Getting the best fit for your child's shoes is absolutely crucial, whether you are buying the shoes yourself on the internet or from a children's shoe shop, the correct fit is a must. What's more, if you know what you need to be looking for, the painful shoe shopping experience can be over far faster, or equally you will feel more confident buying on the internet and fitting the shoes yourself.

~ Measuring Their Feet ~

• Before buying a new pair of shoes for your child it is imperative that their feet are correctly measured. Always do this first thing in the morning or later on the day, as walking, heat and other factors can cause your child's feet to swell during the day.

• Also make sure your child is standing when you take their measurements as their foot size will differ dramatically from sitting to standing.

• Many feet are slightly different in their sizes, so always be sure to accommodate for the larger of the feet when buying the shoes.

~ Toe Room ~

• Half an inch should be allowed between the end of the shoe and your child's toe. Always make sure that this room has been allocated by feeling for this extra room once your child is stood with their feet fully extended. Your child's toes should never be crunched inside their shoes, as this could impair the development of their feet and cause future problems.

~ Shoes That Are Too Big ~

• It is very tempting to buy shoes that are too big for your child's feet because they will no doubt be growing that rapidly that you feel like you're buying shoes every five minutes. However, this isn't recommended as a pair of shoes that are too large can cause walking problems as it will provide less support and could result in your child tripping over.

~ Pinching & Loose Heels ~

• A child's shoe should always fit snug to the heel but should never be too tight. Where a shoe is too tight fitting around the heel of a shoe, blisters can be caused, whilst the other extreme of loose fitting shoes can result in other discomforts and the shoe to slip whilst walking.

~ The Breaking-In Period ~

• We've all heard of the breaking-in period of shoes and have no doubt used it as an excuse ourselves when we've had blisters or walked visibly uncomfortably but the truth is a well-fitted pair of shoes should not cause any discomfort. When your child has discomfort within their shoes they could potentially form a dislike to the shoes, creating problems when they come to wearing them again, so a good fit is a must right from the word go.