We ask why teens are wearing badly fitted footwear and find out what the Industry can do to support healthier choices
A
ccording to the Children’s Foot Health Register, it will take approximately 18 years for a child's foot to fully develop. At birth the
foot contains 22 partially developed bones. By school age, this number will increase to 45. Over the next 13 to 14 years many of these will fuse together to form the 26 bones that make up the mature adult foot. “While most parents recognise the need for correctly fitting shoes during a child's early years of walking life, few realise that children's feet remain vulnerable to ill- fitting shoes right through their school days, up to the age of 18 years or so. It is a concerning fact that many children suffer foot problems by their early teens, often associated with ill-fitting shoes. Yet if parents sustain vigilance throughout the young, growing foot's 18 formative years, the vast majority of children's foot problems will quite simply never happen.”
It’s been widely reported that around 70% of foot problems come from
wearing the wrong footwear or ill-fitting shoes. The majority of these are caused by ill-fitting footwear worn as a child. The Register states that less than a third of children are "average" fitting so foot measurement and correct fitting are vital to a pair of feet.” An accurate gauge is only the starting point for establishing the correct shoe size. Gauges are calibrated differently and shoe selection depends upon the style of shoe, the brand, the materials and the construction method,” it says.
Are there any ‘healthy shoes’ for this age group? Should there be
more? If brands produced more styles would retailers stock them? Do they need to be more ‘fashionable’ to sell? Becci Knowles caught up with a buyer, a retailer and a brand to find out…..
t is very tricky to appeal to the older girl although
not for want of trying! We stock school shoes
up to an adult 7 in a range of styles from different manufacturers to try to appeal to the fashion gene that seems to kick in upon entry to senior school! These include Start-Rite, Petasil, Garvalin, Fly London and very shortly Geox. These brands work hard to strike the balance between style and fit, and I suppose there will inevitably always be some compromise - the question is whether the compromise will mean the shoe will ever get on the older girl’s foot! In truth some styles simply won't unless there is a strict school policy governing this. The best bet for a retailer is to stock a limited supply of the older
styles to meet the demand from the (few) parents who continue to have the older child's foot professionally fitted and for schools where a particular style is dictated by the uniform guidelines (although this still tends to be private schools). We also stock other brands for casual wear that we hope will appeal such as Birkenstock and iPANEMA (in the summer) and Dude, Fly London, Hunters, and slippers and party shoes (mainly slip on 'Dolly' shoes). Capturing the older girl’s imagination and shopping power is very
J
ohn Lewis stocks many brands which are aimed at younger teenagers. These include Converse,
Vans, Kickers, UGG, Joules, Timberland, Ju Ju and Dr Martens from July. Although there are many brands which cater for
young adults, there can be a gap for parent friendly brands which are aimed at younger teens.
Often younger teens can have problems finding shoes they like, which
are deemed suitable by their parents. Often parents want young teens to stay in fitted children's shoes which are better for their feet, whilst the children want to wear the more grown up brands they see the older teenagers wearing. Young teenager’s feet are not fully formed, and are still soft and pliable until at least their 16 birthday, and often later. Badly fitted shoes worn during by teenagers can cause permanent damage to their feet, leading to issues, and possible pain, in later life. It is really important that parents know that a well fitted shoe is essential for the long term foot health of their children. Peer pressure is incredibly important to young teenagers, so it is
essential that fitted and comfort brands which want to target this market ensure they have fashionable product supported by a targeted marketing campaign across social media channels. One brand stocked by John Lewis which seems to be hitting the mark is Angry Angels by Start-Rite. They have fashion forward styles which young girls want to wear, but also come in width fittings which keep parents happy! In a challenging economic environment, it can be hard to push for
something new and untested. However, there is huge potential for brands and retailers who can successfully offer fashion product for young teens, which at the same time, offers parents the reassurance of a well fitted shoe.
difficult as they would much rather shop in trendy stores than be 'seen' in a children’s shoe shop - they do not want to be seen or treated as children after all! So we try our best to gain parents’ attention in the hope that either they'll buy for the older child or will persuade the older child that we are sufficiently on trend to make a trip to us worthwhile. In short it’s not just the product that needs to be on trend to appeal to
this target audience, but also the retail environment - this is what makes the balance of children's shoe shop versus young person's boutique such a difficult task to achieve!
T
hese shoes for teens are available in an array of colours, topped with sequins and studded embellishment. From cool canvas to leather
uppers, these colour pop shoes are ideal for all girls who want to stand out this summer. The Daddy’s Money range launched in March priced £60.00-£75.00. The brand says on its blog: “If you're going to dance the night away with your friends in a stunning dress, you won't ever leave the dance floor with a fashionable pair of secret wedge sneakers on your feet! You can't go wrong with style and comfort, especially on a night that's going to be the best ever!”
10 • FOOTWEAR TODAY
• APRIL 2013
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