Children’s shoe retailers say closure of specialist shops is harming foot health

Parents should care for their children’s feet in the same way as their eyes and teeth, according to footwear specialists who say they are seeing more young people with painful conditions such as bunions.

Bunions are bony lumps on the side of the foot. People can be genetically pre-disposed but ill-fitting shoes are seen as an aggravating factor.

Nadia Arden-Scott, a co-founder of Footwear Hub, said: “Parents have been led to believe that fitting shoes is simple and can be done at home, when the reality is that do-it-yourself shoe fitting is potentially causing long-term damage to their child’s feet.”

Data from the property analysts Green Street shows that more than 1,000 shoe shops have closed in Great Britain since 2020. With big names reducing their store numbers and independents closing, many parents are now ordering for their offspring online.

Research by Footwear Hub found some parents had to drive up to 50 miles to use a fitting service.

The not-for-profit organisation, formed by 40 specialist shops, has launched the “fit well, grow well” campaign to try to combat a “decline in children’s foot health”. Its website offers free advice and links to services around the UK.

“We want parents to value their children’s feet the way they value their teeth and eyes,” said Arden-Scott, who runs a children’s shoe shop in Farnborough called ShuZu. “They would not skip a dentist appointment because they thought they could check their own child’s teeth at home.”

There is no scientific data to show that poor footwear choices in children directly cause disfigurement, but podiatrists say ill-fitting shoes can cause lifelong foot problems and lead to issues in the ankles, knees and back. They list fallen arches, hammer and claw toes, bunions and muscular problems as potential risks.

Jill Ferrari, a podiatrist and academic, said: “Young people’s feet continue to grow until mid-teens and poorly fitting footwear can lead to toe deformities, poor foot function and reduced gait efficiency. In younger children, poor footwear choices can increase the risk of tripping and falling.”

Tanya Marriott, a co-founder of Footwear Hub, said: “What we are seeing is deeply concerning. Unlike other clothing, shoes directly affect how children move, develop and grow, and the consequences of a poor fit can last a lifetime.”

Shoe fitters involved in the campaign report seeing a pattern of children wearing shoes that are too small or narrow. Marriott, who has worked as a professional shoe fitter for 22 years and runs SoleLution in Portishead, Somerset, said she was seeing more children with bunions.

Fitters frequently encounter children with existing foot conditions – including toe deformities and structural differences – who are not receiving the specialist fitting support, Footwear Hub’s researchers said.