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Did you catch our Podiatrist Dr Brenden Brown on the Today show? Brenden is an expert when it comes to Kids feet and the Today show called on him to review the best School Shoes for 2014.
Podiatrist Dr Brenden Brown reviews the best school shoes for 2014
Watch the clip below and see what Brenden says will help keep your kids healthy happy and active.
Due to the magic of TV (meaning its pretty quick and you don’t get all the time you’d like on TV) Brenden doesn’t get to mention all of his TOP 4 see our other blog post HERE
where Brenden reviews all his favourite school shoes for your kids.
http://video.au.msn.com/watch/video/best-back-to-school-shoes/xtqh7cf
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Dr Brenden’s top school shoe picks for 2014.
Back to school has hit us again, it’s time for kids to head back into the class rooms and not only hit the books but also hit the school yard in their new school shoes!
Kids spend over 30 hours a week in their school shoes and while most of us think of them simply as a school shoe they also, at school, may become a netball shoe, a handball shoe, a soccer boot, a cricket shoe or even a get chased by a bully shoe!! Needless to say it’s essential that these shoes are tough and sturdy to undertake all this work.
As a parent of two kids myself I understand while we all like to make sure we get the best for our kids we also have to think about the money that its cost to send our kids to school and it all adds up. Many parents hope to get a full year out of a pair of shoes for their child so that’s approximately 40+ weeks of school for most kids. Considering a 40 week year for most shoes we have split up the cost to consider how much that school shoe is costing us each week for our kids. So you can get shoes from as little as 75 cents a week up to worth 3.20 a week more expensive but I believe still a reasonable price to pay for keeping your kids healthy and active!
I have reviewed what I think are some of the school shoe picks of 2014. Some are more expensive and others I have looked at with those on a budget in mind. In essence you get what you pay for but we were pleasantly surprised with one or two of the cheaper models.
I have reviews both traditional school shoes and my favourite runner or sneaker style shoe in all black leather so people get an option as I know a lot of kids love these as well.
I have listed these from my favourite down however the bottom shoes are by no means terrible and in fact are in many respects good shoes.
BEST NEWCOMER!
Start-Rite York
- · School-style shoe
- · Unisex
- · Firm heel counter
- · Bends at the toe
- · Doesn’t twist
- · Doesn’t flex at the middle
- · All leather
- · Black lace-up
· Priced at $129.00 about $3.20 a week
Brenden Says: This is a relative new comer to my list I have not reviewed this shoe before and I have been really impressed with its appearance on the market! All the qualities I look for in a shoe and to me looks like a tough all-round school shoe!
BEST OF THE BEST – Brenden’s top 4!
ASCENT – SCHOLAR and APEX 
- · Firm heel counter
- · Runner style sole
- · All leather shoe
- · Removable insole for orthotics
- · Bends at toe
- · Doesn’t twist
- · Female / youth
- · Available in 4 widths
From $109.95 (junior size) to $129.95 (adult size) Kids sizes about $2.75 a week
Brenden Says: I have been watching these shoe’s develop and I really feel they are great shoe’s I think Ascent as a brand are developing some excellent quality shoes. Yes I know I am cheating here that this is in fact two shoes but I like these equally and believe they both deserve a mention. I like the School shoe look but the almost sneaker style shoe base. Bends at the toes in all the right places but is strong in the middle and heel where it is needed.
Start-Rite York
- · School-style shoe
- · Unisex
- · Firm heel counter
- · Bends at the toe
- · Doesn’t twist
- · Doesn’t flex at the middle
- · All leather
- · Black lace-up
· Priced at $129.00 about $3.20 a week
Brenden Says: Yes the newcomer makes the top 4! As I said above I think this is a relative new comer has all the qualities I look for in a shoe and to me looks like a tough all-round school shoe! Firm heel counter and solid shank to support kids feet!
CLARKS – 24 SE7EN
- Firm heel counter
- Runner style sole
- All leather shoe
- Removable insole for orthotics
- Bends at toe
- Doesn’t twist
Priced at $124.95 about $3 a week
Brenden Says: A good shoe that has been doing a good job for kids for a number of years. I think kids will like this shoe it has a chunky see through sole that kids seem to love. It has a firm heel counter that is essential to good footwear. Bends and flex’s in the right spots!
