BUYING SCHOOL SHOES

It’s a new school year and apart from all the other things a new year entails, it usually involves buying new school shoes. Children spend a lot of time in their school shoes, so it’s important to choose carefully to make sure what you decide on will work best for their feet.

Different brands of school shoes have different styles within that brand. The main differences are: shape of the toebox; height of toebox (how much space for toes); flexibility over ball of foot; weight; innersole thickness/comfort; heel counter height; heel counter support; and heel height.

*What to look for in a school shoe

• Genuine leather upper. • It needs to be lightweight. • It should take on the shape of the child’s foot. • It needs to be flexible over the ball of the foot. • Sturdy supportive heel counter. • There should be half-a-thumbs width between the longest toe and the front of the shoe when trying on the shoe.

When buying school shoes, try on the shoes with the right socks. It’s also best to try on shoes towards the end of the day as feet “swell” during the day. That way you know you’re sure to get the best fit.

Different brands also might differ slightly in their sizing, so try on a size up and down and see which is the best fit. Don’t get stuck on numbers.

Encourage your children to make it a habit to do their laces/buckles up when putting on shoes, and undoing them before taking the shoes off. There’s very important reasoning behind this. When you simply pull your shoes off you stretch the upper of the shoe which won’t give you a secure fit

These shoes are made for WALKING

NELFRIE KEMP’S ADVICE FOR BUYING SCHOOL SHOES

ABOVE: Podiatrist Nelfrie Kemp and Claire Thango – a winning foot care team. when wearing them. Likewise, by pushing your shoe off your foot using the other foot, you damage the heel counter (back heel part of the shoe) and weaken the support. The foot and shoe need to function as a unit when walking and proper tying of laces and buckles is important for that.

When passing on shoes, look at the outersole, innersole and inside of the heel counter. If the shoe has been worn excessively it could influence the next pair of feet steps. *

FOR MORE INFO Nelfrie Kemp: www.nelfriekemp.co.za; @nelfriekemp; W@nelfriekemp