Our top 7 easy tips for buying kids school shoes

Buying new school shoes is fun times. Said no one ever. We love shoes, but we’re not going to pretend you look forward to buying the kids school shoes for the coming school year. There’s tears, tantrums and no shoe is going to be right, no matter which one you pick. Well, that is unless your child is in prep which most likely they are super excited about going to big kid school and will want every shoe on the shelf! We can’t help with the tantrums, but we can help with making the decision process much easier. Knowing what to look for in a school shoe will speed up the process and help you narrow the field. A quick game is a good game, as they say!

1. When to buy?

It might sound a little obvious, but try and hold off buying their new school shoes until just before school starts. For most schools in Australia, this would be the end of January. That way you can be sure they will fit day 1 and they will get the most wear time out of them.

2. What material?

In short, leather is pretty much the only material you should consider for a school shoe. Leather is durable, breathes and will mold to your child’s foot, giving more comfort. Leather is also water resistant and leather school shoes will 100% last longer than any synthetic or man-made fibres will.

3. Durable soles

The soles are second most important, right behind the material of the shoe. Soles take the brunt of the wear and tear and you must have good quality, rubber soles that will last the journey. Rubber soles are sturdy, hard wearing and slip resistant. Look for soles with flex in them as well. This is important for the healthy development of growing feet as the foot moves more naturally.

4. Heel support

Kids do a lot of running and playing in their school shoes. With this in mind, it’s important to choose a shoe with good heel support. Look for a design that supports the whole heel, has cushioning for shock absorption and good support around the ankle to help with stability.

5. Allow for growth but not too much

When measuring your child’s foot, make an allowance for growth. This should be around 1cm - 1.5cm only. Don’t be tempted to size up to get a shoe that you think will last twice as long. Any more than the recommended growth room and your child’s foot will slide around and not be supported in the shoe at all - which could lead to permanent foot damage.

6. Wear them in

This is one of the best tips from your child’s point of view. Even though all our shoes are well made and cushioned where your child needs it most, there can still be some small “new shoe” moments. Wearing them around the house for a couple of days will give them a chance to wear their new shoes in a little.

7. Laces or Velcro

This one depends on your child. Most schools will recommend self-fastening shoes for the littlies in prep and grade 1, but then might move onto laced shoes from about grade 2 onwards. Check with your school as to the uniform preference, but buy to your child’s capability. After all, undone laces on small kids can be a trip hazard if they can’t tie them back up again.

The Surefit Australasia range of back to school shoes can be found on our website and at any of our wonderful Surefit stockists around the country.

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