Asics Gel-510TR G
- Firm heel counter
- Bends at the toe
- Doesn’t twist
- Doesn’t flex at the middle
- Running style
- All leather
- Black lace-up
· Price point is RRP of $100 about $2.50 a week
Brenden Says: As a sneaker based shoe this is by far my favourite. I recommend it to any parent looking for a sneaker style school shoe. Its leather based with all the properties of a good quality running shoe. In my experience it seems to last a school year really well which I have noted not all sneaker style running shoes do. A winner for me.
ON A BUDGET. –
GRO-SHU – LEARN
- Firm heel counter
- Removable insole for orthotics
- Bends at toe
- Doesn’t twist
- Leather lined
$39.99 @ Payless Shoes about $1.00 a week!
Brenden Says: This is a good shoe for its price point. While it doesn’t have all the stability I like to see in a school shoe for those on a tight budget at 39.99 I think it out weights others in its class. No you are not getting all the features of the top 4
GROSBY DURABLES – SCHOOL
- Firm heel counter
- Removable insole for orthotics
- Bends at toe
- Doesn’t twist
- Leather upper
$30.00 Big W about 75 cents a week!!!!
Brenden Says: At this tiny price you can afford a few of these a year compared to some of its more heavily priced competitors. In kids small sizes this is a good shoe. It’s not the strongest and it may not last as long as some of the others but at that price you wouldn’t expect it to. As this shoe get bigger in size it loses some of the stability I prefer in the more expensive models but as a Jnr shoe on a budget it’s a good alternative.
Tips when choosing shoes:
- Thumb width’s room between the end of the shoe and the end of the longest to
- The fastening mechanism (lace-up, Velcro or buckle are best!) should hold the heel firmly in the back of the shoe
- The back part of the shoe ‘heel counter’ should be strong and stable
- The shoe should flex across the ball of the foot (not in the middle!)
- The sole should not twist!
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Kids feet need health checks
Kid’s feet come in all different shapes and sizes and so do their FEET!
Having healthy feet is vital to a child’s development. Did you know that problems not resolved in children’s feet can become major problems for them when they become adults?
Not all kids foot problems show up by resulting in pain while many parents recognise flat feet as a problem many other signs may not be as obvious!
Tripping and falling – tiring easily while walking or playing – laziness – clumsiness – growing pains and trouble keeping up with peers are all signs that your child may have developmental problems with their feet.
Appointments can be made and are available at our St Marys and Penrith clinics 9673 2987 or 47322007
At a step ahead we have a passion for looking after kid’s feet! As a result our practice is very kid orientated and we get to see loads of kids – we love what we do!
Our team will check your child’s feet ensuring that no unidentified problems continue! Kids need healthy feet to develop normally so our podiatrist will video them walking playing and running, they will test their muscles to see how they are developing after taking a detailed history to get an idea how they are developing.
Our job is to make sure your child get to be their best! and we think its kinda cool – because seeing kids get better, run faster, play longer and smile more makes our day! We live for the smile a happy kid can bring to your life.
Our team is led by Dr Brenden Brown – He has over 20 years experience. His passion for looking after kids foot health has made him recognised as an expert on kids feet in Australia. Brenden has been the Podiatry advisor and expert for Clarks kids footwear Australia for many years. He has feature on Television, on channel NINE on the today show and A current affair helping parent to make good school shoe choices each year and advising on good foot health. He has also featured in magazine like Practical parenting and Good Medicine magazines along with Men’s Health, Women’s health, Woman’s Day, Cosmopolitan and many many more!
Brenden though is most proud of being a dad of two young girls and understanding what its like to be a parent and looking after two growing kids!
Appointments can be made and are available at our St Marys and Penrith clinics 9673 2987 or 47322007
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Kids do much more than just go to school each week! What did your kids feet do this week?
Kids feet do much more than just 30 hours a week at school – they play handball – run races – play basketball – touch footy – practice ballet – play rugby – skip………. But are they ready to do all that activity and more?
Many times children won’t tell Mums and Dads about foot pain till its too late and it becomes a bigger problem.
- Growing pains
- Tripping and falling
- Clumsiness
- Wearing out shoes
- Tiring easily
These are all signs that something maybe wrong with your child’s feet. Having your child’s foot posture and walking patterns by our Podiatrist who can quickly and safely help to find pain free solutions.
Every year we get to treat hundreds of kids! We love it not only are we getting to meet and have fun with some pretty cool kids we get to see them become happy healthy and active again. We’d love to be able to help your family as well!
Dr Brenden’s White paper report on the “6 Reasons You Won’t Beat Heal Pain” outlines what’s stopping you from beating this and tips on how to stop it in its tracks!