Choosing Shoes for Children and Adolescents

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 79, Issue 2, 15 August 1949, Page 181

Choosing Shoes for Children and Adolescents

TT is strange that people who would not countenance clothes

that are uncomfortable or badly fitting will wear shoes that hurt and tire the feet. Yet, because people spend so much time on their feet, ill-fitting and badlydesigned shoes can cause endless foot troubles. This article by Eirene E. Unwin, Rural Sociologist, Department of Agriculture, Dunedin, offers advice on the selection of suitable footwear, particularly for children and adolescents.

BAD shoes in childhood and adolescence are the beginning of foot troubles, but because a child’s foot is flexible a tight shoe can be worn, and can deform the foot permanently, and yet cause little or no pain to the child. Once the feet are deformed the damage is done. The pain comes later with corns, calluses, bunions, and other unpleasant consequences. .By the time the late ’teens are reached a natural, healthy foot would be extremely uncomfortable in a shoe that was too narrow, too short, or had too high a heel, so that if correct shoes are always worn until the foot has stopped growing, the young adult may not then be tempted to begin using footwear that is too tight and of a shape quite different from that of the natural foot. A deformed foot may have become used to being squeezed: a natural foot demands shoes that fit it. Therefore, it is imperative to ensure that children and adolescents always wear correct shoes.

Points of Construction

Many points of shoe construction and fitting are known to the assistant at the retailer’s shop but not to the customer, who therefore must rely on the assistant’s advice to a certain extent. However, the customer can check a number of points for herself if she knows about them. That is particularly important for a mother when buying shoes for her children, because illfitting shoes do not necessarily hurt the child’s foot, but they can do lasting damage.

Length should be sufficient to allow for elongation of the foot when walking. A foot that is being stood on is longer than when it is relaxed, and in walking the same foot becomes a little longer still. Therefore, when a child is having new shoes fitted he should stand firmly on both feet and there should then be ample length beyond the longest toe inside both shoes. Such length allows a little for growing. Width should be adequate across the joints of the foot as well as sufficient to allow the child to fan out his toes. Adequate width may be spoilt by insufficient depth at toes and joints—top of the shoe may press too closely on to the top of the toes: cheap sandals in particular tend to offend in this respect. A snug-fitting heel is important. The back of the shoe should be well moulded and should curve in. Poorlymoulded backs that do not grip the heel snugly should be avoided.

Heels on all children’s shoes should be low or negligible and shoes for adolescents should have heels not more than about an inch high. Attractive “dress” shoes for ’teenagers are made with these heels. Straight inside line: The heel, big toe joint, and big toe of a natural foot are in a straight line, so the inside line of the shoe should also be straight. Any shoe the inside line of which bends in front of the big toe joint will push the big toe over, and therefore is harmful. . Similarly, the front of the shoe should be the same shape as the front of the foot—as long over the second as over the big toe and then curving back over the other three. The inside should be smooth and well finished, particularly in sandals and any other shoes worn frequently without socks or stockings. Fastening: Lace shoes are usually best for growing children, as they can be kept comfortably, tight and snug, even when new before the foot has grown fully into them. If the shoes

are fastened with a strap and button or buckle,’ it is preferable that the strap fasten over the instep, not from the back of the heel, which gives no support and allows the shoe to bulge at the sides in walking. Instep straps should not be so low or so far forward as to allow the shoe to slip at the heel, but should come firmly up over the instep from the sides of the shoe. The fastening should be arranged to hold the strap firmly, preventing it from becoming either loose or tight; that may mean altering the position .of the button and altering it again as the child grows, or punching another hole for the pin of the buckle. Shoes without either laces or strap fastenings are not advisable for small children; if adolescent girls wear them, the front of the shoe should come well up the instep and should not be so low or so far forward as to allow slipping. A small elastic gusset is often inserted under the ornamental front of a strapless shoe; these are good, and are renewable if they perish.

If the shop patronised has x-ray equipment, it should be used to check length and width. Let the child have a shoe on one foot and the other one bare and stand with both feet under the x-ray together. Compare the shape of the foot with the shoe on it with that of the bare foot. The shoe should not alter the shape of the foot at all, and the child should be able to move the toes of either foot with equal freedom. If the toes are being squeezed together, be sure this is not caused by a tight sock. Child's Attitude The attitude of the child is important when shoes are being bought for him. Any of the following three situations may cause difficulties: — 1. He may be so anxious to have his new shoes that he will say the first pair tried is comfortable, whether it is or not. Therefore, it is wise to assure him that he will have his new shoes, even if this first pair is not right.

2. He may take a liking to a particular, often a fancy, pair and will insist that only this pair is comfortable, whether it is or not. Though such an insistence should not overrule the mother into buying a pair of shoes which she knows to be unsuitable, it is well to give some regard to the child’s likes and dislikes. A small child can be made very miserable by being forced to wear a pair of shoes he does not like. He will tend to take them off on every possible occasion, and the imaginary hurt they cause him may be very real to him. 3. He may dislike or be shy of the shop assistant. To overcome this the parents as far as possible should patronise one shop, where they will become known and, perhaps more important. where the children will come to know and have confidence in the assistant. Details other than those listed and which require special fitting, such as narrow or wide feet, long or short insteps, or unusually high or low arches, the assistant should know more about than the customer. He should bring out only shoes that he knows ought to meet the requirements of the child. It is as well to patronise shops that employ qualified shoe fitters, as they have been through quite a thorough training and should give better and more careful service than unqualified assistants. As feet . and shoes to fit them are highly individual, again it pays to go always to the one shop so that the assistant may come to know the customer’s feet and preferred styles. Qualified assistance frequently will recognise the need for corrective or remedial foot treatment before the mother or child is aware that anything is radically wrong. If a fitter advises treatment, medical advice should be sought at once. Delay will tend only to make the trouble worse and prolong the necessary treatment when it is given.

