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. …