How To Buy Athletic Shoes For Your Kids

When you buy athletic shoes for yourself, you certainly will look at the comfort, support, fit, and wear-ability of the shoes before you commit. Why wouldn’t you do the same with your child’s feet?

It is an easy trend to try to buy a cheaper pair of athletic shoes for your child since kids are growing and more likely to break down their shoes than we might be. Regardless, it is important to buy the right shoe. This is what you should know.

Sizing

The first thing that you need to think about is sizing. For growing feet, it is ok to buy shoes that are a half size larger than your kid’s feet are. Their shoes should be able to wiggle freely inside of their shoe.

The athletic shoes especially should be snug but not tight. If your child has wide feet, you should check out Wide Feet Gear to find the best children’s shoes for wide feet. Never assume that regular width shoes will simply stretch.

Finding Quality

To find quality athletic shoes for your child, you should confirm a few features first. These include:

• A flexible forefoot: This is the front part of the shoe, under the ball of the foot. It should be able to bend a little bit.
• A shock-absorbing sole: Yes, even children should have shoes that can take the brunt of the force put on their feet.
• A firm heel support: Supporting their heel will reduce the fatigue on their feet.
• A good arch support: Arch support will improve the overall comfort of your child’s feet.

The Right Fastener

There are a lot of different types of fasteners out on the market. The right fastener for your child will depend on their ability, their comfort, and what they like. Shoes can have laces, no-tie laces, zippers, and even bungee closures. The right fastener for your child will not necessary be the same as what works for someone else. It might take a couple of tries to work out which kind of foot will really help with that.

Measure the Feet

Getting the right measurements is so important. If you are shopping online, you will need to measure your child’s feet before you decide which size to get. The best thing to do is to have your child stand barefoot on a sheet of paper. Then, trace around their feet. Once you have that outline, use a ruler to determine what the right size should be.

Ideally, you should have your child go into a store and try on shoes to find the right ones. But, that is not always possible. If it is, have your child walk in the shoes, and make sure their toes have plenty of room on the tip of the shoe. Otherwise, just have your child try on your ordered shoes.

Consider the Sport

What activity does your child do? Children who participate in running will not need the same shoes as children who play field hockey. You will need to think about the individual demands of the sport and then you will be able to have a better idea of the type of shoe.

If your child has a coach, it would be a good idea to get recommendations from the coach directly to have an idea of what shoes you should be looking for. It might even just be an idea of the types of shoes that you should be looking for.

At the end of the day, your child’s comfort and safety are the most important features in any shoe that you buy for your child. Do not buy the first pair of shoes that you see. Instead, make sure they are the right shoes for the sport, they fit your child’s feet, and they are comfortable enough to wear for long periods of time. Listen to what your child says is comfortable.