Our little ones grow up so fast. They reach their goals so fast, and before we know it kid has outgrown their shoes and their clothes. In each set goal, kids need parents’ assistance and this implies choosing their footwear as well. Oftentimes they are not good at identifying when they need new shoes or clothes and that’s where parents step in.
When it comes to clothes, it’s pretty easy to notice if they need new ones, but as for shoes, it is a little bit more complicated.
It’s common for kids’ feet to grow fast, and even more common for kids to run their shoes into the ground. It’s good that they can splash in muddy puddles and take their shoes on adventures. However, the time will come when your kids’ lovely kicks will need to go to retirement.
But how can parents know that? Here are 7 signs that your kids have outgrown their shoes!
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How Fast Do Kids’ Feet Grow?
We are all aware that kids grow fast and so do their feet. But how much do they grow exactly, we’ll take a look right now!
Kids from 0 to 12 months
Until your baby turns one and a little bit after that, its feet increase in size every two months by about half a size.
Kids from 1st year to 3d year
Kids from age of 4 to 8
Kids of age 9 to 12
When it comes to the age after 12, their food growth significantly slows down but parents have to pay attention to their feet because at this age kids are prone to stinky feet due to hormonal activities.
7 Things to Look for When Doubting Your Kid Has Outgrown Their Shoes
Now that we have an understanding of how fast kids’ feet grow and what are the usual proper sizes, let’s see what things can you do to check if your kid has outgrown their shoes!
#1 Check the fit
The kid has outgrown their shoes if their shoes are not a good fit anymore. Us, adults, when we wear something small or uncomfortable, we can barely even put our feet in. However, kids do not care about this, since all they care about is playing. If your kid does not react to small shoes and is younger than 5, it’s because kids’ nerve endings are still not fully developed.
This is where parents step in and check the fit. Do this at the end of the day when their feet are swollen from the daily activities so this means that their feet are at their biggest. You can feel where your kids’ toes are in the shoe by wriggling their toes while they are standing up. In this situation, you can feel a gap between their longest toe (thumb) and the end of the shoe. In leather shoes, especially the big toe part, there are raised or stretched areas, which indicate that the shoes are too small. When it comes to canvas and other material shoes, this may also happen or it may even completely wear out.
#2 Check kids’ feet
From time to time it’s always a good idea to check how are your kids’ feet. Look out for possible blisters, rubbing, or even squashed toes. Even bent toenails could indicate that shoes are too tight and are pushing on the kids’ toes.
Friction between the skin and another surface is what causes blisters. Blisters can be avoided by wearing shoes that fit properly, but if your kid is wearing shoes that don’t – either too big or too small – they may be prone to the uncomfortably. Blisters are unpleasant and a clear indication that your kid needs new shoes as soon as possible.
#3 Check the soles of the shoes
When it comes to the shoes, first check how heavy they are. If you think that they are a bit heavier, this could be the reason why the shoes are damaged. Kids who wear heavy shoes often drag the soles around the ground, gradually wearing holes through the rubber. Additionally, low-quality footwear has poorly manufactured soles that plainly wear through rapidly and do not support the feet properly. Along the borders and around the big toe are also popular places for holes to appear.
#4 Check the lining of the shoes
You can check if the lining is worn out by looking at the inner heel since it is most noticeable there. You can also check if the holes in the lining or stitching are undone. Inappropriate fitting shoes that were possibly one size larger than the kid’s real shoe size can be the reason for this type of wear.
Kids’ feet tend to slide in too-big shoes, causing friction between their sensitive skin and the shoe lining which can eventually end up in feet with blisters.
#5 Observe how they are walking
If your kid walks awkwardly or complains about sore feet, your kid has outgrown their shoes. Even if their shoes don’t fit properly, kids will keep playing and running around so make sure you pay attention to that as well.
#6 Sandals with dangling toes
When it comes to those summer shoes, it is pretty easy to check f they are too small. Simple check your kids’ feet while wearing sandals and ensure they are not dangling around. In this case, it is always a good idea to leave some extra space in those summer footwear but not too much as usual. These types of shoes should be treated the same as closed-toe footwear. This means that once the toes are close to the end of the shoe, it is time for shopping!
#7 More activities are present
As your kid is growing it becomes more and more active. When they are still babies they will require those soft and barefoot shoes, then first walking shoes, running footwear, and so on. As time passes by, different kinds of activities and sports are becoming widely present and thus, kids will require proper sports shoes.
This means that for each milestone kids need to have proper footwear. Luckily, babies are not picky so whatever you put them on, they will be fine with it. But later in life, as they reach those teenage years, the kid will need different types of shoes for different purposes, thus parents should pay attention to that as well. Also at this stage of life, kids will probably realize on their own if their shoes are too small and require new ones from you.
