to think that a pair of well fitting shoes is a neccesity (sp) for a child?

[smeeinit]

because im really and that a child i know is always in a pair of shoes/boots that are waaaaaay to big.

surely well fitted shoes are a basic for every child.

[lilacclaire]

Yeah, think they need to be well fitted as the bones in their feet are so soft, don't know if this applys if the shoes are too big though.

[3andnomore]

they should...but I suppose it would help if all the good makes wouldn't be so expensive....if people don't have much money, spending around £30 every other month or so on shoes might just not be possible...

[MaureenMLove]

My neighbours kids always have the most horrid blisters on their feet the first week of any term. It is the most horrid thing, to see them struggling out of school with blood on the heels of their white socks. YA most definately NBU!

[smeeinit]

yes i understand that 3andnomore but the child in question has at least 6 pairs of ill fitting shoes,one new pair last week from jones the bootmaker costing £45 and dont fit atall!
my ds's always had good fitting clarks shoes regardless of price.... and i bought them up as a single parent with no financial help from ds's father so im afriad i see no excuse for it.

[2shoes]

sorry have to just say not always. as dd can't walk she just needs shoes/boots to keep her feet warm.

[princessmama]

I agree. People are always telling me to use my first dds shoes for my second dd, but I think shoes always be bought new and fitted by a professionally trained fitter.

[smeeinit]

2shoes,ofcourse thats different. a little one i care for with cp has shoes that arent always fitted correctly but again she cant walk so this is doing her feet no damage.

[2shoes]

ahh but when dd weight bears or stands she wears affos. so they are better than any clarkes shoes

[3andnomore]

smee...well, then the parents are just completely bonkers...

[smeeinit]

[mummyloveslucy]

I do believe it is so important for children to have properly fitted shoes. I would be horrified if my dd ever got a blister through badly fitting shoes. From the moment she could walk she's had mostly start-rite and some clarks. Even her slippers, wellies and plimpsoles are fitted. That might seem exessive to some. I read that in one lifetime you walk the equivalent of to the moon and back. Take care of their feet now, and they'll enjoy the jurney.(quoted from start-rite).

[TheDevilWearsPrimark]

Right size is very important for everday shoes. I'm always careful about width too, as she's so young. Just a shame Clarkes/ Startrite do such ugly shoes.
She wears far too big wellys and Jellyshoes on occasion.

[Wisteria]

I agree smee - although a great many posters on here don't IIRC.

I don't mind my dcs having 2nd hand clothes and economising on other things but my good old ma taught me that you must always buy good meat and good shoes

Clarks/ Start rite shoes will generally last at least one term if not 2 and if they fall apart or break while the children still fit them they will replace them without quibble anyway so YANBU as they often end up more economical anyway.

My dd2s bf has Scoliosis and her mother has always suffered with her own feet, recently having to have painful operations which the consultant has told her is as a result of wearing incorrectly fitted shoes in her formative years - so why does she also buy her dd Johnathan James shoes? Because it's cheaper she says and she's heavy on her feet I thought - these are people who can afford 2 horses and livery fees though .

[TheDevilWearsPrimark]

Some people genuinely can't afford it and so rely on cheap shoes or hand me downs.
Better than bare feet surely?

And no matter what we know when they are teens they will cram their feet into 'pretty' shoes , just as we do?

[TheDevilWearsPrimark]

Wisteria - I was always taught the same adage
1 pair of good shoes is worth 4 cheap ones.

[Wisteria]

Yes I know devil, but my Mum and myself were always skint when ours were little - we still had proper fitted shoes and good meat in our bellies

FWIW my dd is now 14 and still has Clarks shoes for school - she can wear whatever she likes at the weekends though - until her feet have stopped growing she will continue to wear Clarks.

[mummyloveslucy]

2shoes- what are affos?.
I find it unbelievable that at my daughters nursery, which is linked to a private school some of the girls have inapropriate footware. I somtimes see them in shoes with heels and open backs, and those little ballet pumps they ware for parties. Very pretty and glitterie but no grip. I wonder why the parents who have enough money to send there children there don't give a dam about there feet. If I ever got to the point where I couldn't afford fitted shoes for my dd, I would move her to a state primary. Prioreties!

[TheDevilWearsPrimark]

Re Ballet pumps if they are worn too often it can cause deep vein thrombosis.
There is no support in them and pressure is put on the front of the foot.

[mummyloveslucy]

That's really bad. Does it apply to adults? as I wear them sometimes.
Thedevilwearsprimark- Start-rite shoes arn't ugly. They do some gorgeous shoes, especially the english classics. I agree that clarks have gon a bit clumpy and ugly but I love start-rite.

[TheDevilWearsPrimark]

A friend of mine wore them constantly, thrn developed a lump above her big toe. She was checked and told her veins had hardened and it would be dangerous to wear shoes that irritated it. She is now on pills to thin her blood.

[TheDevilWearsPrimark]

Sorry Clarks' shoes are totally ugly, some of startrites are nice but they are so expensive, even in the sale!

[mummyloveslucy]

I've never even seen start-rites in the sale.

[smeeinit]

thedevilwearsprimark (best name on MN by the way!)........
"Some people genuinely can't afford it and so rely on cheap shoes or hand me downs."

i genuinly couldnt afford to buy my ds's clarks when they were younger BUT i did buy them even if it meant not paying the gas or electric for a week.

[Wisteria]

Clarks shoes aren't all ugly actually, I disagree, we've had some gorgeous ones over the years although had to have start rite with dd1 until she was about 9 as her feet were so slim. One year she couldn't even get a start rite pair to fit properly so she had to have some horrendously expensive Italian pair.

Dd1's shoes at the moment are horrid in her opinion but she chose them as she only had a choice of 2 and they were the most comfy, you can't even see them under her school trousers anyway so she doesn't care! She is one of the 'in' girls in her school as well I think, very trendy etc so it's not an issue.