A Podiatrist and Mum’s Guide to Getting kids Shoes Right 👣

A Podiatrist and Mum’s Guide to Getting kids Shoes Right

As a podiatrist and a mum, I’ve seen firsthand the difference properly fitting footwear can make to a child.

Not just physically, but emotionally too.

The true impact isn’t always about pain or injury. It’s about confidence in the playground. Feeling steady enough to run, climb, and keep up. Feeling confident to walk up to other kids, interact, and play. You can see it in their posture, their stature, and how they show up in the world. When kids feel comfortable and supported from the ground up, it genuinely changes how they move through their day.

One of the most common things we see as podiatrists with kids, at The Foot Studio, is actually incorrect fitting footwear. And it’s tricky. Kids grow quickly, their feet change shape, and what fit perfectly a few months ago suddenly doesn’t.

Here are a few simple tips when fitting school shoes

1. Always measure both feet.
   It’s very common for one foot to be slightly bigger than the other.

2. Remove the insoles and stand on them.
   Have your child stand on the innersoles and check the length. You’re looking for a good thumb’s width of room from the longest toe (and it’s not always the big toe!), to the end of the shoe.

3. Test the shoes properly in the shop.
   (apologies in advance to the shop assistants for this)… but make as much noise, movement and fun as you can testing them out. I mean, properly test them out.  Don’t just walk up and down the hallway. Run. Jump. Go side to side. Crawl. Pretend to be a frog. A kangaroo. Laugh, play, and have lots of fun. Do all the things they would normally do in them.

4. Spend time in them before deciding.
   If you can, wear the shoes in the shop for a good 15 to 30 minutes before making the final call.

5. Ask your child how they feel.
   Kids are incredibly intuitive and often know when something doesn’t feel right. They know their body best. Actually ask them “what do you like about them…? Anything you don’t like? (always lead with a positively framed question but let’s not get into communication nuiassances too much in this blog…)

This advice comes very naturally for little kids, and I can’t help but see it through that lens because my kids are little. But the same principle absolutely applies to older kids too. Whatever you want them doing in those shoes, get them doing it in the shop. Include them in the process and value their opinion on how they feel.

As a proud member of the Australian Paediatric Podiatry Special Interest Group and a member of the Australian Podiatry Association, this message also aligns with the Australian Podiatry Association’s educational awareness campaign Strong Steps Start Here. Every great school year starts on the right (and left) foot.

School shoes aren’t just part of the uniform. They’re a piece of equipment that supports learning, play, confidence, and growth.

The value of properly fitting and comfortable school shoes is something you might not completely realise until it’s not there. But nailing it from the start can have huge impacts.

To help give Podiatry access to more kids we are offering a complimentary 15 minute footwear check with a podiatrist.

Let’s keep our kids confident, active and moving well! Strong Steps Start Here!

Laura Kelly

Clinical Director & Education Lead
The Foot Studio