Please find our frequently asked questions below. If your query is not listed below please contact us.
Here at McConnell Shoes, we strive to offer an inclusive shopping experience. Whatever your needs, our staff will do everything they can, to make your shopping experience less stressful. There are many ways we can help to create a more pleasant shopping experience for you, your child, or for other adults with additional needs.
Firstly, we would encourage you to phone one of our stores and speak to member of staff about the needs of the person you are supporting. Contact us. Our staff members will be able to answer queries you may have about a visit to one of our stores and can recommend quieter, less busy times for our in-store measure and fit service. If your child is sensitive to strong lighting and/or loud music, there are ‘quiet’ appointment times available, when you can shop with dimmed lighting and no in-store music during your visit.
Alternatively, we can give you advice about how you can measure your child’s feet at home and check the fit of their shoes. See also our guide to measure and fit at home.
When your baby is learning to take their first tentative steps, they tend to go from crawling or bum shuffling, to holding onto furniture to help them stand or take a few steps. This stage is usually known as cruising. If you feel your baby needs a little extra grip and support to get them to the full walking stage, then cruiser/prewalker shoes are ideal. Correctly fitting shoes allow your baby’s feet to grow and develop naturally whilst giving support whilst taking those first amazing steps. Pop into any of our stores and we can measure your child’s feet and recommend appropriate styles. If getting into store is difficult, see our guide to measuring at home, or get in touch with your queries and questions and our experts will be happy to offer advice. You can email us at info@mcconnellshoes.com or contact us. Shop Cruisers and Prewalkers. Your baby’s feet grow, on average, three sizes in their first year so it’s important to get their feet measured and shoes checked regularly.
Once a child is firmly on their feet and taking about 10 steps unaided, they should be ready for their first walking shoe. Getting your child’s feet measured & fitted at this stage is a memorable occasion and our trained fitters can advise you on the best styles & width fitting to suit your child. If getting into store is difficult, see our guide to measuring at home, or get in touch with your queries and questions and our experts will be happy to offer advice. You can email us at info@mcconnellshoes.com or contact us. View our range of First Girls shoes & First Boys shoes.
It is recommended that children’s feet are measured regularly to ensure your child is wearing the correct size and fit for healthy foot growth and development.
During a child’s first 3 or 4 years their little feet can grow up to 2 full sizes each year. At this stage it is recommended you have your child’s feet measured every 6 to 8 weeks. Styles in half sizes and a range of width fittings provide the perfect fit with comfort and support, whilst promoting healthy foot growth and development.
Once your child reaches school age their feet tend to grow about 1 full size a year, until they are in their late teens. It is important to continue to check the fit in your older children’s shoes as loose-fitting shoes, damaged heel cups or worn heels need to be replaced.
Here at McConnell Shoes, we are happy to check the size and fit of your child’s current shoes to reassure you they are in the correct size. If getting into store is difficult, see our guide to measuring at home, or get in touch with your queries and questions and our experts will be happy to offer advice. You can email us at info@mcconnellshoes.com or contact us.
When it comes to kids’ school shoes and trainers, it is important to get the right fit and a quality product. Your child will be usually be wearing their school shoes 5 days a week - so they need to fit well to be comfortable, supportive and durable and to promote healthy foot growth and development. Explore our carefully selected range of quality leather school shoes, in a variety of width fittings and half sizes, to ensure the perfect fit with growing room built in. Discover our top kids’ brands like Clarks, Start Rite, Geox and Lelli Kelly school shoes and browse key features such as breathable membranes, comfort technologies, antibacterial or removeable insoles (to accommodate orthotics) or scuff resistant toe caps for extra durability. If tying laces are yet to be mastered, shop velcro fastenings and bungee laces. Whether kicking a ball, running around the playground, or climbing and dragging their feet through mud, bark and gravel, your child's school shoes need to cope with all sorts. Choosing a good quality pair will help them last longer. Scuff resistant, rubber toe bumpers are always a good option for extra durability. High shine patent leather is another durable finish that can be easily wiped clean.
Regular measuring and footwear fit checks are important at this vital stage in foot development, so remember to check the sizing of plimsoles or trainers left in school all year! If getting into store is difficult, see our guide to measuring at home, or get in touch with your queries and questions and our experts will be happy to offer advice. You can email us at info@mcconnellshoes.com or contact us. View our Girls School Shoes and Boys School Shoes.
Firstly, make sure you get your child’s feet measured and fit checked for new shoes, by a trained fitter. Or if getting into store is difficult, see our guide to measuring at home, or get in touch with your queries and questions and our experts will be happy to offer advice. You can email us at info@mcconnellshoes.com or contact us.
New shoes can feel strange on feet used to trainers and sandals all summer, so it’s a good idea to get your child to start wearing their school shoes around the house for short periods of time (in their school socks). Ensure laces and straps are fastened properly to create a secure fit on the foot, to reduce the rubbing movement of the shoe and prevent blisters. This will help to ‘break the shoes in’, softening them up around the shape of your child’s foot before they have to wear them all day at school. This can be easier with younger children, as they tend to like wearing and showing off their new shoes! The back of the heel and sides of the shoe at the toes tend to be stiffer initially and are the spots where blisters tend to appear, so choose good quality socks. To prevent painful blisters forming in the first few days of wearing new school shoes, apply padded fabric plasters to the heels for a couple of days, or alternatively you can also add a little petroleum jelly to heels and toes to reduce friction and keep skin protected and hydrated.
