When should babies wear shoes?
It’s astonishing how quickly our babies grow and develop. All of a sudden we’re watching as they pull up to stand, start to cruise around the furniture and finally take those tentative first steps. These are memories to treasure forever.
Learning to walk is the start of a whole new chapter and as they start to explore the world on two feet, naturally you want to protect them but what should they be wearing on their feet and when?
In these early stages, there is no rush for your baby to wear shoes. Walking barefoot or in a pair of non-slip socks will allow your baby to learn to balance, establish their natural walking pattern and build their confidence. A little gentle encouragement is all that’s needed, your baby can sense when their muscles are ready for the next stage and will progress at their own pace, confidence is key.
The sole of the foot has more nerve-endings per square centimetre than anywhere else on our bodies. This sensitive surface is constantly sending vital information to our brain about the terrain, our environment and the position of our body, which is absolutely crucial during these early explorations. Wearing anything on the feet places a barrier between the foot and the ground, dulling these sensations.
What shoes should babies wear?
There will come a time when your baby wants to be on their feet outside and this is the time to consider a pair of prewalkers. Particularly at this time of year, when it’s cold and the ground is often wet. If your baby starts to walk during the summer months and you’re happy it’s safe for them to be walking barefoot, you can skip this stage and move straight to first walker shoes when they are stable and walking confidently. Do be aware this will be more of an adjustment for them as the soles of first walker shoes will be a bit thicker.
As for the shoes themselves, prewalkers should be soft, lightweight and very flexible, with a weather-proof, non-slip sole. They need to attach securely to the foot, so they move with it, without inhibiting it’s natural movement or influencing the way it’s placed, their purpose is to protect the foot, not support it.
As your baby builds their strength and confidence they will begin to move more quickly, but once again there is no rush to move to the next stage. The advice is to allow at least six weeks of independent walking, i.e. walking all the time without assistance, before moving to more structured first walker shoes with a slightly more robust sole. As long as there is room around the foot for it to flex and spread comfo.rtably, your baby can continue to wear their prewalker shoes until they’re ready for the next size.
Children’s feet grow and develop rapidly during these early years. As a guide you should aim to have their feet measured every 2-3 months, until they start school, when every 3-4 months should be enough. All reputable shoe fitters will offer no obligation fitting checks and it’s unlikely you will need to buy new shoes every time, but regular checks will help you avoid being caught out by a sudden growth spurt.
Developing fit and healthy feet
A baby’s foot is not a miniature version of an adult’s, it’s shape and strength will evolve and it will continue to grow into their teenage years. In the same way, the shoes that are appropriate at each stage of development will also change.
At birth the structure of a baby’s foot is predominantly soft, malleable cartilage, which gradually turns to bone, fuses and hardens to form the 26 bones of an adult foot. This process is called ossification and takes until the late teens/early twenties to complete. Feet remain vulnerable to damage from ill-fitting or inappropriate footwear throughout this time, with persistent pressure on developing bones, joints and muscles potentially causing a permanent deformity.
Their tiny feet are covered in a layer of fat to protect these developing bones. The fatty pads underneath the inner arch are covered in sensory receptors, increasing the surface area of the foot in contact with the ground, gathering all the vital information they need to guide their early steps and make sense of their surroundings from a new perspective.
As your toddler becomes more active, the muscles of the feet become stronger and these fat pads gradually reduce in size to reveal the arch. The arch generally becomes visible between the ages of 3-6 years, with arch development continuing into adolescence, and the arch not reaching its full height and strength until well into their teens.
Does my baby need shoes to support their feet and help them walk?
It’s a common misconception that our feet need the support of shoes, however, our feet are perfectly designed for the job they do, keeping us upright, balanced and moving us around in a variety of ways. The more support and cushioning we place around our feet, the more reliant they become on this and are prevented from moving and strengthening as they naturally would. Eventually they become so used to the support they find it difficult to move without it.
Your baby’s feet are a perfectly formed blank canvas. By choosing well-fitted, appropriate shoes during these early years, you will support the healthy development of their feet and posture, setting them on the right path for a lifetime of fit and healthy feet.
My name is Sam and I founded CeCe & Me to provide a convenient and personal shoe shopping experience for families with young children, focused on providing expert fitting and advice to help parents feel confident about the shoes they buy. I’m passionate about sharing my knowledge to promote children’s foot health, with CeCe & Me expanding to new locations to help ensure lots more happy, healthy little feet.