Getting children's feet measured

[Legoandloldolls]

I haven't had the kids feet measured since Christmas. I am only buying cheap sainsbury's type pumps for the kids and the only child who is in uniform is wearing a pair of his brothers hand me downs.

I went to the local shoe shop and asked if I had to book to get feet measured. They said no, however there is no browsing as all the shoes have to be qaurenteened for 72 hours after trying them on.

I don't think i can handle that kind of stress with a five year old and a son with ASD. I tried drawing around their feet and they both look like they are at least a size bigger than they are in!

Are Clark's the same? Has anyone been to buy kids shoes recently?

Can I just keep buying the next size up when the current shoes feel to small?

What is everyone else doing? Pe plimpsoles are fine for my dd at £4 a pop. But not my son. He needs proper school shoes

I've downloaded a paper foot guage from startrite. Might be worth a look?
www.startriteshoes.com/paper-measuring-gauge

I don't understand what the stress is? You go and get their feet measured, they'll bring out a selection of shoes in the right size and you try them on and pick one? It doesn't really affect you what they do with the other shoes afterwards if they need to quarantine them?

You can book appointments online to get them measured at Clarks.

I'm not sure about the browsing/trying on because DH took DD and just got the same shoes in a bigger size. For the measurement he had to put her foot through a hole in a perspex screen. Staff were also wearing masks. DD found it quite upsetting but she is only 21 months.

I just measured DC's feet myself. A piece of paper, a pencil and a ruler/measuring tape.

https://www.superfit.com/en/LrSizeFinder

I bought the Clarks shoe gauges ages ago so have just been using them to keep an eye on the kids' shoe size. They're worth an investment in in terms of just being able to monitor at home - particularly now Mothercare's closed since that was our easiest to get to Clarks store.

My sons got ASD so it is a big issue unfortunately if it's got to be quick and buy the first pair he tries on.

I have down loaded that gauge from start rite. Getting the same shoes in the bigger size is a great idea.

I wonder if you can just go in and buy a bigger size without the kids?

My local shop made it clear that walking out without buying shoes wasn't a option so I would feel stressed to choose anything. They arent cheap (£55 for the last pair of school shoes my 16 year old) at that kind of outlay we normally try on about four pairs. 4x2+ASD+pandemic= shit loads of stress

I never got the stress of getting your child feet measured. It's not hard to check the fit of shoes yourself and Clark's will allow space to grow anyway. Which means either the show is too big at the start or too small at the end.
Kickers boots kick high. Buy the next size when their feet grow. No stress, properly supportive shoes, and no shoe shops.

The Clark's gauges have sold out as have the start rite ones. They are the new hand gel it seems 😭

I have similar issues so I bought a shoe sizer off Amazon last night

You don’t need a guard. Just draw around them and measure. I did it and it worked fine. You then look up what size corresponds to the length and width and can order online.

Gauge not guard

www.amazon.co.uk/s?ref=nb_sb_noss&rh=n%3A1769546031&k=foor+measuring+devices&tag=mumsnetforu03-21

I was coming on to suggest Amazon for foot gauges.

The clarks gauge does the length then the bar adds a few cm presumably for growth.

Maybe they could do an app? They have one on their ipads dont they?
As they dont have enough guages to buy.
If you can afford maybe make educated guess and then get both next size and one above that too.

But i think it's possible schools might relax uniform rules because

• hard to get hold of
• might need comfy shoes if outside more.
• might they have more play outside even in bad weather??
• shoes may literally sell out or be impossible to book appts for aug
• some parents may not want to shell out £30 a pair per child when who knows how long shools will be open for considering winter weather.

We have a clarks one - similar to some on amazon.

I always have to search for the size conversion bit from cm to shoe sizes - there's one on the clarks site but I've always seem to work it out right in the end.

Look on eBay for foot measuring thing or if you've got a printer you can print the guide on startrite website

www.clarks.co.uk/assets/editorials/ss20/MAF-trio/Junior-gauge-step-by-step-guide-2020.pdf

www.clarks.co.uk/size-calculator

These ones.

Can I just keep buying the next size up when the current shoes feel to small?

That's exactly what I've done.

I took DS into Clarks last week. They were quite happy to measure his feet. The staff wore PPE and they had a perspex screen between DS and the lady measuring his feet. He could also try on shoes in the same way.

We bought the first pair of shoes he tried on, so don't know what they do if you try them on and then don't buy though!

The cms to size varies by brand. Normally if you order shoes on Amazon, when you input size, there is a ‘help’ giving a conversion to cms.

I went to Clark’s last week with DD 19months. It was exactly the same as it’s always been other than they use a clear Perspex screen between us to measure her feet and the lady was in a visor.
She bought all the shoes out to try on as normal and we didn’t feel rushed or stressed at all.
At the same time we were there, 2 other mums bought their children just to be measured and left without even looking so that’s fine too.

@larrygrylls

You don’t need a guard. Just draw around them and measure. I did it and it worked fine. You then look up what size corresponds to the length and width and can order online.

But feet are 3 dimensional. You need to know there's enough space in a style to actually get the foot in and not crush the arch or toes. A flat footprint tells you next to nothing.

I've often had to leave shoe shops with nothing because nothing was wide, short and high enough volume to fit. Even then I've made ££££ of mistakes over the years because the exitement of just getting a foot in without falling over spare inches at the end does not actually mean a comfortable shoe for more than 5 minutes.

Blind buying only works if it's an exact replica of a previous shoe or something very adaptable like a Birkenstock. Buying shoes is aggravating enough in business as usual.

Maybe it's some kids have more standard/average sized feet?

We've not had any problems with blind buying from internet or any issue with shoe sizing in shops and we usually walk for miles so shoes do need to fit.

Yet I know other children parents have to traipse around endless shoe shops to end up with a choice of one.

I've just been buying shoes in the supermarket in the next size up when DS (4) says they are getting small.

Clarks shoes have always been too wide for him though.

We struggle with getting shoes narrow enough, and have also resorted to "same as last time, one size up". Seem ok, and no complaints (yet!)