Shopping For Children's Shoes?

Once again I had to go shoe shopping for my children. Their feet grow so fast. And even if they've not outgrown the shoe, the wear it out so fast too. I'm always awed when friends past down to us some of their children's old shoes. I wonder how they keep it so nice. Don't hope to get any old shoes from us. They always end up in a state fit for the dustbin.

I have to be thankful though, that K's school shoes are still okay. Those white canvas shoes have proven durable even though they are used 5 days in a week. They may not look like the first day she started school, but after washing and a little white polish, it's presentable again. (By the way, I make her wash her own shoes. And I don't like the idea of dumping them in the washing machine). For RM23.99 each, they've been her most value-for-money shoes. That's more than I can say for her pretty church shoes that only last a few months even though she only wears them once a week. I like those canvas shoes too for another reason -- it's flexible. Meaning, I have her wear them for sporting activities too. Ya, not quite the right thing to do. She has been bugging me for some children's trainers.

Looking through Startriteshoes.com, I was impressed with their range of shoes. I asked my daughter to pick out a pair that she likes and she chose this pretty canvas shoes:
You can find all sorts of shoes: Prewalkers, first walking shoes, non-school shoes, school shoes, canvas, sandals, boots, trainers, slippers, wellies and English classics. I really like how the images of the shoes turn 360 degrees too. That way, you can see not only the front of the shoes, but also view the sides and the back.

After surfing this site and reading through their advice, I realized that there's a lot more to consider when buying shoes for our children. Definitely not the way I've been doing which is pretty much choosing the best looking cheapest pair that fits :) Getting a pair that fits correctly, gives proper support, is breathable and feels comfortable should be our priority. Especially when it comes to baby shoes because their feet are still so soft and can be damaged by ill fitting shoes.

Taking a look our my girl's feet, she tends to overpronate. Some people know it as "pigeon-toes." If you stand at the back of her, you see how her weight is mostly toward the inside of her heels. Her church shoes are all crooked. If her feet doesn't correct itself, I will have to get her some shoes with additional support for the inside of the heel.

So, how often do you shop for children's shoes and what it the best that you've found?