How To Support Your Baby’s Foot Development

Experts recommend that babies go barefoot for as long as possible and shoes are only a necessity when they are walking unaided outside. However, when the time comes, footwear choice can be crucial to your child’s growth and future development.

FootActive offer expert tips on how to look after your baby’s feet to finding the right fit, support and materials for your baby’s first shoes in order to build a solid foundation for their future.

Tips on how to look after your baby’s feet

Some simple tips to follow when looking after your baby’s feet are:

Wash and dry their feet thoroughly daily
Trim toenails regularly, but not too short. Try filing if your little one can’t sit still
Dress them in loose fitting and light bed clothes
Do not restrict their feet in ill-fitting baby grows or socks
Encourage muscle development with exercises such as kicking

You can also look out for certain signs that there may be a foot health issue or foot problem, such as:

Redness or rashes between toes, around the arches and ankles or any lumps on the soles of feet
Nail problems such as inflammation or discolouration of toenails
Bad posture from excessively turned in or out feet
Deformed toes

Image By Andrew Poplavsky

Tips on buying their first pair of shoes

To aid in healthy foot development, Will Munro, Managing Director at FootActive recommends that babies go barefoot for as long as possible and shoes are only a necessity when they are walking unaided outside.

Will explains the implications of putting shoes on babies too early and what impact this can have, ‘The biggest problem is that it could slow their development down. They’re also unlikely to move as much because it will feel quite restricting for a baby to have something on their feet. It really isn’t necessary to be putting babies in shoes, especially while they’re still at a crawling age’.

Once they find their feet, the type of shoe you should get for your baby will depend on their age and environment.

Newborns – Pram shoes or Booties
Whilst barefoot is recommended, it isn’t always the safest option and pram shoes or booties may be used to protect tiny feet from the elements.
Crawlers – Pre Walker Shoes
Your child should be able to feel the ground beneath their feet as much as possible to help them learn to walk, however, the bones in your baby’s feet are soft at this stage. Pre walker shoes made from soft materials can provide comfort, protection and extra grip support.
Cruisers – Shoes with a flexible sole
Your baby isn’t a baby for long and sooner or later they will find out how to pull themselves up on everything and anything. Whilst your child is in this stage of development, shoes with a flexible sole will provide your child with the necessary support they need to explore.
Walkers – Well-fitted with a firm sole
Now there really is no stopping them and they will want to walk 24/7. It’s time to get your baby their first walking shoes. Make sure they are comfortable, well-fitted and have a firm sole to support and guide your little one in a natural walking motion.

Image By Valerii Honcharuk

How to choose the best fit

At this stage your child’s nerve endings may not be completely developed, so they may not feel that their shoes are too small or tight, or if they do, they may not be able to communicate this to you yet.

According to Will Munro, ‘the best time to start measuring a child’s feet comes right back to as soon as a baby is up and about on their feet. When they’re at toddler age, that is the best time to start measuring for their shoes and to be constantly doing so in order to ensure that they’re not wearing shoes that are too small. That’s when it really matters’.

You will get the most accurate measurement if you measure their feet in the afternoon as baby feet tend to swell during the day. This can be done by a professional shop fitting service or at home. If measuring at home:

Measure the length and width of both feet. It is common for each foot to measure at a different size during your child’s development so, in this case, you should buy shoes that fit the largest foot
It is recommended by The Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists that a new shoe should be approximately 12-16mm longer than the longest toe
Your child’s feet should be measured every two to four months as they will likely grow within this time period

Image By Jaspe

What to look for in your baby’s first shoes

Along with the supportive features, style and fit, you should aim to buy shoes which have:

Close-cropped soles that prevent tripping
Room for movement and growth
Soft leather, canvas or cotton uppers to let small feet breathe
Lightweight soles to aid walking development
Fully adjustable fastenings
Padded ankles for protection and support

You may also be interested in children’s insoles, especially if you are worried about flat feet in children. A foot arch is something that will develop over time, usually by the time your son or daughter is six years old.

For more information visit: https://footactive.co.uk/blog/225-baby-s-first-shoes/