Buying Guide - Footwear
General
- The early months and years of your child's life
are a critical time for supporting growing bones and
joints. Your baby's feet will grow faster in the
first three years than at any other time in their
life. During these formative years your child's foot
is extremely fragile and the importance of fitting
your child with the appropriate footwear cannot be
overstated. The delicate nature of your child's foot
necessitates a supportive shoe that fits well and
encourages healthy foot development. Footwear
designed specifically for your child is more
critical in these early years than at any other time
in their life.
- Mothercare is committed to helping you find the
right shoe for your child, whatever their age. We
are aware of the importance of looking after your
child's feet and offer a range of footwear that not
only support and protect your baby's feet but also
encourage healthy foot development. To provide more
choices for you and your child, our collection
features a wide variety of styles, from play to
sport to dress. And all our stores offer quality
footgauges, so we can measure your child's feet to
ensure a good fit.
Age and Size
- Anything you put on your baby's foot should be
completely non-restrictive, as your baby's bones are
still very soft and malleable. You can buy baby
socks and booties for your newborn, but don't be
tempted to buy proper shoes until your baby is
walking well unaided. Paediatricians and other
experts agree that babies should be barefoot when
mastering the art of walking. But barefoot is not
always possible as little feet often need
protection. So, as soon as your child is fully
mobile and venturing outside, they'll need shoes to
protect their feet from cold temperatures and unsafe
surfaces.
- Because every child is different, it is
difficult to estimate a child's foot size based on
age. However, Mothercare's range of footwear caters
for newborns through to children aged approximately
6-7 years old. Our range includes soft-shoes
(booties) for newborns, selected first-walkers in
sizes 2-7 (New born – 24 mths) and children's shoes
in sizes 4-13 (2 yrs. – 61/2 yrs. old).
How to choose the correct shoes for your child
- Fitting children for shoes can be challenging.
Infants are particularly difficult to fit because
their young feet are not yet fully formed, and they
require different kinds of communication, i.e. they
can't tell you if a shoe feels too big or too small.
- When fitting an infant's shoe, the first
consideration is to provide extra room in the toe,
for their little toes to wiggle. Until a baby starts
walking, this toe activity is virtually the only
exercise their little feet will get.
- Getting a correct fit is also critical given the
incredible rate their feet will grow during these
early years. While your child's footwear should
allow for plenty of growing room it is also
important that you don't sacrifice comfort and fit.
- It is also important to choose footwear with
good ventilation and absorbency to prevent
sweat-induced blistering.
- We have footgauges in every store to help you
get a good fitting shoe for your child.
- Your choice of footwear will also depend on the
season and your requirements. From slippers to
sports shoes, the Mothercare footwear range caters
for all seasons and all types of occasions and
activities.
Products Features
We make it easy for you to find the right shoe for
your child. Our range of shoes are designed to
encourage healthy foot development and are made from
high quality materials to create the best-looking,
best-fitting shoes for all occasions, including dress
shoes, casuals, traditional booties, and more!
Our range includes:
- Selected first-walkers - sizes 2-7 (New born –
24 mths)
- Children's shoes - sizes 4-13 (2 yrs – 61/2 year
old)
- Our new autumn range includes: structured shoes,
sports shoes, plimsolls, wellingtons and slippers
All of our shoes come in a range of colours and
styles, including our ever-popular character ranges.
Approximate costs
Our footwear products are competitively priced to
cater for all needs and budgets.
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