Wednesday, July 15, 2009

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Avoid shoe battles with your child By Chakara Bennett ~ Guardian Summer Intern: As a parent, do you often wonder why your child outgrows his shoes so quickly or why he gets blisters on his feet or can't stand comfortably for long in his new shoes that you know are the "correct" size? Many people take their children shoe shopping for footwear, never once considering the fact that finding the right shoe for their child involves more than just fitting them, and that length, width and circumference, should also be noted. "I always take [my daughter] to the store with me when I buy her shoes to ensure that they fit because sometimes a size eight fits or sometimes a size nine," says Monique Farrington, a 35-year-old custodian of one child. She didn't realize that she should be paying more attention to how shoes fit her child's feet — at least — more attention than she currently does. Suzannah Eneas, marketing assistant at GR Sweeting's, authorized retailer for Clarks shoes for the entire family, says more parents need to take into account that fitting a shoe involves more than just trying, and that style, shape and make of the shoe should also be taken into consideration. She says because shoes aren't fitted properly, children are being hurt more than helped. "Bahamians are used to going into shoe stores with the mentality that their child wears a size seven and that nothing else matters — as long as the shoes chosen are that size. This is the wrong way to go about buying shoes, especially for children whose feet are still growing and changing." Eneas says that when choosing shoes it is important to not only know the child's general foot size but also the length and width. When purchasing, she says shoes should be tested for how comfortably they fit on the child's foot, how much space is in the front of the shoe and if the shoe rubs anywhere on the foot or not. Proper fitting should begin from infancy, especially during those stages when a child goes through the crawling, cruising and then pulling themselves up for the first time and walking. "During the stages when growing feet are allowed to form naturally in shoes that are the best possible fit, no matter the child's age or stage of development," said Eneas, adding that every child is different. She says all of their sales assistants at Clarks Shoe Village are trained in the shoe fitting system, and are able to measure the shape and size of a child's feet, before advising on a fit. This concept for Bahamians, has been offered at the company for 20 years, but she says many Bahamians do not take advantage of it. There are even special shoes for babies which she says helps them as they learn to walk and that too many people make the mistake of buying hard shoes for young children and babies, whose bones are not yet fully developed and are like cartilage for the first year or two. For those parents who want to purchase shoes for their infants, she says soft, specially fitted footwear should should be bought. "It is important to start your children's shoe-wearing experience on the right foot. If they don't get the right shoes throughout their growing years, multiple problems can occur that can be short term or long term. So it is important to get the right shoes." Tuesday, June 16, 2009