The school year is almost upon us. Getting your kids into the right shoes for school is one of the most important things we can do for our children. When you think about the amount of time kids spend in their school shoes it can be up to 8 hours a day running around mainly on concrete and harder compound surfaces.
It’s important to know what you’re looking for in a school shoe, we need the shoe to fit, so being properly measured is important in growing feet. A thumbs width of room at the toe is perfect to allow for movement and a little wiggle room is great but there shouldn’t be any slipping at the heel as this will only cause blisters.
So what shoes are the best?
Everyone foot will fit a little different and children’s feet are no different. Here are our top picks for 2020:
Asics
Asics have a fantastic runner for school, available in a range of colours as well as all black. the Asics Gel-540TR has great support, fantastic cushioning and a durable outsole. This is a cross trainer which will stand up to the daily stresses of school play and is a little more cushioned than the Ascent range.
A lot of schools are happy for children to be in runners that don’t need to be black.
The Asics GT 1000 and the Asics GT 2000 provide great support and are available in a wide range of colours with laces or velcro.
The Asics GT 2000 will be suited to a foot that rolls in more and needs extra support compared to the Asics GT 1000.
Ascent
The Ascent range of school shoes are a great option for anyone needing a black leather lace up shoe. Ascent Cluster 3 and the Ascent Defender 3 are fantastic black leather school shoes. They have a leather upper, running shoe styled looks and a really durable outsole. The Defender offers more arch support than the Cluster which is great for a foot that rolls in.
Ascent also make the same shoe with a traditional school shoe look, the Ascent Apex, as well as a Mary Jane style, Ascent Adela. These shoes are what Ascent likes to call “Running shoes in disguise” providing the support and durability or a runners with a school shoe look.
Clarks
Then there is the always reliable Clarks Daytona that comes in fittings from extra narrow to extra wide to make sure the fitting for your children’s feet is perfect.
Which one is right for my child?
The short answer is the shoe that fits.
The right shoe is the one that feels comfortable straight away. Your child will be wearing this shoe for up to 8 hours a day.
My top pick out of any of these shoes would be the GT 1000 and It’s what my kids will be wearing this year, it may not have quite the longevity of the ascent shoes but my kids love the cushioning and support. It also fits perfectly to their feet.
Where can I get these shoes?
It’s very important with growing children’s feet to have them measured and fitted everytime they are getting a new pair of shoes. Always buy in store and locally if possible. Active Feet have a great podiatry trained team who can find the perfect fit for your kids feet. The Athletes Foot carries the Ascent range exclusively, and will make sure your children’s shoes are ready for the school year ahead.
Want more help with school shoes? Please feel to get in contact, we’re here to help.
Yours in keeping people active, healthy and happy,
Andrew Crutch
Sports Podiatrist
[email protected]
Andrew is a Sports Podiatrist and consults at Pro Feet Podiatry’s Ocean Grove, Geelong and Drysdale locations. He enjoys helping people keep active and using the latest technology to achieve great outcomes.