While we are not podiatrists, we do have a lot of experience with helping our customers to find the right footwear, whatever their needs. Our team of experienced shoe fitters are always happy to answer your queries about footwear problems or products, whether you are recovering from foot surgery, or are finding it difficult to find styles for swollen or wider feet. If you are looking for style advice for a special occasion or big day, we are always pleased to help find your dream pair or solve your footwear dilemmas. You can email us at info@mcconnellshoes.com or contact us.
Anyone with heel pain from a condition such as Sever’s disease or plantar fasciitis, knows that trying to find comfortable footwear is almost as painful as the condition itself!
When choosing the right shoe to help ease your heel pain, there are a few important factors to look for. You will want to choose footwear that have some or all of these features:
- Fully cushioned footbeds, technologies like Memory Foam, or ‘Touch it’
- A good level of arch support - like Skechers’ podiatrist approved, ‘Arch Fit’ technology
- Shock absorption in the heel, such as ‘Antishokk’
- Laced or fully adjustable velcro fastenings provide much needed support.
- Removable insoles provide the option of adding orthotic insoles if necessary
No particular brand specialises in shoes for plantar fasciitis, but many of our brands have great designs to consider. Use our handy shopping filters to browse our range of premium comfort brands to shop the features you need, in styles you’ll love. With great styling and comfort from top brands such as Caprice, Clarks, Ecco, Rieker, Remonte, Skechers, Padders and Tamaris you’re sure to find a style to suit. Get in touch for bespoke advice from our team of experts. You can email us at info@mcconnellshoes.com or contact us. Comfort trainer and sandal styles with a slight wedge can provide relief, with the change in foot angle reducing pain at the heel.
Supportive half or full orthotic insoles for children come in varying sizes & thicknesses, so it can be hard to find the right style to accommodate the extra depth required in the heel cup or toe area. Shoes with removable insoles are a good choice, especially for thicker orthotics. Look for styles that have laced fastenings or easily adjustable straps to give a secure comfortable fit. Sometimes a size up from the measured guide is required. If you’re coming into store for our measure and fit service remember to bring the insoles with you! Our team of experienced shoe fitters are always happy to answer your questions or queries about problems or products you can email us at measure at home guide if getting into store is difficult. info@mcconnellshoes.com or contact us or follow our measure at home guide if getting into store is difficult.
We offer a wide selection of Clarks and Start-Rite shoes which offer half sizes and different width fittings in many styles that are great for accommodating orthotics. Geox is another great brand for orthotics as many of their styles have removable insoles and are also a wider fit. Shop boys’ removeable insoles and girls’ removeable insoles.
Everyone’s feet are different as are their orthotics! The best way to find the shoe for you and your orthotic is to try on a few different styles. Get in touch and our team of experts will be happy to answer your queries and give tailored advice for your needs. You can email us at info@mcconnellshoes.com or contact us. If you wear orthotics you may find it particularly hard to find footwear to accommodate the extra depth required at the toe or heel cup. Some brands such as Clarks and Caprice are available in half sizes which can be helpful if you need to go up a size to accommodate the orthotics and you may find a laced shoe gives you the best adjustable fit and support. Use our handy shopping filters to browse styles with removeable insoles that provide extra room for the orthotic. Brands such as Clarks, Ecco, Rieker, Remonte and Padders and Tamaris offer a range of wider fitting styles with removable insoles. If you need extra arch support without orthotics, shop our range of Skechers sandals, trainers and slippers, with podiatrist approved, Arch Fit technology.
Leather is a natural breathable material that has been used in the making of footwear for centuries. Given its soft flexible nature it needs to be looked after, to keep it looking and feeling good.
To clean leather, start by wiping off any dirt and debris with a clean soft cloth or a soft brush. Use a clean cloth or soft brush to remove any stains with a little bit of mild soapy water. Clean off any soap residue with a soft lint-free cloth and water. Allow the shoes to air dry naturally, away from any heat source.
To polish your shoes, use a neutral or matching leather shoe polish to bring your shoes back to life. Apply a small amount of polish to clean dry shoes. Don’t be afraid to use some elbow grease to really work the polish into the leather! Buff the surface to a shine with a clean cloth or soft shoe brush. Finish by using a protector spray to help prevent new stains. Shop our shoe care range. Synthetic leathers and materials can be cleaned in much the same way, but do not require creamy polish.
Use a suede/nubuck brush to gently clean dirt and debris from the suede. Suede/nubuck cleaner can help get rid of more stubborn stains.
Alternatively, for more stubborn stains, you can steam clean the suede by keeping a kettle on a rolling boil and gently rub the area with a suede brush. Then wipe down with an absorbent lint-free cloth. Protector spray can be applied when they are clean and dry.
If your shoes get very wet lightly towel dry any water first. Don’t use direct heat to try and speed up the process, as this can dry out leather and may lead to it cracking! Stuff the inside of your shoes with newspaper, to help wick away moisture and maintain the shape of your shoes.