Brantano - Childrens shoe fitting service

 

It's getting chilly outside, the seasons are quickly changing and with winter approaching quickly it seems it's a perfect time to get your children's feet measured. Most of us will have had their feet measured at the end of summer ready for the new school year - Oliver's already gone up by half a size!

We were invited to Brantano to review the free children's shoe fitting service they offer when you're looking to get shoes for your children! Their specially trained staff can make sure your child gets correct fitting shoes.

I always have been a strong believer in the importance of correct fitting footwear for children - their feet are growing so quickly and we want them to grow in a correct fitting shoe don't we?

A lot of people say to me that their shoes are so expensive and whilst I agree they can be expensive for the size they actually are but at Brantano they offered a fantastic range of shoes at great prices! - there really is something for everyone there.

Brantano have provided me with some excellent tips to share with you for the perfect fitting winter shoe.

How should a shoe or boot fit around the ankle? Should it be snug and no slipping or is a bit of slipping ok?

“The collar of the shoe (the bit that sits under the ankle and across the heel) should sit comfortably just under the ankle bone and comfortable on the heel. Most children’s shoes are made with padded collars in order to minimise any rubbing of the ankle or heel. When the child walks the shoes should not move up and down as this can cause rubbing and blisters. Boots should also fit snuggly around the ankle area and it’s also important to consider the thickness of socks. When buying winter boots it’s always a good idea to take a couple of pairs of socks with different thicknesses so the fitter can check the fit.

As part of our measure and fit process our expert fitters will always check the areas around the ankles and heel grip to make sure there is a comfortable fit. Shoes which can be taken off easily without being unfastened would probably be too big.”

 

What should I be looking for to know my child’s feet and ankles will be protected as much as possible in winter days?

“As we approach autumn and winter Brantano will stock a range of shoes and boots suitable for little feet in the cold and wet weather. As with shoes our expert fitters will measure and fit boots making sure they are a comfortable fit for your child. For very snowy days we would recommend a snow boot for warmth and for rainy days we would recommend a leather boot that has been protected such as Clarks Shadowfun.”

So when we arrived at the store we were greeted by a member of staff with a welcoming smile (who at the time had no idea who we were and that we were there to review the service). The children got distracted by the fantastic selection of bags, water bottles, umbrellas and cuddly toys as well as toy cars that were next to us!

Firstly it was time for the children to both have their feet measured.

Brantano shoe fitter then gave both children a bit of paper that says the size of their feet and when they should next get measured - a handy reminder to pop in to your purse!

They also get a sticker which all children love!

It was Isabelle's turn to find some shoes first - we had an idea of boots in our head. She is very into shoes and loves to go shoe shopping. She took ages to decide which ones she wanted!

She started with some gorgeous purple ones by start rite but for some reason they wouldn't fit on her little feet :( She does seem to curl her feet up if she isn't 100% keen on the shoe - little trouble maker!

Oh Brantano sell so much loved brands such as clarks, start rite, sketchers, vans and nike to name a few.

These floral boots were just so gorgeous! I regret not getting them too now! Here's a photo of her asking her brother if her shoes look nice.

Oh which ones to choose?!

It's so easy to find your child's shoe size section as they're easily signed. They had a great selection for girls in toddler 6 but there wasn't many boots to be honest. Definitely somewhere to look for normal shoes!

Oliver's turn next and guess what! He looked at a pair of shoes. The lady suggested this sketchers pair - he nodded to approve of them.. tried them on and said yes these ones! HE CLEARLY DIDNT EVEN NOTICE THE STAR WARS ONES NEXT TO HIM! I wasn't about to tell him - I think the lady suggested some fantastic shoes - the exact ones that I wanted actually.

These boots again... aren't they just lovely?! They were £24 and looked so so cute. She said they were very comfy.

They had a great selection of trainers for girls too at really competitive prices.

These ones actually light up!

Yes that's right - lots of offers to be had all over store - can you see the 20% off & 30% off signs here in the boys section.

Here she is again - trying to decide.

And she's decided! We thought it best to pay £4 to get them protected from the rain... it took 1 minute to pop them into this machine and it sprayed them with protective spray which we thought was a great idea especially with a toddler!

She obviously found this really exciting and was allowed to help pop the boots inside.

And here is what they decided on! Some gorgeous boots for Isabelle - I would wear these!!!

And some fab comfy sketchers for Oliver! Fantastic for an active boy.

From start to finish the service we received was fantastic, even though my children were at times running around a little crazy the staff were very patient with them and tried to help in every way they could by suggesting other shoes and also telling me when they didn't think the shoe was the right one for that child.

What we chose - Feet Street Fringey Ankle boots £24
and for Oliver - Sketchers Rive £30

We would definitely return to Brantano and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the children's shoe fitting service to a friend. It's so important to have correct fitting shoes for your children and I hope my post have proved to you that although they're correct fitting shoes they don't cost the earth and they still look super cool!

You can find where your local Brantano store is by clicking here and you can also shop online if you already know your childrens shoe size from a recent visit - also for adults they have a huge selection!

Mary-Kate x

*please note that we were invited to attend by Brantano and were gifted a free pair of shoes for each child of our choice. All opinions within this post are my own - apart from where stated the tips from experts*