Fantasy Footwear
Are you dreading the upcoming search for the next pair of shoes your child will wear?
Orthopedists and podiatrists at Mayo Clinic and other surrounding hospitals recommend Schmitt’s Stride Rite to their patients for special footwear needs. We interviewed Terri, the owner of Schmitt’s Stride Rite, who specializes in fitting children with special needs. Whether it takes two seconds or ten minutes to measure your child’s foot, they’ll help make your experience more efficient and less stressful.
Sizing is an art and a science: Schmitt’s knows the average growth pattern for all ages and helps families find the right fit. However, children with sensory issues might start to feel that their shoes are getting small (tighter) sooner than children without sensory issues. Therefore, a child might need to come in for a size change earlier, perhaps even ½ sizes. If you encounter your child’s favorite shoe style no longer works for them, it might be that pair was made in a different factory than the previous ones, your child’s feet have changed, or their sensory preferences have shifted.
Sometimes it’s recommended a parent have two pairs of shoes for their child, to allow them to pick out what they want to wear. In our home, we have the next size up ready and present the pair (either identical to the current style or not) as an option when we might be nearing the end of a shoe’s size life. This way, my son can have that choice for himself and it can be as sudden or gradual of a transition as he wants. This can also be a strategy to try for seasonal changes, such as between sandals, shoes, and boots, as simply seeing the new type of footwear presented as an option can warm them up to the idea.
Another tip for encouraging your child to wear shoes is offering shoes that light up. While some don’t like them, my son, for example, enjoyed them so much we used them to help him learn gross motor skills like marching. You can also try changing the laces to something fun, attaching a favorite character, or even taking a marker to them. Get creative. The shoe will be grown out of soon enough, so don’t be afraid to experiment. If your child is having difficulty keeping the tongue pulled up while putting their shoes on consider stitching one side of the tongue into the shoe until they can do so independent of adaptation.
The Schmitt’s Stride Rite employee’s knowledge of the brands and specific adaptations of each help to best meet your child’s unique needs. These including tagging, fitting with braces or orthotics, lightweight, flexibility, ease of putting on, foot width, etc.
Their store hours are also flexible. If it works better for your child to come in before or after store hours for any reason, just call ahead. Teri is also willing to schedule additional employees on appointment during regular business hours to make sure you receive one-on-one attention. They welcome therapy animals, among other adaptations.
Our family shops at Schmitt’s, as our experience has shown a pair fitted there is better than one, or more, purchased somewhere else without the quality selection and expertise of the staff. We have also experienced significantly less stress with my son’s overall shoe wearing since we discovered them. I walk out of the store feeling like my son has the best shoes for his unique needs as I look down to watch his feet trot to the car, and at times I have to peel his shoes off of him for his pajamas at night. Schmitt’s Stride Rite has a family rewards program that never expires that helps out too. They carry shoe sizes ranging from pre-walkers to big kid’s size 7 (a women's 8 ½ - 9).
Families travel from all over, including Tomah WI, Decorah IA, Mankato and the Cities. However, if you aren’t planning a trip to Rochester anytime soon, and need a pair of shoes for your special loved one, you might try the Stride Rite in Roseville, or call a shoe store in your area to see what of the above described accommodations they can make for you.
The below links are resources that may be of value as you navigate the world of footwear for your loved one. If you have any questions or comments, send them our way!
Schmitt’s Stride Rite
507-282-8262
1300 Salem Rd SW
Rochester, MN 55902
Mary Barbera
Mary is a PhD in behavior analysis, the primary therapy utilized with autism. She shares great advice in this video/article to resolving shoe problems and determine the best shoes for kids with autism.
Friendship Circle
This Friendship Circle article brings up ways we might prefer footwear fit (tightness, height, etc.), desensitization, types of socks, and recommended sensory-friendly shoe brands including Stride Rite.