First Shoes

There is no need to rush into the first shoes – there is a lot to be said for the child to walk barefoot whilst developing their feet. Little bootees or non-slippery socks are fine. Then when you feel they are ready, go to a decent shoe-shop; this is not the time to skimp. A quality shop will have experienced sales-assistants who are well experienced in fitting childrens’ shoes. Do make sure they measure the width as well as the length of the childrens’ feet as it is common to find they need an extra wide shoe. These first shoes will be soft so that the child can still feel something of the ground.

Subsequent shoes

Keep on ensuring up to date measurements of the childrens’ feet are kept – they grow quickly. Still use a quality shop where they have good assistants who can spot ill fitting shoes better than you can. Try on both shoes as they do vary. Toes should have about 1/2 an inch clearance but heels need to be a closer fit. Get your child to take a good few trial steps before leaving the shop. These early shoes will probably have a velcro fastener. Lace-ups can wait until nearer school days.

Most shops only stock Wellingtons in season so it is even more important to provide for growth in the next year. This could mean getting them 2 sizes too large – they can always be filled out with double socks!

The most important consideration that you should be making when buying your kids shoes, is fit. Make sure that you know exactly the size of your child’s feet, this means knowing width, as well as length. As adults, we only really need to consider length, but to ensure shoes do not damage your children’s feet, width is an important feature of any shoes you buy, including slippers.

Once you know the exact size of your children’s feet, then you can set about looking at the various styles of shoe available. Keep in mind factors such as weather. For instance, in winter, you will want a waterproof shoe, problems will arise from wearing shoes that are constantly waterlogged – this will soften the feet and make them more susceptible to deformity.

When you find a pair of shoes, you like for your child, rather than buy them on the spot, hunt around to see if you can find the same pair of shoes for a cheaper price elsewhere. One place that you should certainly look for kids shoes is online. Online retailers are better positioned to offer potential customers the best prices on the market. A great cheat, is to get your children’s feet measured in a shoe store, then shop for that particular size online, not only do you ensure that you get the right fit, you also make certain you get the best price.

Moreover, when shopping online, the choice in shoes is incredible; you will not match the variety of shoes available online with those in any department store. Another fantastic advantage with online shopping is the degree of customer services afforded by online retailers. It may seem counter-intuitive to assume that online retailers look after their customers better than shop floor retailers, but they have a much more vested interest in keeping customers happy. Online, the market is extremely difficult to survive, thus online retailers must do all they can to ensure they get the necessary customers to stay afloat in their competitive market.

In conclusion then, when buying kids shoes, fit is essential (both length and width), shoes should be bought according to the time of year and to get the best bargains, then online shopping is the only way forward.

Next, it will be helpful to you to predetermine the shoe styles your child will need for school. More likely than not, there will be types of shoes your child will consider an absolute must. These shoe styles include pair of cool sneakers or gym shoes, one pair of dressy shoes and of course pair of casual shoes. You should try to take extreme care not to overspend on trendy shoes that your child really doesn’t need. If they simply cannot live without a trendy pair of shoes, you should try to limit your purchase to only one pair.

You should know their sizes, before you take your shopping trip for your child’s back to school shoes. This will help save time once you get to the shoe store, as a salesperson may not be immediately available. Plus, if you know your child’s size ahead of time, the salesperson will not have to measure his or her foot before retrieving the shoes your child wants to try on.

Finally, it will save you time and money if you know which shoe retailers are having sales. Purchasing your child’s shoes from the clearance rack will definitely help you stay within your back to school budget. Visiting a couple of department stores may not be a bad idea. They often have great deals on clearance shoes that are often of good quality.

Toddle2Teen stock all manner of shoes for special feet – flat, slim, broad, high instep and provide for the child with larger feet- offering them children’s footwear at sensible prices! Toddle2Teen too stock durable school shoes and toddlers shoes baby shoes and juniors shoes for those formal occasions. T2T has styles to cater for all needs and requirements!