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Childrens Footwear

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Children’s Footwear – A Priceless Investment

Your children’s footwear is a priceless investment in their future. It’s important to purchase good quality shoes, and also ensure they are well-fitted.

childrenrunningSpending the time and money on your children’s feet and footwear during their younger years will reap many benefits throughout their schooling years and even into adulthood. Wearing good footwear will reduce their risk of short and long-term injury, and save from unexpected, expensive health practitioner bills.

Fit is the most important factor to consider, and you should seek out footwear stores with experienced fitting staff. Even if your child has the best shoes available, if they don’t fit properly then the benefits will be negligible. Your child should be able to try on the shoes, and the staff should provide comprehensive, sound, and unbiased advice. Your child will be much more likely to become involved and enjoy their physical activity if they’re wearing comfortable shoes. In this way, properly fitting shoes can provide benefits to your child’s physical and mental well-being. Ill-fitting shoes can cause discomfort for your child, and may also increase injury risk.

Put simply, big shoes are a trip hazard and therefore increase the risk of acute injury (eg. ankle sprain). Excessive muscle activation and overuse injury can also occur if your child is trying to stabilize their feet inside shoes that are too big and providing insufficient support or security. Jamming your child’s feet into shoes that are too small is also detrimental. Discomfort is the most common complaint when shoes are too small, but burning pain and tingling may back2schoolshoes1also be an issue in cases of nerve or vascular compression. Blisters, black toenails and other dermatological issues can eventuate from shoes either too big or too small.

Just like obtaining the proper fit is important, good quality shoes are worth the investment. Well-constructed shoes will be more durable and offer more reliable support and cushioning.

Shoes worn every day for school should ideally be used for that purpose only. Shoes with a leather upper are ideal because they are more durable and will withstand the rigors of lunch playtime.

If your child is a keen runner, you should treat them to a pair of running shoes. Running shoes will offer superior midsole cushioning and reduce the risk of overuse and impact-related injuries. The lighter-weight materials and breathable mesh upper will make you child’s running easier and more enjoyable.

Similarly, if your child plays a lot of field sports, then grass spikes or football boots may be worth considering. They will provide better traction and more appropriate support for their intended use. Having multiple pairs of shoes for different purposes will prolong their life.

Emily_Donkerintraining Running Centre stock a fantastic range of children’s running shoes, waffles and spikes, as well as black leather shoes suitable for school use. Invest some quality time and money on your kids school and running shoes at intraining Running Centre these holidays and ensure your children are ready to run into 2017.

By Emily Donker
intraining Podiatrist, Runner and Coach