Things You'll Need:
- Paperbag
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Step 1
Start by wetting your child's foot. When they step out of the bathtub is a good time to do this. Have them step on a grocery bag or heavy card stock paper. They will leave an impression of their foot. Trace the impression with a pen. You are looking to see if there is a high, low or normal arch. A high arch means that the shoe will need extra cushioning in the arch. A low arch means they will need an arch support. If their impression is kidney shaped then your child has a normal shaped foot and need a moderate motion control from the inside post of the shoe.
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Step 2
Take the tracing to a shoe store. Compare the shoe to the tracing. A good fit would be shoes that cover the outline of the tracing.
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Step 3
Have your child try on several different pair of shoes with socks on. Have them put their full weight on their foot as you check for the fit. Pinching at the widest part of the shoe, look for ample space and a thumb width space on the toes. The side of the heels should not bend and the shoe should have sturdy material in the heel. Have your child sit down and try to pull the shoe off by the back of the foot. If it slips off easily the shoe is too big.
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Step 4
Bend the sole of the shoe. It should bend easily. New shoes cause blisters on the heels because they don't bend easily.
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Step 5
Once you have found the right pair of shoes remember the brand name. Every shoe company makes shoes for different types of feet, so once you find a brand that fits your child, that brand will probably always fit your child.
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Step 6
If your shoe purchase is for back to school have your child wear their new shoes before school so you can check for wear and blisters.
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Step 7
Having two pairs of shoes as part of their school clothes and having your child switch shoes ever other day gives the shoes a chance to completely air out before being worn again.
Comments
acole said
on 8/6/2008 Great info.