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Four Tips for Picking the Right Running Shoe for Your Child

Back to school usually means back-to-school shopping, which can be both a nightmare and a nice family outing. If you have a good idea of what you’re looking for, you can avoid running around and making poor shopping choices that may ultimately lead to your children having sore feet at school.

To make the experience as pleasant and efficient as possible, here are four things to take into consideration to purchase the right shoes during your quick (and fun!) trip to the store.

1. Choosing the right type of shoe

If your child spends most of his or her time practicing a specific sport, the choice is easy: select a shoe that is made for that sport. Otherwise, you will want to find a versatile shoe that will help them perform well in their overall physical education: either a multi-sport shoe, a running shoe or basketball shoe.

Running shoes are definitely preferable for a kid who runs a lot, whereas multi-sport shoes or basketball shoes are recommended for kids who have weak ankles or take part in sports with a lot of lateral movement. All of these are solid options that also have the advantage of being trendy this year—plus, they’re great for everyday wear!.

2. Finding the right size

Whatever type of shoe you choose, the most important aspect of comfort is size. If you’re tempted to buy a shoe that is a little too big in order for it to fit for a longer period of time, this would be a mistake. Your child will wear the shoe down long before the size needs changing. More importantly, the arch of the shoe will be too close to the front of the foot, which is uncomfortable and harmful.

To make sure you pick the right shoe size, the easiest thing to do is to pull the sole out and ask your child to place his or her foot on it. When aligning the foot with the back of the sole, there should be ½ to 1 cm of sole in front of the toes. This trick always works!

3. Invest in non-marking soles

This is a rule that seems to be agreed upon in schools throughout the province: indoor shoes should be non-marking.

In store, look for a sticker—usually on the underside of the shoe—indicating that the shoes have non-marking soles.

4. Follow trends

In terms of youth trends, the shoes that are the most sought after this season are the brand-name athletic shoes Nike, adidas, Under Armour and Reebok and basketball shoes, mainly Nike and adidas.

Bi-colour models are especially trendy this year. The most popular combinations sport two bright colours, or one bright colour paired with black, red or pastel pink for girls—while every tone of blue is particularly popular!

Plus: Get the right school bag!

While you’re there, nail two birds with one stone and choose a backpack to complete your back-to-school purchases.

Select a model made of resistant, waterproof material with double stitching and solid zippers. Be sure the bag has many small pockets that are easy to access, a padded handle on top and padded, adjustable straps—then you’re all set for the school year!