With Singapore’s tropical climate in mind, the team behind Ten Feet Tall source high-quality black school shoes, made in breathable materials, from leading European school shoe brands. These include British brand Start-rite, German label Ricosta and the Portugese-made Petasil, all of which are all fairly priced in line with what you’d expect to pay in your home market for kids shoes.
Ten Feet Tall takes a personal touch when it comes to fitting, and believes that children’s school shoes should take into account their daily activities and how they use their feet. The store uses a professional measuring gauge to assess the length and width of the foot, and a simple “rule of thumb” technique to check if it’s time for a shiny new pair. A newly fitted shoe should be 12 to 14mm longer than the longest toe to allow for growth; shoes that are only 5mm longer should be replaced.
Ten Feet Tall also has a wonderful recycling service in store, called the Shoe Bank. Bring your old school shoes along on your visit, and they’ll polish them up, pack them and send them with a handwritten note to children in need in Asia.
Did you know?
One study has suggested that boys take an average of 12,000 to 16,000 steps per day, and girls an average of 10,000 to 13,000 steps!
Podiatrist HELEN CRAWFORD from the Osteopathy and Podiatry Centre gives her top tips for helping your kids put their best feet forward.
- In a hot climate, choose shoes made from natural material (leather) to stop feet getting hot and sweaty.
- Inspect your kids’ shoes for unusual signs of wear and tear. This may indicate a problem with foot or general posture, and you can get advice from a podiatrist if you’re concerned.
- Use the opportunity of a tickle to have a good look at children’s feet on a regular basis. Inflamed nails, red pressure marks or blisters are most often a sign that there’s a problem with shoes.
- Never force children’s feet into shoes, no matter what their age, as their bones are not fully developed until their late teens, and ill-fitted shoes can cause misshapen feet for years to come.
The average foot contains 26 bones (that’s a quarter of the bones in the whole body!), along with 19 muscles, 100 ligaments, and a complex system of nerves and blood vessels.
Holland Village Shopping Centre