Back-to-school shoe shopping

Back-to-school shopping means checking off items on your list. Did you remember pencils and crayons? What about jeans? Does Junior need a new backpack?

For most kids, back to school also means getting new shoes.

Considering the rapid rate children grow, it may be tempting to slap whatever’s cheapest on your kid’s feet. But it may be smarter to take some time and invest in a quality shoe. Fact is, it’s easy to forget about your family’s feet only until problems arise.

Experts warn that putting your child’s still-growing feet in poor-quality shoes can have lasting, negative effects. According to the London-based Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, the human foot is made up of 26 bones, 19 muscles and a number of ligaments. A baby’s foot is mostly soft and flexible cartilage that gradually hardens over time. Most of us have fully formed bones by about age 18.

Proper fit may be especially important if your child is on the heavier side. A recent study published in the journal Pediatrics suggests that while thinner kids in the study were more likely to have head and face injuries, obese children had more leg, ankle and foot injuries. While the study’s authors said more research was needed to pinpoint the reason for the increased incidence of injury, a possible explanation is that obese children may need different shoes and ankle supports when walking and running.

But good shoes are important even for kids without such special considerations.

“Poorly fitting footwear in young children could result in deformity, whereas in older children, it may result in toenail and skin problems,” said Gordon Watt, lecturer in podopediatrics at Glasgow Caledonian University, in a guide for children’s feet on the Society for Chiropodists and Podiatrists website.

Fashion vs. form

One common shoe-shopping problem: The most supportive shoe may not be the one your child wants.

Portland-based podiatrist Dr. Steven Tillett is familiar with the struggles of getting kids to agree to a good, supportive shoe. He has four of his own, ranging in age from 9 to 20.

“The biggest thing for them is trying to follow the fashion trends,” he said.

Tillett said several current trends don’t provide foot support, whether it’s girls’ lighter-than-air ballet flats, clog-style foam shoes or trendy barefoot-technology athletic shoes.

The barefoot craze has been popularized in part by the 2009 best-selling book “Born to Run,” by Christopher McDougall. In the book, McDougall claims that athletic shoes, with all their padding and support, contribute to injuries rather than preventing them.

Tillett doesn’t recommend experimenting with such notions with your kids’ feet. Even the classic, canvas, flat-soled shoe for kids can be problematic, especially for children with naturally flat feet. He said a good shoe should be fairly rigid from the heel to the ball of the foot, with a flexible toe.

If your kid is dead set on a low-support shoe, “I say make a compromise,” Tillett said, by buying a stable insert to put into the shoe.

“I want (them) to have some type of insert to go in there to have good arch support,” he said. “The most supportive thing you can find over-the-counter.”

He said there’s not much point in spending more than about $50 for pre-made inserts. You’re looking for something with a stiff body; the squishy inserts may feel good, but they don’t offer support.

He recommended Superfeet, found at many stores in Central Oregon including REI, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Fleet Feet Sports.

The inserts cost about $40, and come in sizes as small as a junior 11.5, though you may have to ask for a special order or order online for smaller sizes.

An athletic-style shoe may have a liner that can be taken out to make room for the insole. You may also need to trim the insole at the toe with scissors.

Watt also warned parents against allowing growing kids to wear high-heeled shoes, which can alter the way a child walks, leading to lasting damage. Likewise with platforms and thin, flat shoes.

Watt’s organization also warns that children’s feet are much sweatier than adult feet, so it recommends that kids not wear the same shoe every day.

In the shoe store

“Go somewhere that the salespeople are trained to fit you,” Tillett said. If sales staff don’t measure your child’s foot, they probably also aren’t trained to recommend a good shoe.

Sarah Laufer is co-owner and CEO of Play Outdoors, a Bend-based children’s outdoor gear company with a website and retail store in Bend. She’s also the mom of two kids, one of whom will be going to kindergarten this year.

Laufer said in addition to measuring feet, it’s important to assess your child’s needs. What will he or she be doing in the shoes? Will the shoes only be worn once or twice, and therefore can they be made more cheaply, or are they daily playground gear that calls for durability?

She also suggested staying within the ability levels of small children.

“If your daughter isn’t yet tying her own shoes, don’t send her to school with lace-up sneaks,” she said. “Velcro or slip-ons are a much better and easier option.

“We want to encourage our kids to be more independent and more self-confident,” she said.

She also talked about avoiding shoe-shopping meltdowns.

“Prepare yourself and your kids,” she said. “Take them at a time; they may be patient.

“When I was a kid, we’d try to do the back-to-school shopping all in one day, and the shoes would be the last thing. And I think kids have a hard time trying on clothes and shoes.

“So make a special trip. Avoid the meltdown.”

Play Outdoors sells brands Laufer said have been specially selected for quality, including Merrell, Teva and Simple. She said prices can range from $20 to $60.

In addition to her own store, Laufer recommended Bambini of Bend and Birkenstock of Bend. Bambini carries brands including Morgan and Milo, See Kai Run, Stride Rite, and Ecco.

Prices for shoes for school-age kids range from about $40 to $70. Birkenstock of Bend, in addition to its title brand, carries brands like Crocs, Teva and Hush Puppies for anywhere from $25 to $70.

Does the shoe fit?

Fit is essential when shoe shopping. Tillett said one of the most important measures of fit is in the heel.

“You want enough room to just slip your little finger in behind the heel, no farther than the first knuckle,” he said. If the shoes are too loose, your child’s heel will slide around, which may cause blisters.

He said if shoes are lace-up, a good way to check the overall fit is to look at the seams of the parts of the shoe that lace up. The gap that runs between the two seams should be close to parallel.

“If they start out parallel at the bottom and they’re gapped at the top, it’s no good. You want parallel lace seams,” he said.

He said shoe shopping time is also a good time to check out your kid’s feet. Look for calluses, blisters or spots rubbed red.

“Unless, of course, the kid’s been running around barefoot all summer, on the typical kid there should be no callouses,” he said. If you see callouses, you may want to reconsider the type of shoe your child’s been wearing.

“Those need to be signs that either there is something in the foot that causes too much pressure or the shoes they’re wearing aren’t the right shape.”

Hand-me-downs

What if you have hand-me-down shoes you’d like to pass along?

“That’s a tough one,” Tillett said. “There’s a lot of variability. I’m sure there were shoes my wife saved when our kids were really small, where hand-me-downs worked fine, but they have to have the same shape and size of foot.”

He said contamination can be a big concern, too. Shoes should be cleaned well to avoid passing along a fungus or other contagious foot problem.

He said if you’re considering hand-me-downs, give the shoes a thorough inspection.

“Set it on a table in front of you so it’s pointed away from you and squeeze the heel cup. You’ll feel on a good shoe, there’s a rigid piece of plastic,” he said.

If the shoe is easy to crumple at the heel, it can’t provide support.

Tillett also suggested checking on your kids’ shoes throughout the year, not just in the fall.

“They outgrow them fast,” he said.

One final point: Shoes should feel good as soon as you put them on.

“Shoes shouldn’t need a break-in period,” he said. “That’s sort of a misconception. I’d be cautious about that.”