Every time before the start of the school year, parents of schoolchildren have to buy several pairs of shoes for their children. For physical education, for the street, for a shift. How to choose the right one, what to consider when purchasing, read on.
Criteria for choosing shoes for school
When choosing a new pair of shoes for a schoolchild, when the child can outgrow them in just a few months, the desire to buy something simpler and cheaper is high. Especially when you are required to wear dress shoes under your school uniform, sneakers are required for physical education, and Czech shoes are required for dancing. But in some other way you have to get to school. Therefore, the desire to spend less is understandable and completely reasonable. But certain selection criteria when buying another pair of shoes for a schoolchild must be taken into account.
Natural upper and insole material
Certainly, leather would be ideal, especially for replacement shoes. The child spends almost the entire day in it. The leg must breathe and the choice seems obvious, but the price does not always allow you to make it.If you have to choose a budget option made from synthetics, choose shoes with perforations. This pair will be much more comfortable to wear. A You should still choose an insole made of natural material - leather or fabric.
Important! Special orthopedic insoles can only be worn after consultation with a doctor. They are selected individually for each child. Don't self-medicate!
Flexibility and lightness of the sole
As a rule, boys' shoes have either a classic heel or a molded sole made of various synthetic materials, the properties of which can vary greatly. One of the best materials is thermoplastic elastomer (or TEP). It is light and flexible. This is a good choice for children's shoes. But polyurethane is much heavier and harder. Be sure to check the sole for flexibility. Bend and straighten several times. After this, the boot should return to its previous position.
It’s better not to consider options with thin or hard soles for every day at all.. Wearing such shoes prevents the leg from forming normally and leads to flat feet. Another important point - the sole should not slip! A pronounced tread pattern is required not only for winter boots, but also for everyday ones. This will protect your baby from injury.
Advice! You can enhance the “non-slip” properties of the sole with special overlays. They are removable or adhesive. You can buy them at a sports store or order them online.
Check how the sole is attached to the upper. It must not only be glued, but also stitched. It will be much easier for such boots to survive playing football with a briefcase at recess.
Right size
Needless to say, shoes must fit your feet, otherwise they will rub or pinch.When buying shoes for a child, they should have a margin of 5–7 centimeters in length.
Pay attention to the width of the toe of school shoes. Don't buy shoes with narrow toes. It will put pressure on the toes and interfere with blood circulation in the foot. Ask your child to move his foot inside the shoe when trying it on and carefully check how his toes move in the new shoe.
Heel
It is definitely needed. Especially in children's shoes. The heel should be about two centimeters high (depending on the boy’s height). This is the height that is necessary for the correct formation of the arch of the foot.
Correct clasp
On boys' shoes, the fastener is classic laces, Velcro or elastic bands. The last option is better to buy for younger schoolchildren. They are much easier to deal with, and much less time will be spent on changing shoes. For an older child, you can already buy shoes (and sneakers) with laces. Make sure that the laces are not very long. Loose ends can cause falls and injuries.
Important! Dirt easily accumulates on Velcro fasteners and they lose their properties. Clean the fastener in a timely manner and, if necessary, replace the Velcro with new ones.
Hard back and front
The heel of the shoe must be firmly fixed. Children move a lot and if the foot is not fixed in the boot and “dangles” too much, this is fraught with dislocations.
The toe of a child's boot should also keep its shape and not sag.. The ideal option is “lobed” shoes or boots. They will protect children's fingers from bruises. Boys love to kick everything, but it’s better to knock off the toes of their shoes and not their feet.
Convenience and comfort
Before this, we talked more about safety, practicality and simplicity.All these factors are required, but they must be combined with the most important thing - convenience. What else needs to be considered? The correct size was discussed above. Now about something else. The shape of the shoe last is important for comfortable wearing.. If it is not suitable for the child, then the load on the base of the foot will increase and walking will be accompanied by pain.
Another factor - climb. It is necessary that it corresponds to the anatomical features of the child’s foot. Otherwise your legs will get tired.
Important! When buying a new pair, a child should not only stand in it in the store or walk, but even run and jump. If no discomfort appears for at least 15 minutes, you can make a purchase.
Mandatory moisture and heat exchange
If the leg does not breathe, this is fraught with the development of fungal diseases. Do not forget about proper heat exchange. Feet, of course, need to be kept warm, but you shouldn’t overheat. Shoes that are too hot are difficult to wear. The foot in it first sweats, and then cools down and freezes.
How do you know if the shoes are chosen correctly?
If you followed all our advice and bought suitable boots, shoes or sneakers for your son, but still doubt the right choice (parents of first-graders often doubt), conduct a kind of test control for several weeks:
- check your feet for abrasions and redness;
- see if the child’s socks are wet;
- ask if he feels any discomfort.
These steps will help you find out how comfortable and comfortable your child feels in a new pair of shoes.
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