Cork consultant sees children hospitalised after wearing too-small shoes
The difficulty of accessing appropriate shoes for children is a problem that has been highlighted by many parents on social media in recent days.
A Cork paediatrician has called for an appointment system to be introduced so children can get their feet measured for correctly-fitting shoes.
Dr Niamh Lynch, a consultant paediatrician at the Bon Secours Hospital, said the measurement issue is having knock-on effects on children’s health and wellbeing, as well as causing practical concerns for parents of schoolchildren. She said she has seen children left in pain because of an inability to access appropriate footwear.
“One of the most concerning things I've seen is that children have gotten skin infections on their feet, and on occasion have had to be hospitalised for intravenous antibiotics to treat cellulitis that has developed. That's the most serious thing that I've seen,” Dr Lynch told RTÉ’s Drivetime yesterday.
She said children have been sent to school in too-big shoes that caused them to trip and hurt themselves, while other children are struggling to walk in too-small shoes. Meanwhile, children with health concerns have been unable to access corrective footwear and Dr Lynch said increasingly toddlers are going barefoot for lack of shoes.
“The last time I heard of anything like this was when my dad was telling me about growing up in the 40s and 50s and kids not having shoes. I haven't seen the like of this ever. This is not normal by any standards.”
Dr Lynch said shopping for children’s shoes shouldn’t be considered a luxury and urged the government to allow one-on-one appointments in shoe shops.
“This is an essential thing for children, for their development and for their health. They're currently in pain. There's no reason the shops can't offer fitting appointments that can be done with one parent, one child, get them in and get them out with a pair of shoes that actually fit.”
Dr Lynch’s plea comes as many parents in recent days have asked that they be allowed to shop for shoes with their children in person as online estimates can often be wrong and cause additional expense.
“You need to try on shoes. Not only is there the size to guess, there's the width of a child's foot to guess,” mum-of-seven and author Jen Hogan told Newstalk Breakfast this morning, referencing the speed at which children’s feet grow and the support they need from their shoes to avoid any physical side effects from wearing ill-fitting shoes.
However, with most shoe shops closed, parents have had to measure their children's feet at home, guess the correct size and buy online. It is a long process that leaves children wearing the wrong size shoes for too long or, if the new shoes are also the wrong size, it causes them to spend more time in their bare feet or socks at home.
“We've always been told at the beginning when you're getting them their first shoes they need to be measured and they must fit properly and they’re supposed to be checked every few weeks,” Hogan added.
“Now we’re being just told ‘ah sure, just order them online, if they don't fit return them. Wait for the money to be credited back to your account, and then order another pair.’ In the meantime, your child's going around with his foot through his shoe.”
While some parents can afford to buy multiple sizes online and return those that do not fit a child, others struggle to buy one pair and cover the postage charges for delivery and possible returns.
“Super skinny feet, hardly any arches, and hype mobile ankles, have to try on. I can’t afford €14 in postage to return every pair of shoes that don’t fit,” one mother wrote on Twitter.
This is particularly pressing as all children are due to return to school after Easter, with many needing new school shoes. The difficulty of accessing appropriate shoes for children is a problem that has been highlighted by many parents on social media in recent days.
Writing on Twitter, June Shannon said it has been impossible to get her young daughter’s foot correctly measured and she has grown out of shoes bought for her at Christmas.
“Smallie’s shoes that fit her at Christmas [are] now way too small but because children’s shoes are ‘not essential items’ under current restrictions it’s impossible to get her feet measured correctly. Ordering children’s shoes online does not work,” she said.
Anne Whitmore said she has struggled to find the appropriate size for her children even when using the online guides available.
“I’ve ordered four pairs of shoes online for my two boys and none of them has fit right even using the at-home guides. It just doesn’t work,” she said.
Following calls from parents to allow shoes to be purchased in person, this afternoon Taoiseach Micheál Martin announced that children's shoe fittings can take place by appointment only.
Clark’s, which is a popular option for children’s shoes, suggests purchasing one of its foot measuring gauges for €16 to estimate your child’s size at home, which can be aided by its video guides on how to measure a toddler or a child's feet. The measurements can be input into a calculator to retrieve the correct shoe size. Another video guide helps parents to check the fit of the shoe at home. Find their online guide here.
Ballincollig shoe shop Kirby’s is offering phone advice to parents who want to measure their child’s feet. Sizing and style advice can be arranged by messaging their Facebook page or ringing Ian on 0872628635.
Cork store Paul O’Connor Shoes said it is unable to offer measuring services but said the Start Rite guide is a helpful at-home alternative. They said they are available for advice on Facebook or on 0214289962.
Click here for a printable guide to foot measurement for children from Little Steps.
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