When To Buy New School Shoes

The Rule of Thumb test is a really quick and simple way to check if your child’s shoes still fit or if it’s time for a new pair.

Firstly, make sure they are wearing the correct socks. Next check their heel is pushed to the back of the shoe and the shoes are fastened securely.

Ask your child to stand up straight and tall.

The length can be checked by feeling the position of your child’s longest toe in the shoe (this is usually the big toe but about a third of us have a 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.

We recommend doing this test at least at the end of every school term. Children’s feet grow in fits and spurts but they can even grow an entire size in the space of 2 – 3 weeks!

We've created a little video of the Rule of Thumb to help you check your children's feet at home.

How to Use the Rule Of Thumb by Ten Feet Tall Shoes