The Footwear Hub, a not-for-profit organisation founded by experienced children’s shoe fitters, has launched a national campaign, Fit Well, Grow Well, alongside a new website providing parents with free, practical guidance on children’s shoe fitting.

Fit Well, Grow Well is aimed at parents of babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers. The campaign provides simple guidance on first shoes and growing feet – quick checks parents can use at home, signs that a shoe may need re-checking, and a directory of Footwear Hub member shops offering professional children’s shoe fitting.

What fitters are seeing

Professional shoe fitters involved in the campaign describe a consistent pattern of children arriving in shoes that are too small, too narrow, or that have never been properly fitted. Podiatrist and academic, Jill Ferrari PhD, notes that children who present with toe deformities need particular care taken in having their shoes fitted properly.

It is also important to highlight that there is currently no scientific data to show that poor footwear choices in children directly cause deformity. What fitters are observing are children with existing conditions who are not receiving the fitting support they need.

 

 

Case Studies

Accounts from professional shoe fitters illustrate the kinds of fitting challenges they encounter. They are presented as real-world examples of children who needed specialist fitting support, not as evidence that poor shoe fit caused the conditions described.

Children with foot deformities or structural differences benefit greatly from expert shoe fitting. Finding the right shoe for their individual needs is exactly what Footwear Hub member shops are trained to provide.

Independent shoe fitters and Footwear Hub members’ accounts include a toddler who needed shoes two sizes larger than she was wearing, and her parents had no idea anything was wrong. Another encountered a 10-year-old child who had never been properly measured and fitted and had bunions forming on both feet.

The campaign’s founders say the problem has worsened in recent years, driven by a rise in online shoe purchasing, fewer specialist fitting services on the high street, and a widespread lack of clear guidance for parents on what a correct fit actually involves.

Footwear Hub survey findings

A survey of parents conducted by The Footwear Hub at launch found that nearly two-thirds of respondents – 62% – had noticed signs in their child that shoes may be getting too small, including red marks, blisters, complaints of pain or tripping more than usual.

These are the signals that a professional fitting check is due. Left unaddressed, ill-fitting shoes can cause unnecessary discomfort and, over time, may affect how children’s feet develop. The Footwear Hub’s free parent guidance helps parents spot these signs early and know when to seek a professional fitting check.

Almost half – 48% – said that when their child first started wearing shoes, no one clearly explained what a proper fit involves, including width, toe room and heel support. It is exactly this lack of accessible, trusted guidance that the Footwear Hub works to address. Parents also highlight a further problem – a growing access gap, as specialist fitting services disappear from the high street, leaving many parents facing a lack of local provision.

 

 

Commenting is Footwear Hub co-founder, Tanya Marriott, who runs SoleLution shoe shop in Portishead and is a member of the Society of Shoe Fitters.

“What we are seeing is deeply concerning. Many parents do not realise the damage badly fitting or inappropriate shoes can cause, not just to feet, but to the entire body. Unlike other clothing, shoes directly affect how children move, develop and grow, and the consequences of a poor fit can last a lifetime. We created the Footwear Hub because too many parents are left without clear, practical guidance, and that is something we can change.”

Fellow co-founder Nadia Arden-Scott, who runs ShuZu shoe shop in Farnborough and is also a member of the Society of Shoe Fitters, adds, “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. We want parents to value their children’s feet the way they value their teeth and eyes. They would not skip a dentist appointment because they thought they could check their own child’s teeth at home.”

For further information on the Footwear Hub, please contact info@footwearhub.org or click here.