‘Remember the days of the old school yard?’ We’re sure you do remember those days, as well as that 1977 hit by Cat Stevens. And while the days of Chiko Rolls and Golden Gaytimes at the tuck shop are long gone, one thing has remained for sure: school shoes!
School shoes cop a lot of wear. They can sustain up to 1500 hours of wear on an average school year. So, it’s important that they’re totally comfortable, and fit perfectly on your child’s feet.
There’s a real science to finding the perfect school shoe fit, and today the experts at Forbes Footwear outline a few handy tips for correct school shoe fittings.
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Get a proper fitting
Why stress about finding the perfect fit on your own when you could get a professional fitting for free? Forbes Footwears offers free professional school shoe fittings, so that you’ll always find the right fit. Shoes that are too small don’t allow a growing foot to develop – but, on the flip side, too big a size won’t provide enough support. That’s why you should be properly fitted. If your child requires orthotics, they should be sized correctly. -
Width – why it matters
Room needs to be allowed both for length and width increases. Therefore, shoes that come in multiple width fittings are the best. Most shoes on the market won’t provide widths – Clarks do. Forbes Footwear stock a large range of Clarks school shoes, which are one of Australia’s favourite brands for high quality leather shoes. -
Leather is best
Leather has been the ideal shoe material for hundreds of years – and there’s a reason for it. It’s durable, can be maintained with polish to keep looking good and breathable to help with sweat evaporation and smell neutralisation. -
Can they be maintained?
Because school shoes get worn a lot, it’s easy for scuffs to be sustained. Therefore, maintenance is important so the shoes last. Polish will prevent the leather from drying and cracking, and cover all scuff marks that are bound to happen. Moisturised leather will handle scraping better. -
Growth spurts are always a possibility
And finally, finding the perfect fit is sometimes a bit of a gamble, due to unexpected growth spurts. A correctly fitted school shoe can last you a school year, but there are never any guarantees as children will go through growth spurts. If your child is expecting a growth spurt, it’s sometimes best to go half a size up. A professional fitter can determine the right move for you.