** FOR USE WITH AP LIFESTYLES ** The Children's Place provided this photo of a pair of girls' shoes. Not only do school shoes need to be cool enough so kids will want to wear them, they also need to fit well so they'll be comfortable and last a busy day. (AP Photo/The Children's Place)

Taking kids to buy new shoes is always an adventure, but it helps if you have a better idea of what to look for.

Some advice from Dr. Jane Andersen, a podiatrist in Chapel Hill, N.C., and a member of the American Podiatric Medical Association, on how to get the best fit:

¢ Make sure kids are wearing the type of socks or tights they’ll be wearing with the shoes.

¢ Feet should be measured each time, but don’t let a number keep you from buying shoes that seem to fit since each brand sizes slightly differently.

¢ With the child standing up, check to see if there’s a finger’s width of room from the end of the toe to the toe box. That’s enough room to grow.

¢ Check to see if the foot’s heel lifts up when the child walks. If it does, it becomes a candidate for blisters.

¢ Wear new shoes with socks on the carpet at home before they hit the street. If they turn out to be uncomfortable, you can probably return them.

¢ Shoes should feel good from the start. Don’t count on breaking them in.

¢ Ask children a series of questions: Does any part of the shoe poke your foot or feel too tight? Does anything feel like it’s pushing on your toes? Does it feel too stiff?

¢ Most importantly, does the shoe feel comfortable?

¢ Don’t pass down shoes from child to child. Not only can fungus and warts be spread this way, the supportiveness of the shoe is probably diminished.

¢ Don’t expect that children’s shoes will last the whole year. Signs that it’s time for replacements include a weakening of the rounded part of the heel or if you can bend the shoe in half. “You want the midsole to be rigid enough that it doesn’t really twist,” she says.