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How to choose your child's first shoes

25/05/2017

How to choose your child's first shoes

HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR CHILD'S FIRST SHOES

It seems just yesterday that you were holding your baby protectively in your arms. Then after learning how to sit up and crawl all alone, your child is now standing up, ready to explore the world and prove what he or she can do. Your child is growing up and is ready to face those first challenges: learning to walk is an important milestone that you must help your child to achieve in the best possible way.

When your child crawls its feet are completely flat, because the “foot arches” will only form when he or she starts walking. At this stage of development your child's feet are authentic sensory organs and it is important to allow your child to move on different types of ground in order to exercise muscles in the best possible way.

THERE’S NO HURRY!

First and foremost, remember that there’s no hurry! You should buy your child's first shoes when your child begins to walk all alone: making a child wear shows early will not help him to walk sooner or better.

But when baby starts to take its first real steps, how do you go about choosing those first shoes? What are the absolute musts to look for when buying them?

THE MATERIALS

First steps shoes, and children's shoes in general, should be made of natural materials: such as leather for the uppers, linings and insoles.

Never opt for synthetic materials because they make feet sweat and slip, negatively affecting posture and making them uncomfortable for your child.

CHARACTERISTICS

Shoes should have soft and flexible soles that allow a full freedom of movement to your child's feet, while uppers should not be too light because otherwise the structure of the shoe will deform in time. Ensure that you can bend the front of the shoe by at least 90° simply by pressing it down with your hand in order to allow toes full freedom of movement, while the backs should have sturdy ankle pads that stabilise the heel and prevent the foot from bending sideways. Orthopaedic foot arches are rarely necessary; all that is needed are insoles that ensure correct support to the foot and foot arch thus ensuring proper development of the foot arch. The outer soles should be non-slip, and shaped so as to facilitate grip on the ground, making baby's uncertain first steps more confident and stable.

Even in spring or summer, when shoes are more open, the heel should be closed until the child walks with absolute confidence, in any case choosing appropriately structured shoes.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE SIZE?

Baby's feet must have enough space to move freely; if the shoes are too narrow, toes will be pinched into an unnatural position that will in time have a negative affect on posture, because your baby's bones in this stage are still growing. Don't buy shoes that are too big however, because your child will not be able to walk property and may trip: as rule of thumb from 1 to 3 years of age your child's feet should be checked once every 6-8 weeks, and from 3 to 6 years of age feet grow from two to three sizes a year; while during school age they grow one or two sizes a year.

To help you check the size, click here to print the Falcotto foot measure.

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