If you rewind the clock to decades ago, you will see that the accepted belief was that babies needed strong support when beginning to stand and walk. Do you recall seeing baby shoes that were created from very stiff, white leather and came up over a baby’s ankle? Remarkably, most people thought that type of shoe was necessary to help a foot form properly and help the baby walk more easily. Those shoes were often not the most beneficial baby shoes because, until they were broken in, the bottoms were slick and furnished no traction. Those old leather high-top shoes were equivalent to putting a baby in a pair of overly-stiff ice skates.
It’s very important that safety needs to be remembered at all times when purchasing baby shoes, and one of the ways to do this is to make sure that the shoes have good traction. Shoes that are slick on the bottom will create trouble for your child as they learn to walk. Just as you shouldn’t start your child out with standing or walking on ground that is slick, the shoes you put on their feet shouldn’t have slick soles for beginning walking or standing either. If you have found a shoe that you believe is fantastic in every other way aside from a slick under surface, you can scuff up the bottom, either with sandpaper or by utilizing any other creative way that comes to mind. You will have to make sure that you rough up the sole enough so that the slick areas are gone, and this will help to lessen the chance of an accident occurring.
While the traction the shoe gives is important, it’s also important to pay attention to the flexibility of the shoe, too. Long before you put a shoe on a baby’s foot, first try bending the toe in the direction of the heel of the shoe. If the shoe barely bends or won’t at all, it’s not the shoe you want to put on your baby. The only time that this may be ignored is if a physician has stated that your child needs to wear specialized shoes that provide corrective measures for your child’s foot. If corrective issues aren’t a problem for your baby, focus on obtaining shoes that are just as comfortable for their feet as the ones you buy for yourself. Take into account, too, that the sole of the shoe only needs to be hard enough or thick enough to protect your baby from any injuries that could come from stepping on certain objects or surfaces.
You will additionally need to look over the upper part of the shoes to make sure that they are comfortable. If you would not find a texture comfortable, don’t put it on your baby. Forgo any kinds of plastic shoes that will cause your baby’s foot to sweat and will not allow them to breathe, and instead, choose shoes that are made of a breathable material.
Different people have differing thoughts about babies wearing high-top shoes. Your best option is talk to your child’s physician about their feelings on the matter and go from there. A number of parents have trouble with their babies continuously taking their shoes off, and in cases like that, high-tops may serve your needs best in some situations.