Choosing the Right Shoes for Baby and Toddler

It is not easy to choose the right shoes for our baby or toddler. When you enter the shopping mall you will be daunted by the shoes, there are so many choices and styles of them. Shoes..shoes..shoes..everywhere and you may get distracted by the lovely shoes for yourself in the corner. Well, actually babies do not need shoes until they start learning to walk. Babies feet are gentle but they are tough too. Important things to remember when we choose shoes for babies or toddler are that they will grow, the safety, the materials, and fit with their growing feet.

As I said before, babies do not need shoes much. They used to crawl everywhere and bare feet is okay for them. But if you'd like to take them out, you may opt for a very soft breathable material shoe and make sure that the shoe is plenty big enough to allow for natural movement of the foot and toes. Wearing a pair of soft knitted of fleece material baby booties are a good idea to keep their feet warm when the temperature is cooler. When your baby start learning to walk, that's the time we may buy shoes for them.

For babies age 0-12 months the function of shoes is for protecting. So, even if we bought them their first walking shoes let the babies stay bare feet when they're at home. It will develop the babies' muscles. Let them kick, crawl, run, and walk bare feet. Just keep the floor clean and clear for materials that may harmed them.

• Choose the soft and flexible materials.
• Choose the shoes that have a non slip soles. Ensure that the soles are not thick, let the babies feel the floor beneath them.
• Make sure we choose a breathable materials to keep their feet comfortable and cool.
• To check the fit of your baby’s shoe, you should be able to fit your little finger between the heel of your baby’s foot and the back of the shoe, also there should be a thumbs width gap between the big toe and the front of the shoe.

Proper toddler shoes is very important to ensure your little ones' safety as they learn to walk and run. In toddler ages about 2 to 5 years old, they need shoes to help to form the correct normal structure of their feet. Shoes for toddlers also help the process of learning to walk and growth as well as keep the rotation of leg's bone in the right direction. Some shoes can also help to correct and improve some types of abnormalities in toddler's feet developing process.

Things to consider in choosing toddler shoes :

• Choose the durable materials for shoes like leather or imitation leather and canvas. If possible avoid shoes made from plastic material. Plastic won't absorb the sweat.
• Get the right shoes size. Do not be too big or too small. Our toddler could be falling down or tripping if the shoes are too big. But if they are too small, the toddler's feet could be out of shape.  
• Toddler feet are still growing, consider to buy cheaper but durable shoes, but avoid buy a second hand shoes for toddler. Worn shoes had their own shape from the first child. It make the feet will not grow properly.
• If possible ask for some advices to shoe's consultant in the shop or department store.
• Select the flexible shoes. Shoes that have flexible soles. Test them by bending the shoes.
• Choose the sneaker type shoes. Sneakers are comfortable and strong enough to support the toddler's energetic activities.
• The toddler shoes should not be too heavy and there is a space at the top of the shoes about 1.5 cm
• Replace the shoes with a new one every 2-3 months according to the toddler walking development.
• Choose the cute and cool design. Ask the children opinion. Well, toddlers have already had their own opinion. My daughter (almost 4) has already had her own opinion in choosing the right shoes for her. I decide the safety, durability, flexibility, and price. She decides the style.