A GUIDE TO BUYING KIDS' SHOES ONLINE

There are a few basic things you need to think about when buying kids shoes online...

- What size are they?

Kids feet grow fast… up to the age of three, they can grow up to half a size every 2-3 months. At this age, you should be checking their shoe size around every 3-4 months; by age 5, this growth rate is slowing but you should still check their foot size roughly every 4-6 months. I would suggest getting their feet measured in a shop at least once or twice a year, but there are some very easy steps to follow when measuring at home (see fit guide on our website but all you need is a pencil, some paper, a ruler and a wall!) Also, If you have one of our ZIG+STAR boxes at home, we have included a measuring chart inside to make it super easy for you.

- Foot-Shaped-Shoes

Does the shoe look like it follows the shape of a child’s foot? It might sound obvious but if you really look at a lot of kids shoes out there, they actually don’t. Some kids shoe lasts are just scaled down version of adults, and kids feet as we know are very different! The shoe should be wider around the toe to leave room for the feet to spread and wiggle… they should not be constrained in any way. When trying on shoes, you should not see the foot shape showing through the leather, and when you squeeze to find the toe, there should be around half a thumbnail of space.

- Light as a Feather

Kid’s shoes should not be heavy or clumpy in anyway… No matter how cool you think they look, if they are walking around like they’ve got blocks of wood on their feet, it's really not going to be good for their foot development. Good shoes should be light and flexible; one of the best outsole materials for this is natural rubber which is durable, light and flexible, and being a natural material, is also biodegradable. Some brands use TPR or TPU outsoles which are cheaper, stiffer and less durable, and being made with polyurethane, are more harmful to the environment.

- Breathable Materials

We use leather uppers and leather linings because we have not yet found a better alternative for long wear, comfort and breathability. Sweaty feet do not make for happy feet… if your foot is sweaty, it will move around in the shoe and put you at risk of developing fungal infections and ingrown toe nails. We are however, constantly researching new materials and innovations to deliver the best shoes we can, in the most ethical way.

- Watch out when converting sizes

There are more EU than UK sizes… so this means when you convert from UK to EU they don’t exactly correlate, and you will either be sizing up or sizing down. Also, don’t use trainers to judge sizing, they usually come up quite small. Same goes for lots of other kids brands… they can either come up too big or too small. Its always best to measure the foot and use the sizing chart on each brands’ website to work out what size you are. Also, make sure you check the additional product information on the website, as it will usually give you an indication whether the shoes fit true to size (as out boots and shoes do!)

We are always here to help, so if you need any advice on sizing or fitting, please email us at help@zigandstar.com

Or check out our range now to see if anything tickles your fancy

Ali