ILL-FITTING shoes are putting children’s ability to walk, run and play at risk, a Jersey shop owner has warned as she joined a campaign for better footwear.
Audrey Laurens-Chalmers, owner of FitFootwear in St Helier, said she had seen bunions, crossed-over toes, ingrown toenails and blisters on children’s feet.
There had been a “massive rise” in poorly-fitted shoes in the last 18 months, she said, which she thought was due to parents shopping online and buying cheaper shoes.
The “Fit Well, Grow Well” campaign, organised with UK nonprofit The Footwear Hub, encourages parents to check their child’s shoes fit and get professional help where needed.
The campaign focuses on under-5s as that is when their feet are the most vulnerable – and when they are unlikely to tell parents when they are uncomfortable.
Ms Laurens-Chalmers said that some issues can be fixed if caught early enough, but added that “if you leave it a long time doing the wrong thing, that’s it – you’ve got to open your toes to help your balance.”
She said: “I had a three-year-old come in wearing glittery, sparkling kitten heels. I said to the girls, ‘wow, I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before’.
“I said to the mum ‘I don’t want to be rude, but why has she got those shoes on?’ [She said] ‘they’re her favourite, she likes them’.”
The bones in children’s feet are softer than in adults, meaning it is more important for them to have good shoes.
“Some of these kids – some of the boys – they’re never going to play football,” Ms Laurens-Chalmers said. “They won’t be able to, because their feet are ruined already and they’re six or seven years old.”
The shop – which is appointment-only during school holidays – provides measurements and advice as well as check-ups after ten weeks and after three months.
With the advent of phones and online shopping, Mrs Laurens-Chalmers said she saw more people sitting on their phones while their children are in the playroom, or buying the shoes they tried on in the shop online.
“If you’re buying online, it is just sticking a pin in a page. You have no idea what you’re getting.”
She added: “It is heartbreaking to see.
“The main thing for us is education, it’s trying to make them understand why.
“They teach you about potty-training and breastfeeding. Nobody explains to you about shoes.
“We’ve all got to be able to walk around.”
