When quality is not a toy

For sellers of children's shoes, the quality of the goods is not just a pleasant addition to the image, but a strict necessity. It is about the health of a child whose body is still too susceptible to any external influences, therefore, improper design or harmful materials of shoes can literally ruin a person’s life. How to identify low-quality goods at the order stage? And is it worth recklessly trusting the name of the manufacturer? These questions are answered by the partners of the KIDDYPAGES children's goods information center, for whom children's shoes are a profession.

We are responsible for those whom we shoe

As practice shows, the end customer does not always choose children's shoes, guided primarily by its quality. Very often, when choosing a shoe for a child, the visual characteristics of a pair become a decisive factor for an adult. “Beauty, fashion and visual quality are some of the most important factors that make shoes attractive to customers,” confirms Inga Kromer, head of children’s clothing and footwear at Maria. - Although, of course, not only they form a positive image of the brand. Value for money and brand awareness also play a significant role. A pleasant addition in the form of a children's shoe spoon, a small funny toy or an original box enclosed in a box leaves a pleasant “aftertaste” from the purchase and can sometimes affect the choice of the buyer. ”

However, after the purchase is completed, it is the quality of the shoes that becomes critical. And it is better if the seller at the stage of ordering models saves himself and his customers from a threat to children's health. “Once we ordered a batch of children's models from one well-known manufacturer and almost crippled our friends’ children with these shoes, ”the owner of a children's goods store shares in a forum of shoe makers. - A few days after the purchase, the child began to limp. Since we highly recommended this shoe brand to parents, they did not think bad about shoes and began to take the child to doctors. In the end, it turned out that the problem was caused by an insole in this model. It turned out to be too thin, and the fasteners that connected the insole with the sole began to dig into the child’s foot after a while. ”

A similar story is a nightmare of any seller of children's shoes. And it’s not clear what is worse: to lose the image of the store and the trust of customers or to harm the health of children. So that the nightmare does not come true, it is desirable to select models with your own hands, referring to the online order only for checked items. “The direction of online trading today has become almost one of the priorities in retail and in some wholesale stores,” said Irina Anyanova, development manager of Avangard LLC. “However, you can only evaluate the quality of materials, the convenience of the model and the level of the product by holding the item in your hands. "These factors are extremely important for children's shoes, so do not neglect their careful study."

Name = Warranty?

Children's shoes are a very specific type of product that may turn out to be too tough for a well-known but not experienced shoe manufacturer in this area. “The recognizable brand name is not always a guarantee of the quality of children's shoes, because luxury brands often pay attention to the image and beauty of models to the detriment of their quality,” says Irina Krutchenskaya, general director of the show room More and More. “It’s worth buying branded shoes in the form of a pleasant addition to the same clothes, and it’s better to choose shoes for a child from the assortment of a brand specializing specifically in children's shoes.”

According to the manager of the Rik-Style company Eldar Avdiev, one should also be suspicious of the manufacturer, who transferred production to developing countries in an effort to reduce costs or move to a different price category. “The name of the brand can serve as a guarantee of quality only if it is a European manufacturer from the Old World, which has been manufacturing products at one enterprise for decades,” says Eldar.

If the brand you like has not yet been personally tested by you and does not fit the category of absolutely trustworthy, specify what quality control each model passes. Especially diligent manufacturers check products in several stages - from checking materials and experimental images to eliminating shortcomings and controlling final products.

No matter how reliable the brand may be, “there is a hole for the old woman,” so you should not cancel your own research on the quality of shoes. So, how to identify high-quality and low-quality models by selecting products at an exhibition or in a manufacturer’s showroom?

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What you should pay attention to

Natural materials - one of the main criteria determining the quality of children's shoes. Since the children's foot is much smaller than that of an adult, but is endowed with no less sweat glands, it is characterized by increased sweating. It is very important that the child’s foot “breathe” in the shoes, otherwise she will sing and suffer from rubbing. It is best to create the right microclimate in shoes due to membrane materials that are well suited to our climatic conditions. In the process of manufacturing children's shoes, the use of allergenic materials and harmful tannins is unacceptable, and large European manufacturers voluntarily certify their products for their absence. Certified materials include chromium VI-free leather, rubber glue, lining materials with an appropriate level of acidity (pH).

Block - Another important criterion for the quality of children's shoes. In footwear of a small group and a children's group, its convenience can be visually defined: it looks graceful, since the main task of a shoe block for children of tender age is to ensure comfort and safety of foot development. High-quality children's shoes, regardless of age group, should have a solid back that holds the heel firmly and protects it from turning to the side. Models of children's shoes created by Russian manufacturers are often made with slightly wider pads than European models of shoes. This is due to the peculiarities of the legs of Russians, including even very small ones.

It is important that sole children's shoes were light, wear-resistant, non-porous and, preferably, grooved. In terms of low thermal conductivity, soles made from foam materials like polyurethane or EVA are good. When checking the sole for flexibility, make sure that it is bent primarily in the toe.

Preferably insole It was removable, and in winter models it absorbed moisture well and quickly dried. Quality insoles are made of several layers, one of which is leather, and the other is soft shock-absorbing polyethylene foam. Arch support is an integral part of children's shoes, but you should be careful with it. “Do not look for an insole with orthopedic arch support. Such shoes cannot be a priori sold in an ordinary store, as it is medical and prescribed by an orthopedist based on the results of a foot scan, warns Eldar Avdiev, manager of Rick-Style. “Until the 26 size, the insole should repeat the anatomical structure of the foot, that is, it should be almost even, and support for the foot in the form of a bend of the insole profile may appear in shoes for schoolchildren and teenagers.”

Lining It should be wear-resistant, soft and, preferably, made of natural materials, for example, of thin genuine leather. If the lining is leather, it is best to be a natural color, because the paint can stain the leg. In Russia, this is considered a marriage, although European manufacturers use natural safe dyes. In the manufacture of lining can be used not only natural, but also high-tech textile and synthetic materials. They are more wear-resistant, interact better with the membrane in winter models and in summer models without washing the appearance of washing in the washing machine.

Materials top should be soft, but at the same time fixing the foot well enough. In high-quality shoes, the seams are smooth, durable and do not create rough joints both outside and inside the shoe. Closed models of small children and children should have a protective “bumper”, which additionally protects the toe of the shoe and children's fingers from damage. You should also pay attention to the method of attaching the top of the shoe to the sole - glue, piercing or lithium. The latter is the most technologically advanced, but also expensive fixing method. It reliably fixes the material of the top in the sole and allows you to reveal all the qualities of the membrane materials of the top.

Additional accessories can be an indicator of quality, which should be securely attached to shoes, as well as safety devices such as retroreflective elements. In addition, pay attention to ergonomics: high-quality children's shoes are designed so that they can be easily removed and put on, tightly fixes the children's foot and is adjustable for completeness, for example, using hidden elastic bands.