We, as parents, are so used to popping into a high street store to get our children in shoes. Buying new footwear for your child online is a relatively new concept, one with both benefits and potential pitfalls. Online shopping needn’t be a pain though, in fact, it could save you time and money compared to visiting the high street. What’s more, you can adopt a very similar approach.

In this guide, it will give you some handy tips for buying new footwear for your child online:

How do I know what size shoe to buy my child?

First of all, ensure that you’ve measured your children’s feet. Their feet will have growth spurts, much like their height. One minute they could be a size six, and stay a six for months, the next their feet could grow two sizes bigger in a matter of weeks. Therefore it’s important that you measure their feet, just before you order their footwear. You can either go into a high street store for this part of the buying process, follow the steps below or you can print a footwear size chart online. It’s really up to you. Another word of advice is; to try and print a size chart from the store you could be ordering from, as each store could have slightly different sizes. You may also find it useful to compare the different sizes from other countries.

If your child is between sizes, make sure that you always buy them the next size up. Squashed-up feet, in any footwear, can be very damaging to your child’s health. Ensuring that they have correctly measured footwear is half the battle.

How do you measure children’s feet for shoes?

Fortunately, measuring your child’s feet is pretty straightforward. The most reliable method is to trace their foot on the paper, with their heel against a wall or other flat surface. After tracing both feet onto the paper, use a ruler or measuring tape to measure from the heel to the longest toe on each foot. Once you have these measurements in hand, compare them with shoe size charts online or at your local store. Make sure to check both US and UK sizing since sizes may vary between countries/brands!

Tips For Getting The Best Fit

The last step in finding the perfect shoe size for your child is making sure that they fit comfortably and securely on their foot before buying them. This means having them try on multiple pairs of shoes and ensuring that they have plenty of room in the toe box while still providing good support around their ankle and heel areas. To check for comfort levels, ask your child how each shoe feels when they walk around in them—if there are any signs of discomfort like rubbing or pinching then that might not be the right size for them! Additionally, if possible bring some properly fitting socks/tights when trying on shoes as this will give you an even better idea of what size will work best for your little one’s needs.

Now that you’ve measured your child’s feet, you can start looking out for those perfect shoes, trainers, or boots you’ve wanted to buy.

What are the different types of children’s shoes?

There are lots of different styles, for both girls and boys. Some may have sparkles, others may have characters, just ensure that you put quality ahead of trends. Quality is always the winner.

In addition to thinking about style, you should avoid backless footwear. Children, as we know, have poorer coordination than grown-ups, leaving them exposed to the potential of tripping up and causing serious injury.

While your child is growing up, they will want to start putting their shoes, trainers, or boots on themselves. Think about what stage they are at, and whether getting Velcro, laces, or slip-on will be best for them.

Kids also have very high energy levels, so it’s important to look at footwear that enables their feet to breathe. Allowing air around the feet will ensure that their feet stay healthy.

When will the footwear be worn? Think about tread and the materials that the footwear is made from. Obviously, during the winter canvas, sandals are other open footwear are a no-no. They just aren’t practical. Whilst during the summer more confined footwear could cause problems.

Once you know what shoes you want to buy, it’s all about shopping around. One of the perks of shopping online is the number of websites that sell shoes. These are nearly always cheaper than buying on the high street.

So, shop online for the next pair of children’s shoes you buy and pick up a bargain!