Should My Baby Wear Shoes?
There’s no way around it: baby shoes are adorable. Whether you’re looking at Mary Janes, name brand tennis shoes, or Doc Martens, there’s just something about the tiny shoes that make you want to hand over the cash.
But should you? You may be surprised to learn that answer is most likely no.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends holding off on putting shoes on babies until they start walking. You can find other opinions that go even farther, encouraging parents to hold off on shoes until children are two – or even four years old.
Why the wait? There are a number of reasons to postpone putting shoes on your child’s feet until he or she is confidently walking. Wearing shoes too soon can
Inhibit Proper Foot Growth and Slow Progress Toward Walking
Wearing shoes too early – or wearing the wrong kind of shoes – can keep a child’s foot from developing properly, limit its range of motion, affect the spread of toes, inhibit the correct forming of the arch, impact muscle strength and foot load patterns, and affect natural stride. These issues could all cause problems with mobility even later in life, with some studies suggesting some of these issues could affect motor learning and mental health. Walking requires significant coordination of the muscles and tendons in your child’s foot and ankle, and the best way for babies to strengthen these muscles and tendons is to be able to move and flex their feet as much as they can.
Affect Body Alignment, Balance, and Proprioception
When children learn to walk barefoot, their feet learn to adapt to different environments: carpet, wood, tile, grass, etc. This adaptation helps children’s muscles develop as they learn how to walk on uneven terrain. This adaptation also helps to improve balance, coordination, physical development, body alignment, proprioception, cognitive process, and overall body awareness. Worried about injuries? Studies show children who go barefoot have fewer injuries because they have good motor skills and they’re more careful about where and what they step on.
Improve Sensory Awareness
Babies learn so much through their sense of touch. Allowing a child to explore walking on various surfaces as mentioned above helps your child’s cognitive functioning – this affects concentration, emotional stability, and spatial orientation. Additionally, sensory learning is essential in creating cognitive pathways that shape how children understand and interact with their world. Studies show that children who experience their environments with bare feet actually have advantages in enhanced brain development and body awareness. If you don’t have access to different flooring types or a safe space to walk barefoot outside, you can purchase a sensory mat to allow your child to experience walking on different types of surfaces.
What about Safety? Don’t I Need to Protect My Child’s Feet?
Experts advise letting your child go barefoot when it’s safe but note you should balance that freedom with protection. If your child is not yet walking, you can protect his or her feet from the elements with socks, footed pajamas, sleepers, etc. Once your child starts toddling, you can use booties or socks with non-skid bottoms when needed.
My Child is Ready for Shoes – What Kind Should I Buy?
Once your child is walking (generally between 8 – 18 months), look for shoes that are
lightweight.
made with flat, non-skid soles to minimize slips and falls.
made of cloth or leather so your child’s feet can breathe and won’t sweat as much
made with flexible soles to minimize tripping, avoid restricting your child’s movement, and help your child learn to move his/her feet correctly.
Additional Tips
Do make sure shoes fit correctly: there should be about a thumb’s width room in toe box, and the shoes should be in the sweet spot of not too tight or too loose.
Avoid hand-me-downs that have lost their shape.
Keep in mind your child’s foot will grow quickly, so you’ll likely replace shoes every few months. You may want to avoid expensive shoes – or purchasing several pairs of shoes – until your child’s foot size stabilizes.
Ankle boots aren’t really more supportive than low-cut shoes, but they are harder for children to take off!
These guidelines are general recommendations for children who are developing normally. While doctors say corrective shoes are rarely needed for babies or toddlers, there are times when a child might need intervention. If your child has a neurological or orthopedic condition, talk with your doctor about what is best for your child. Also, while the general timeline for walking is 8 – 18 months, not every child falls into this category. If you have concerns about your child’s development, always talk to your doctor.
At One by One, we support pregnant and new moms by pairing them with mentors to help them learn to parent well. Our mentors provide friendship, support, parenting education, baby milestone information, and lessons on how moms can support their children’s development. If you are a pregnant or new mom looking for guidance, you can apply for a mentor here. We’re always looking for women to volunteer as mentors. If you are interested, you can learn more here. We train you and give you everything you need to support a mom.