School Shoes

“Many studies completed since the 1970s show that the quality of a child’s shoes in school has a direct impact upon physical movement and future foot health,” said Mr Brown.

This website may help in choosing the right shoe in the shops:
http://www.vicsport.asn.au/Assets/Files/SMARTPLAY%20-%20Footwear%20Safety%20Guide.pdf  

Excerpt below copied from:
 http://www.astepahead.com.au/documents/School%20Shoes%20for%20Children.pdf

Our children spend 30 hours a week in school shoes, that's in excess of 15 000 hours in a school child’s lifetime. Choosing the right shoe for your child is extremely important.

Poorly fitting children's shoes can be problematic and may lead to problems in adulthood such as hammer toes, ingrown toenails, corns on the feet, callus and possibly bunions.

These problems can be painful and may require treatment ranging from simple consultations with a podiatrist to surgery. It therefore makes sense to, where possible, ensure children’s shoes fit properly.

Generally, most podiatrists when fitting footwear to children for school would recommend you look for the following features.

• There should be a child’s thumb width between the end of the shoe and the end of the longest toe.    
• The sole of the shoe should be fairly straight as the foot is straight    
• The fastening mechanism should hold the heel firmly in the back of the shoe.    
• The back part of the shoe should be strong and stable. This area is often referred to as the heel counter.    
• The shoe should flex across the ball of the foot, not in the middle    
• The sole should not twist.    
• Lace up, Velcro or a buckle is best. Slip on shoes are not generally considered the best thing for long term use.    
• Yes mum you are right. It is better for feet if you do up your laces!    
• A Heel greater than 1.5 cm should be avoided for long term use.  

How often do you need to buy new school shoes?

A school shoe should generally last nine months to a year. However you should realise that if you notice your child has a growth spurt it is wise to check to see if their foot has also grown, as the two will go hand in hand. After the age of three it is generally thought a child’s foot will grow about half a size every 6 months.

Large amounts of "wearing" noticed on the shoe, or shoes that now cause pain should be replaced.

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Watch this short video regarding choice of school shoes:

A-Z of school shoes

A Podiatrist visit may be beneficial to help you choose children's school shoes: Video gait analysis is particularly useful in helping to diagnose conditions associated with running or sport, as well as painful foot and leg conditions that are termed 'overuse' in nature. This assessment is routinely performed by specially trained podiatrists.

Where to buy school shoes at a good price:

Shoemakers wholesale
Address - 146 Balcombe Rd.,
Mentone, VIC 3194
Telephone - 03 9584 3870

Bata Factory Outlet 
BATA Shoe Company of Australia
- open weekdays and Sat till 1pm...
1158 Nepean Hwy
Mornington Victoria 3931
AUSTRALIA

T: +61 3 5970 8500
F: +61 3 5975 5787
E:info@bata-australia.com.au

BATA factory outlet also in Carrum Down: 

97 Frankston Gardens Drive
Carrum Downs VIC 3200
PH: 03-9770-8363
Monday to Friday
8.30 am to 4.15 pm; CLOSED Saturday