What is good footwear for children?

Looking to find good shoes for your children? Are you curious about what would be a good choice of shoe? We hope that we can help a little in these decisions. 

Many children shoes today have a lot of gimmicks to encourage parents to spend their money on a pair of 'fun' shoes. The reality however, is that these shoe may likely do more harm than good and not last long enough to get your money's worth. 

In Phys Ed we see a wide variety of 'indoor shoes'. From slip on water-type shoes, to sandals to knee high boot/shoe hybrids to shoes with no laces...and this continues. Often we even see children wearing shoes that are too small for them, forcing the student to bend the back of the shoe to allow their foot to fit.  

Now this isn't all children and there are sometimes circumstances preventing families from buying new shoes for this growing children. 

Our goal with this post is to offer some advice that may make buying shoes a little less stressful and more functional for your children. Here is a fantastic video from Dr. Kelly Starett of whom Mr. Fen-Mac is a huge fan. 

Dr. Starett talks pretty fast in this video but his message is simple. Shoes should be flexable, durable and flat. It's important for children as they grow (and adults too!) to wear flat shoes to maintain proper mobility in their ankles, knees, hips and back. A shoes that doesn't fit will change the way a child walks; and if you think of the number of steps they take daily (nearly 12,000 - 20,000), this can have a dramatic effect on how their muscles and bones grow. 

Stop by the Phys Ed office and let us show you a few mobility activities you can do with your children to maintain good mobility in their feet, ankles, knees and hips.