Brantano Shoes For All The Family

I am lucky that we have always been able to afford good quality clothing and shoes for our family, however this isn't the case for most families especially with current money worries.

For shoes I have always insisted that Emma's feet have been measured for school shoes, my theory is that she will spend at least 8 hours a day wearing them and over 5 days a week .. 40 hours is a long time to wear ill fitting shoes!

I spent a lot of my childhood wearing trainers (my own choice, I was a nightmare child to buy shoes for!) and since then I have had arch problems, my feet are very wide and I now have trouble finding shoes that fit correctly and are comfortable.  If I had given in and let my Mum provide me with proper shoes I understand that my feet would not have the problems that I suffer with now.

Emma's feet are long and thin, at age 12 she is already in an adult size 8.5.  This does cause problems when shopping for school shoes and the fitters at Brantano are always patient with her.  She usually ends up with Clarks shoes as they provide stability and growing room, yet are a good fit, comfortable and hard wearing.  

I find that having many brands under one roof gives a good choice, especially with a stroppy teenager who has to have a certain style etc.. etc... I can just send her off down the aisle of her size and then fight the 'are they suitable for school' battle when she has chosen.  The Brantano staff are always on hand to check for a correct fit and will give their professional opinion as to suitability.

Trust Brantano with Growing Feet

Brantano (www.brantano.co.uk) are experts in kids’ fitting with professionally trained staff in every store nationwide. Recognised by the awarding body Edexcel and trained directly by top fitted brands such as Clarks, Hush Puppies and Start Rite.  Before any of the team can be called “an expert fitter” they go through rigorous training followed by at least 25 supervised fits – ensuring that with Brantano children’s shoes will always be correctly fitted.

At Brantano, the fitting service is absolutely free and there is no pressure to purchase.  Stores are open until late and friendly staff are on hand to help, making it easy and convenient to pop in and check your children’s feet.  If it’s time for a new pair of shoes, there is a wide range of the best brands so there are options to suit all budgets.

Getting fitted is quick and as easy as 1,2,3

1.       Measure

We use a specially designed foot gauge to measure the length, width and depth of each foot

2.       Try On

We find the correct fitting shoe from our wide selection

3.       Take a Walk

The very best fit cannot be achieved without taking a few steps. Our thorough checks always ensure a comfortable fit.

Brantano have created  "Five Fascinating Feet Facts" ... how many did you know?

The human foot is one of the most complicated parts of the body – it has 33 joints, more than 100 tendons, ligaments and muscles.

There are 28 bones in each foot.
 Children naturally hop, skip and jump more than adults and so their feet handle around three times more stress than the average adult foot.
 You should never hand-down baby shoes from one child to another. Baby shoes (especially those made of leather) form to a child’s foot making it unique to them.
There are three arches to the feet, the inner one, the across the foot one and the arch formed on the outer border.  They appear in variable formats when a child is around 2 ½ years old

Growing Feet

Remember that the child foot becomes an adult foot gradually over the years. The foot is still growing all the way up to around 18 to 20 so continuing to take care and be careful with children’s shoes is just as important for teenagers

Ask the Expert

Podiatrist Emma Supple answers some common questions about children’s foot health:

Q: Why do I need to get my children’s shoes fitted?

Emma says: “Growing feet need room to grow, and children’s feet grow in variable bursts so being vigilant and awareness is key.  It is recommended that children get their feet measured every 6-8 weeks before they begin school and then every 3-4 months once they begin school.  Even if children haven’t outgrown their shoes they should be replaced if the shoes are worn out.  If children aren’t wearing correctly fitted shoes, it can create or sustain foot deformities that may have a significant impact on their adult lives due to foot problems.”

Q: How will I know their shoes are too small?

Emma says: “There is no exact rule to tell you when your children’s feet will grow, and it is difficult to predict growth spurts. If your children are showing any discomfort when they are walking, or getting redness from their shoes, this is a clear sign. Ideally it wouldn’t get to this stage – you can test shoes by looking inside for wear marks and doing the thumb test, where you press the shoe at the end, will give you a good guide to how much room is left. Coupled with regular measuring you can ensure that they always have the right sized shoe.”

Q: Should I buy shoes that my child will grow into?

Emma says: “You shouldn’t buy shoes that are more than one size too large for your child in the hope they will grow into them or if you do ensure they do not wear them until they are ready to fit into them. Shoes that are too big could cause a child to develop foot problems and/or develop inherited foot problems.  It is also advisable not to hand down shoes from siblings or friends as the shoe will have shaped themselves to someone else’s foot.”

Q: What shall I do if my child has one foot bigger than the other?

Emma says: “Some children can have one foot larger than the other.  If this is the case then buy shoes to accommodate the largest of the two feet.”

Q: What are the health implications of my child wearing poorly fitted shoes?

Emma says: “In the short term conditions such as redness and soreness, bunching up of the toes and ingrowing nails if the shoes are overly tight.  In the longer term developmental foot problems can be made worse by ill-fitting shoes and bunions and foot deformities such as hammer toe can be caused by poorly fitted shoes.  Unsupportive and sloppy styles of shoe can lead to a similar gait (style of walking).  In addition, there are also longer term health implications from poorly fitted shoes such as back pain, knee problems & pain and posture problems.” 

For more information, please visit: www.brantano.co.uk