Check The Fit
Having measured thousands of little (and big) feet, we’ve learned a thing or two about measuring and fitting shoes! We’ve tried to distill this into 6 easy steps so you can get as close to the service we provide in our Singapore fitting studio in your own home.
Feet tend to swell in tropical temperatures so you may find you need a different shoe size than if you were based somewhere cold. Feet are at their biggest towards the end of the day so, if poss, check the fit of the shoes late afternoon / early evening. Check your child is wearing the same thickness of socks as they would wear to school and there is a little wriggle room at the end of their toes (socks which are too small are as damaging as shoes which are overly snug).
1. Opening and fastening: open the velcro or laces so that the shoe is fully open and slide the shoe onto the foot. Push your child’s heel to the back of the shoe and do the velcro or laces up nice and firmly.
2. Ankle held in place: Whilst your child is sitting, hold the ankle with one hand and give the shoe a good old tug with your other hand. It should stay firmly on the foot. Repeat on the other foot.
3. Stand up: Ask the child to stand up straight with their weight evenly on both feet. Check there is no space behind the heel. The shoe should not touch the anklebone but sit just below it to avoid rubbing.
4. Width & Depth check: Feel gently down the sides of the shoe to check the widest part of the foot sits in the widest part of the shoe. Next, rub your thumb across the widest part of shoe from above the big toe to small toe. The leather should give gently if the shoe fits correctly. If you can push the leather into a ridge the shoe is too wide. With a T-bar or Mary Jane style you should be able to fit the end of your index finger under the rim of the shoe. If your entire finger fits under easily it is likely the shoe is too deep or too wide for your child.
5. Rule of thumb: The length can be checked by feeling the position of their longest toe (this is usually the big toe but about a third of us have the second toe bigger than the first). When a shoe is new there should be about a mum’s thumb width (12-14mm) of growing room between the end of the longest toe and the end of the shoe. Shoes with less than half a mum’s thumb width of space should be replaced.
6. Walk the walk: Ask the child to walk in the shoe and check it does not slip at the back, that there is no gaping at the sides and that the shoe does not inhibit the way they walk in any way.
If a child has been wearing flip-flops or trainers for long periods of time, proper leather shoes may feel a little strange at first even when they are made from the finest, softest leather like ours. To maximise comfort please let your children wear their school shoes a little before term starts.
Our fitting experts are very happy to help you with measuring, fitting and advice on how our different brands and styles fit. Please call +65 6493 7244 during our Fitting Studio if you have any questions. We apologise in advance that we’re unable to abandon our lovely customers to answer the phone during busy periods. Alternatively you can drop us a line at hello@tenfeettallshoes.com and we will respond within the same day.