Boots or Shoes for Children? > Thoroughly-healthy children do not need support for their ankles in the shape of boots. Unfortunately, many children in New Zealand tend to have weak muscle tone, and a little support from boots may be helpful. The Plunket nurse would give advice on this subject. On rough gravel roads boots help small children considerably, as the stones are large in comparison with toddlers’ feet ; and very small ankles are somewhat unsteady. For outdoor winter wear boots are

useful for schoolboys, too, as boys are notoriously hard on their shoes and boots usually stand up to wear and tear better than shoes, and also are more weatherproof. Repairing Shoes at Home Methods of repair vary with the way in which the shoe is constructed. If most shoe repairing is done at home, it is a good idea to ask the assistant whether new shoes just bought need any special repair methods, and, if so, to find out what these are.

Care of Children’s Shoes If a pair of shoes slips at the heels, it may be because the heels do not grip well or because the straps are too far forward. The straps tend to be at fault particularly with sandals. Heel slipping sometimes may be remedied by tightening the straps or laces. Failing that, suede or spongerubber heel linings may be fastened to the insides of the heels. These are quite cheap. Suede heel linings should be fitted by a shoe repairer, but the sponge-rubber ones may be bought and applied quite easily at home. The manufacturers’ directions should be followed carefully. Children should never be allowed to wear shoes that are loose and slip badly at the heel, or they will tend to walk , with their toes curled down and their feet unrelaxed to hold their shoes on. That is bad for their feet and makes the children walk awkwardly. Slipping heels are also very hard on socks and stockings. Few children look after their shoes when they are wearing themin fact, little children delight in jumping in puddles, kicking stones, and generally ill treating their shoes without intending to do so. Limiting children’s play and freedom by insisting that they do not do these things is not desirable, but steps may be taken to counteract to some extent the effects of rough wear by careful treatment of the shoes when they, are off the children’s feet. Here are some useful ideas for making children’s shoes last longer: — Be sure a child wears shoes that are suitable — in winter, gumboots for outside .in very wet weather, sandals for summer or indoors. Dry wet shoes, but do not put them in front of a fire, on a rack above the stove, or in a cupboard above a hotwater cylinder; such heat dries the leather so that it cracks and breaks quickly. Wipe the shoes with a damp cloth, stuff them with newspaper, and lay them on their sides to dry overnight in a draughty place.

Before letting the child wear them again, ensure that they are perfectly dry and well cleaned with boot polish. Even if they do not get wet, regular cleaning with polish helps to preserve the leather. Have shoes repaired as soon as they begin to need it. Do not let them wear so badly that major repairs become necessary, as these tend to weaken the structure of the shoes. Have new shoes for schoolboys, and for most schoolgirls, too, fitted with metal toe and heel plates as soon as they are bought. Rubber heels are

QIC uuugin. lIUUUCI iiccib cxx c quieter than. metal ones, but are not nearly as hard wearing and are really suitable only for indoor shoes; they can be used on outdoor . shoes for adults and anyone not giving them the hard wear they usually get at school. If a child scuffs his shoes so that they are worn heavily in a particular place, have a metal plate fitted on this part. Goloshes and Gumboots If used correctly, goloshes and gumboots give useful and excellent service.

Goloshes keep shoes reasonably dry while on the way to school, but should be taken off as soon as the child gets indoors. If they are kept on, they prevent perspiration from evaporating, keeping the feet damp and in consequence cold.

The same danger is present with gumboots, which are really suitable only for country wear and for wet wintry weather. At least two pairs of socks worn inside prevent their making the feet so cold, but in any case children should not wear them for long periods.

Looking to the Future

Wrong or poorly-fitting shoes are probably the most important single cause of nearly all the foot troubles of this generation. To prevent the next generation from suffering in the same way today’s children must wear only correct well-fitting shoes. Nothing else will serve; they must have correct shoes if their feet are to remain healthy, and only healthy feet are thoroughly-serviceable feet, able to do all that is asked of them without giving trouble.

Therefore, when buying shoes for children it is worth while to make sure that they are the best obtainable —and the best are not always the most expensive. Ask about the points mentioned in this article. Co-operate with the assistant to ensure that the child gets what is really best for his feet. Any retailer should be glad of such informed co-operation from his customers.

Standards in Footwear

The New Zealand Standards Institute has produced standard specifications for footwear governing such aspects as thickness of sole, number of stitches

to the inch, and quality of leather, linings, and stitching thread. Shoes which come up to the minimum specification of the Standards Institute bear the New Zealand Standard Mark.

Grades above standard are still needed, for shoes of higher quality are made. In the past year or so manufacturers and retailers have made considerable progress toward better shapes for children’s shoes, and in consequence an all-round improvement is apparent. The New Zealand public is offered a higher standard and more variety in children’s shoe shapes now than ever before. A high percentage of really good lasts (on which the shape of the shoe largely depends) is used in the higher-quality shoes.

However, much remains to be done. Informed consumer demand and co-operation between retailers, manufacturers, and consumers will be the most important factors in obtaining a permanently-raised standard over all lines of children’s and adults’ footwear. The part of the consumer and the parent is to discriminate in choice of shoes and never to accept other than the best obtainable. Only refusal to buy poor-quality articles will check their being offered for sale.