One of the most popular topics and/or questions I get from families is about footwear. When should my child start wearing shoes? What kind of shoes are best for them? As you will hear me say quite often, every child is different, and this applies to footwear as well. However, here are some helpful tips when deciding if your child is ready for shoes, and what kind of shoes might be best for them!
When should my child start wearing shoes?
Keeping in mind that every child is different and will start wearing shoes at different times, there are a couple of important factors that can help to determine when they should start wearing shoes. I am a big supporter of barefoot standing and walking. Whenever a child is first starting to stand, cruise, and take steps bare feet or socks are important to help not only form the child’s feet but also to help with strengthening ligaments and helping to accommodate with stability. It is best to keep your child barefoot until they are beginning to stand or walk on their own, that way they have had adequate time spent barefoot. Whenever you are introducing children to shoes it is best to start in small time increments and work your way up. Let’s face it, most kids won’t love shoes at first and will probably cry and want to pull them off of their feet and play with them. Additionally, if you throw shoes on a child and have them stand, they will probably act like they’ve never stood or walked before because the shoes are such a foreign feeling to them. Getting them accustomed to wearing shoes before they stand and walk in them will help. Start by putting shoes on them for an hour or so throughout the day, maybe during floor time or play time. If they decide to stand and move in the shoes great! If they are thrown off and want to just sit and crawl in the shoes at first that is okay as well. The purpose of this is to increase the time with the shoes on slowly throughout a week or so to get them more comfortable with them on. After some time getting used to wearing shoes, your child will have no problem moving and grooving as they normally do even with their shoes on.
Another factor that might affect timing of when your little one wears shoes is weather and daycare. Some daycares require children to wear shoes starting at around a year or so (depending on the classroom). If this is the case, do not worry, start slowly getting them used to wearing shoes at home so that when they get to daycare, they are prepared to have them on all day. Additionally, the weather has a huge effect on shoes. During the summertime, I’m willing to bet that your little one loves to run around the yard and home on bare feet, which is excellent! But, during the colder months, that’s not an option. Getting your child used to wearing shoes first, then progressing to boots will help them be prepared for standing and walking in the cold winter months.
What type of shoe is best for my child?
Once again, I will start by saying every child is different and every child has different feet. Some children have flat feet, some have high arches, some require braces, and some require additional orthotics or support. It’s important to keep your child’s specific needs in mind when picking out footwear, however, I will explain some general tips and personal favorites when picking out footwear.
First, if your child does not have any special or specific needs you want to look for comfort with the shoes. Choose a shoe with a flexible sole that works with their feet and something lightweight to start with (remember shoes are a foreign object to them right now). If your child requires more support than a normal shoe, you want something with more structure to the shoe. Look for a shoe with a thicker more rigid sole, or a shoe that goes up a little higher over the ankles for ankle support. If your child wears braces such as an AFO or orthotics, you want to look for a shoe that is a bit wider and more adjustable to be able to accommodate fitting the extra material into the shoes. I will link some shoe recommendations below!
Unless your child has specific needs or accommodations, you really can’t go wrong with shoes. Always go for comfort for your little one especially since they spend so much time on their feet. Reminder, after your child wears a new pair of shoes, always check for redness, blisters, or irritated areas in case the shoes are not a good fit for them. When a child is new to wearing shoes, it is best to have a supportive shoe with either zippers, Velcro, or laces rather than slip on shoes. They might not be able to keep on slip-on shoes, and it could put them at a higher fall risk. Another tip to get your child more comfortable with wearing shoes is transitioning from socks to sock shoes before you start with an actual shoe. Sock shoes are literally pull-on socks with a bit more structured sole, similar to shoes, that might be a helpful transition for them. Comment any of your shoe favorites below!
Shoe Recommendations: Footwear
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