7 simple hacks to teach your child to put their shoes on the right feet

It's something we grown-ups do without thinking, so it's easy for us to think it's simple but, in fact, it's a logical thinking process than can take a child many years to master – especially as the whole concept of 'left' and 'right' is probably something they haven't properly grasped yet, either. It's not uncommon for 4 and 5-year-olds to still put shoes on the wrong feet.

You can really help this which-shoe-for-which-foot learning process by talking to your child about the shapes of their shoes: how the foot ends curve towards the middle, and how the straps do up on the outside. Your child may not completely understand to begin with but it'll all start coming together gradually over time.

And, while that's all happening in the background, there are some brilliantly simple practical tricks you can use to help your child grow in confidence at putting their shoes on correctly – and to help you both get out of the house a bit quicker in the morning!

Some of our hacks (explained below with pictures and also demonstrated in our video guide above) do require an ability to recognise letters or a willingness to mark the shoes with marker pen (which you may not want to do) but there are plenty of others for much younger children and which use stickers or clips, instead of marker pen – and they're all really easy to teach to your child.

For more shoes, check out our list of best school shoes for girls and boys.

Here are our 7 brilliant tips to help children put shoes on the right feet

1. The binder clip shoe hack

This shoe hack is the simplest of all and works for all ages – and has the added advantage of keeping your child's shoes tidily paired when they're not being worn. You do have to remember, though, to pick up the clip when the shoes are being worn and store it carefully somewhere until the shoes are taken off and you need to put it back on again.

Take your child's shoes, place them side by side with the left shoe on the left side and the right shoe on the right side, and then secure them together with a binder clip (see pic above).

This means, when your child picks up their shoes to put them on, they're already lined up correctly and there's no danger of them getting muddled up while they make the journey to the floor in front of your child's feet. When your child's ready to put the shoes on, you can unclip the clip.

2. The name label shoe hack

This is a great one for a child who can recognise their name when it's written down – although if their name has a lot of letters, you may struggle a little to fit them all in.

Take a big white sticky label and write your child's name on it. With a pair of scissors, cut vertically down the middle of the sticker between 2 letters, so that half the name is on one label and half is on the other.

Stick the label with the first half of their name on it into the lower inside sole of their left shoe; stick the label with the second half of their name on it into the lower inside sole of their right shoe (see pic above). Now all your child has to do is position their shoes to spell out their name, and they'll have the shoes lined up ready to put on correctly.

3. The sticker match shoe hack

This alternative version of the Name Label hack (see no 2) is aimed at children who haven't learnt to recognise their name yet – or who just love a sparkly sticker!

Choose a sticker featuring an animal or character your child loves and cut it in half, vertically. Stick the left-hand half of the sticker into the lower inside sole the of their left shoe; stick the right-hand half of the sticker into the lower inside sole of their right shoe (see pic above).

Now all your child has to do is position their shoes so that the sticker halves match up make the complete picture, and they'll have the shoes lined up ready to put on correctly.

4. The arrows shoe hack

Take a big white sticky label and draw 2 diagonal arrows on it, 1 pointing up and right;1 pointing up and left. With a pair of scissors, cut vertically down the middle of the sticker between the 2 arrows, so that 1 arrow is on one half and 1 arrow is on the other.

Stick the left-hand half of the sticker into the lower inside sole the of their left shoe; stick the right-hand half of the sticker into the lower inside sole of their right shoe (see pic above).

Now all your child has to do is position their shoes so that the arrows point towards each other, and they'll have the shoes lined up ready to put on correctly.

5. The dots shoe hack

This hack is super-simple but you do need shoes with light-coloured soles – and you need to be happy about making a permanent mark on them. Alternatively, you could pop the dots on the fabric inside the shoe instead.

Place your child's shoes down as a pair, with the left shoe on the left and the right shoe on the right. Flip each shoe over so that the soles of both shoes are touching each other and the straps of both shoes are facing out and away from each other.

Then, with a marker pen, make a small dot on the side edge of each shoe's sole, about halfway down (level with where the arch of the foot would be, see pic above).

Now all your child has to do is position their shoes so that the dots are facing each other, and they'll have the shoes lined up ready to put on correctly.

6. The smiley face shoe hack

This alternative version of the Dots hack (see no 5) also needs shoes with light-coloured soles and a willingness to make a permanent mark on them – although, as an alternative, you could pop the smiley face on the fabric inside the shoe instead. But it'll definitely bring a smile to your child's face – and introduce them in a fun, low-key way to the concept of mirror images.

Place your child's shoes down as a pair, with the left shoe on the left and the right shoe on the right. Flip each shoe over so that the soles of both shoes are touching each other and the straps of both shoes are facing out and away from each other.

Then, with a marker pen, make a small dot on the side edge of each shoe's sole, about halfway down (level with where the arch of the foot would be). Underneath the dot on each shoe, draw a line that curves up slightly towards the fabric of the shoe (this is the half-smile of the smiley face). The around the dot and the curved line on each shoe, draw a semi-circle with the open end at the 'floor' edge of the sole (this is the half-face of the smiley face – see pic above).

Now all your child has to do is position their shoes so that the smiley face is complete, and they'll have the shoes lined up ready to put on correctly.

7. The L and R stickers shoe hack

This hack works for a child who knows, or is learning, their letters and can tell their left from their right but still struggles to work out from the shape of their shoes which one goes on which foot.

Take a big white sticky label and draw an L and an R on it. With a pair of scissors, cut vertically down the middle of the sticker between the 2 letters, so you have a L sticker and a R sticker.

Stick the L sticker into the lower inside sole the of their left shoe; stick the R sticker into the lower inside sole of their right shoe (see pic above).

Now all your child has to do is put the L shoe on their left foot and the R shoe on their right foot.

Pics: Janet Mtima. Video: Janet Mtima/Emily Longman Wall

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