. Get your new or extra laces from Everflex!
School shoes with laces have the most adjustability, giving your kid control over how tight or loose they want the fit. Moreover, laces give your child self-expression because you can pass them through the eyelets in several ways.
And if the uniform requirements are more lenient, they can change the laces to more colourful ones.
One limitation of laces is how they come undone, which can cause your kid to trip on their school shoes.
Check for Traction and Grip
Check the school shoes for soles that provide traction and grip to protect your kid from accidental trips and slips, especially during the winter when surfaces are wet and slippery.
It is an essential feature because your kid participates in classroom activities and plays with friends on the playground.
In addition, no parent wants to see their kid come home with bruises and wounds, so ensure the school shoes can keep your kid standing and steady.
Are You Ready to Shop for School Shoes Boys and Girls Will Wear Year-Round?
May all our tips help you pick the perfect pair of school shoes. Then, apply what you learned and head over to the nearest Everflex retailer or online store and take advantage of the flexible payment systems, which allow you to purchase now and pay later!
Finding the correct pair of school shoes requires looking at several different models side by side. The selection of school shoes at Everflex Shoes includes many styles comparable to those from well-known labels, such as Asics, Harrison, Skechers, Clarks, Roc, and Nike.
You can discover your kid's ideal pair of shoes because every brand is different and offers many benefits. Whether you're after a durable, sleek appearance or added support, we've got you covered.
So why not stop by today and discover the best pair of school shoes for your kid by comparing these leading brands?