At a west Edmonton indoor play group on Wednesday morning, some moms admitted that finding the right shoe size for their young kids can be a struggle.
“He didn’t even wear shoes for the first nine months of his life because his feet were so fat there were no shoes that fit,” said Justine Mageau at the Westmount Community Hall. She has a two-year-old son and a three-month-old daughter.
“Their feet grow so fast. You buy shoes, you think they fit and then sometimes it’s two months later they’re too small. You might not even notice.”
“I’m 100 per cent sure that my son’s shoes right now are the wrong size,” Simone Lacroix said. She also has two kids, aged two and three months. “My son would be running and he would just trip because the boots were too big, which is somewhat dangerous.”
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According to a survey by BlitzResults, 65 per cent of kids are wearing shoes that are too small. Of these, 47 per cent are one size too small and 18 per cent are two sizes too small.
Morgan Kunitz, owner of Kunitz Shoes in Edmonton, said she thinks some parents don’t realize how fast their kids’ feet grow.
“I have two children and when I bring them to my shoe (store) to measure them, I’m always surprised at just how much bigger their foot was,” she said.
“It’s not necessarily a mistake.”
Kunitz said if a child’s shoes are too small, the fear is that their feet won’t develop properly.
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“Kids will often wear shoes that are too small, especially in the younger years. Their feet are very soft and mouldable so they won’t necessarily notice that they’re too small,” she said. “It’s always worth checking every month or so to make sure you’re not feeling any pressure at the end of the shoe.”
To help parents make sure they are buying shoes that fit their kids properly, Global News asked Kunitz Shoes for advice.
1) Don’t get hung up on the size on the box
The fit of kids’ shoes is very inconsistent, more so than ladies’ and men’s shoes, according to Kunitz.
That means kids need to be at the store to try on the shoes.
2) Leave room for growth and warmth
Kunitz said the rule of thumb at their store is to go up one size for shoes and two sizes for boots. Shoes should fit kids for at least one season.
“For boots, we say one size for growth and one size for warmth,” she said. “It’s the air space around the foot (in the boot) that insulates.”
3) Feel for a thumb-width at the toes
Regardless of the child’s age, Kunitz said parents should feel for a thumb-width of space at the toes.
“A breath of a thumb at the end allows for growing room but isn’t going to distort the fit of the shoe too much,” she said.
“That’s standard for all sizes, proportional to how quick they’re going to grow. In a baby size, you’re actually giving quite a bit of room, but it’s actually only going to be three to four months worth of growth.”
4) Take out the insole
When it comes to boots, parents might have a difficult time feeling for their children’s toes. Kunitz recommends taking the insole out of the boot and having the child stand on the insole. Parents should ensure there’s at least a thumb-width of space on the insole.
“A little slipping in a boot is very normal,” Kunitz said.
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