Babies don’t need shoes before they start walking. However, once your little one begins walking by himself and gets mobile, you should consider buying him a good pair of shoes to protect and support his feet while he’s out.
Parents must be careful when choosing their baby’s first pair of shoes, as it will have an impact on how the infant’s feet and walking develop.
All pediatricians recommend baby shoes that are very flexible, and lightweight and let the infant’s feet move as naturally as possible. The shoes should be made of leather, cotton, or canvas and have thin rubber soles. This allows the toddler’s feet to breathe and prevents slipping. Avoid plastic shoes because they can make your child’s feet sweaty and cause fungal infections.
There are a lot of baby and toddler shoes to choose from. Below are just a few ideas:
Slippers – worn indoor, soft fabric and non-slip sole.
Sneakers – specifically designed for early walkers, deep flex grooves for maximum flexibility, natural leather linings for permeability and super-soft construction for comfort and support.
T-Straps – genuine leather lining enhances permeability and removable, anti-bacterial, breathable insoles keep feet comfy and dry, flexible rubber sole with fashionable looks and excellent durability.
Sandals – super soft and flexible and the little cutout areas keep the feet cooler in summer.
Boots – ultra-soft leather, upper with a Velcro tab on the back making for an easy on and off, super-soft linings and knobby PVC inlays on the soft sole, great for the cold season.
Regardless your option (MomoBaby Shoes was our baby girl’s first pair of shoes and it was great 😉 ), first of all, you must correctly measure your toddler’s sole. To do this, place his feet on a perfectly flat surface. Your toddler’s weight should stretch the sole. Then, use a measuring tape or a ruler and measure the distance from the tip of his big toe to the back of his heel. If you are not sure you measured your toddler’s feet properly, you can always use a foot measuring device.
What you should know when buying your baby’s a pair of shoes
When buying your infant shoes, you should also consider the fact that if your toddler is less than 18 months old and he just started to make his first steps, his shoes should be bigger than his feet with 0.3in/0.8cm max. If your kid is more than 2 years old, you can buy him shoes that are 0.4in/1cm – 0.6in/1.5cm larger. Moreover, children’s feet grow really quickly. So you should plan to check the fit of the shoes every six – eight weeks.
It is always best to buy your toddler new shoes. Second-hand shoes are already moulded to another child’s feet, and the soles are, probably, worn down to fit a different walking style. This could damage your child’s walking and his feet growth.
After buying a new pair of shoes, observe your toddler walk around while wearing them. Make sure his feet don’t slip forwards or out of the shoes when he walks or stands on his tip-toes. If his feet slip forward it could crush his toes at the top of his shoes. If his shoes are too loose, your toddler might have to curl his feet and toes to prevent them slipping off. In both cases, you should take off his shoes, measure his sole again and buy him a suitable pair.
How old was your toddler when he started to walk in shoes? What kind of shoes did you first buy for your baby? Share your experience with us!
