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Put Best Foot Forward With Back To School Shoes

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Aug 19, 2008 5:45 pm US/Eastern

Put Best Foot Forward With Back To School Shoes

(KDKA) It's back-to-school season and families are shopping for everything, including new shoes.

And contrary to kids' opinions, don't necessarily pick the most fashionable right way!

When it comes to school shoes, Doctor Kieran Mahan recommends shoes that can handle recess and the classroom.

"I think the shoe that fits the bill for most of those things is a sneaker type of shoe or an oxford kind of shoe," said Dr. Mahan.

Let the dogs "breathe" by picking leather or natural materials.

And if your child has sweaty feet, consider an extra pair of shoes.

"Even if you had a couple of pairs of shoes, where you let them wear a different pair of shoes the next day, so that the first pair of shoes can dry out, sometimes that can be very helpful," added Dr. Mahan.

When you are figuring out if the shoe fits, use your thumb to feel a small space at the top of the toes.

"When you push your thumb down at the end of the shoe, you want to be able to feel the edge of your thumb should be feeling the edge of that toe," said Dr. Mahan.

And, don't forget: the big toe may not be the longest toe.

Also, while some flexibility is okay, the shoe shouldn't be too bendy.

"We want just something that can be flexible where the toes are going to bend and then provide some good support in the back of the heel," said Dr. Mahan.

Before you know it, the new shoes will start looking worn out.

"Then you can see that the shoe itself is kind of rolling over on the inside," said Dr. Mahan.

Be careful about handing down shoes to another child.

Unless the pair is in scarcely-worn condition, you shouldn't re-use them.

And, if the wearer had athlete's foot or plantar warts, the shoes should definitely not be passed along.

More Information on Children's Feet and Shoe Selection:





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