The right fit

According to the ECCO fit, a shoe should feel snug in the instep and loose in the forefoot. To demonstrate this, with your left hand grab your right hand in front of the wrist. If you try to move your fingers, they feel tight/locked. However, if you hold around the wrist on your right hand, you'll discover how free and easily the fingers can move. That's precisely how the feet should feel.

The correct size

The rule of thumb is that there should be a total of 15 mm from the tip of the toe to end of shoe. Those extra milimetres allow for 3 things:

• When the child is walking the foot automatically extends in the shoe. About 5 mm allows for this 'extension room'
• About 7 mm allows for foot to grow
• The toe-box takes about 3 mm of the length

The necessary "footcheck"

Until the child is 2 years old, it's advisable to check the size of shoes and feet every 2 months. Between the age of 3 and 6 it's wise to check every 3 months. And for children over the age of 7 every 4 months would be adequate.