A frequently asked question by parents is “When to introduce shoes to baby?”. Their excitement knows no boundaries and eventually, they start purchasing first shoes for their baby.
Some people say that shoes are a crucial accessory as they play a fruitful role in their development, while others debate that babies don’t need to wear shoes to learn to walk. According to the Healthy Children Organization, your baby does not need to wear shoes until they start walking.
You must be confused about reading so many perspectives, but don’t worry, this blog is there to add to your knowledge related to baby shoes timing, baby shoe milestones, baby walking shoes age, and much more.
What Role Does A Shoe Play In The Baby Development?
A shoe seems to be a minor part of the clothing, but the accessory plays a pivotal role when it comes to baby development. The contributions are added in the following ways:
Protection
When babies begin to crawl or walk, shoes can protect their delicate feet from scratches and scrapes. Even if they lose their balance or bump their feet against anything, the shoe will keep their toes safe from serious injuries.
Support
A shoe with a firm structure and soft sole is capable of providing extra support for baby’s feet at a developmental stage.
Sensory Assistance
Shoes emerge with sensory assistance. When babies wear them and start walking, they learn about several kinds of different textures and surfaces. In short, the sensory input makes it easier for them to adapt to types of surfaces that benefit them in the long run.
Why Is Shoe Wearing Delayed For Babies?
You must have observed that parents often carry babies without shoes. This raises the question of why shoe-wearing is delayed for babies. The answer is as follows:
Room For Natural Development
The feet of babies are designed to allow room for natural development. Forcing them to wear shoes at that time is simply interfering with the natural procedure.
Deprived Of Sensory Input
We discussed the role of shoes in a baby’s development above. Shoes also offer sensory import, through which the baby adapts to multiple textures and surfaces. Therefore, early shoe usage can deprive your baby of surfaces such as grass, sand, or plain land.
Possibility Of Deformities
Another good reason to delay shoe-wearing is to avoid the possibility of deformities. Some experts believe that shoe usage at such an early age boosts the possibility of foot deformities as that can disturb the natural foot movement since the baby will not be able to wiggle according to their free will. As a parent, you will not want that to happen just because you were eager to see them wearing shoes. Therefore, avoid it and let them be shoe-less.
What Factors Should Be Considered In This Case?
Instead of rushing to introduce your baby walking shoes, it is important to consider the following factors so that you don’t regret it in the future. They are as follows:
Development Of The Baby
The first signs of your baby’s development are when they begin cruising or taking their first steps. If they are in the cruising phase, which means they cruise around furniture like tables and chairs for support, soft-soled shoes may benefit their delicate feet and protect them in case they disbalance or hit their toe against anything.
Has your baby startled you by taking their first steps indoors? Then your next question will be, should babies wear shoes indoors? Well, that’s your call because if you are scared that your baby might stumble on something and hurt themselves, it will be better to purchase shoes designed with a proper structure consisting of a firm sole. The firmness will be essential to support and stabilize your baby’s walking movements.
Landscape
What type of landscape does your region have? For instance, if you reside in an area that consists of rough terrain or you and your family habitually spend time outdoors, then take the shoes along. Your baby might want to feel like walking, so the firmness of the footwear will keep it safe from serious injuries.
Weather
How is the weather in your area? Weather plays an important role in determining whether your baby wears shoes or not. For example, if your city is usually cold, then yes, you must start making them wear shoes for their feet to remain warm. On the other hand, hot temperatures do not demand that you make them wear shoes. You can let them roam around with bare feet and get used to the surface.
What Does Your Culture Say?
There are millions of cultures across the globe, and with that, they have specific beliefs or traditions revolving around when exactly babies should start wearing shoes. Hence, if you also belong to a culture that has strict rules and regulations regarding baby shoe-wearing, then we advise you to follow your tradition.
Parental Instincts
Your family and friends will keep suggesting to you, based on their experiences, when you should get your baby used to wearing shoes. But, in the end, it will be your decision when to introduce them to shoes. Therefore, let your baby walk around barefoot and trust your parental instincts to take this step. Otherwise, if your baby trips over something and injures their foot, then you will need to place shoes on their feet to avoid future accidents.
Soft-Soled Shoes
Is your baby in the pre-walking stage? Then, feel free to make them wear shoes with soft soles. These soles prove to be an ideal choice since they do not interrupt the necessary natural foot development of your baby’s foot.
First Walking
Once your baby balances their control and starts walking on their own for the first time, celebrate that moment with shoes that have a firm sole and offer good support to your baby while they walk.
The Possible Risks
One of the major factors that need to be considered is the possible risks related to immediate shoe use. The reason medical experts put heavy emphasis on delaying shoe use is that sometimes it can surprise you by interfering with a baby’s feet’s natural development. As a parent, you will not like to see that due to your rash decision, your baby’s feet did not get the chance to develop in the way they were supposed to. Therefore, weigh the benefits with the possible risks and then proceed further.
Consult A Professional
If you feel skeptical about your baby’s feet development when introducing shoes to your baby or overwhelmed by getting too many suggestions from your friends and family, consult a professional for better guidance. They will tell you how to manage looking at your baby’s individual needs.
Allow To Be Barefoot
If you are indoors, allow your baby to roam around barefoot. Their sensory nerves will get triggered, which will assist them in understanding the different textures of the surfaces and motivate their foot development in the required natural way. They need to know how to sense sand, grass, or uneven surfaces.
Socks
Going out? Then, prepare their socks as that accessory will keep their feet warm and protect them from minor scratches. Plus, socks will add to the delight of the babies, who still are not ready to wear shoes.
Some Tips For Choosing Baby Shoes
How to choose the perfect baby shoes? We bring forward a few tips that can help you in choosing the best baby shoes for your little one. They are as follows:
Shoes With Non-Slippery Outsoles
When purchasing shoes for your baby, make sure they have non-slippery outsoles. These outsoles keep your baby safe from slipping and falling off on various surfaces. You will not like to see your child falling and getting themselves injured. Therefore, non-slippery consoles will serve the purpose.
Get Shoes With Closed Heels
Try your best to grab shoes with closed heels. These heels offer ankle support, so make sure that he does not slip off from your baby’s feet.
Cushioned Insole
The benefit of purchasing a shoe with a cushioned insole is that it protects your baby’s feet from impact, and the cushion escalates comfort. Therefore, your child will love wearing these shoes.
Pick Shoes From Famous Brands
It will be best if you pick baby shoes from famous brands that specialize in selling good-quality baby footwear. These brands manufacture shoes out of premium-quality materials and tick all the safety requirements, giving you peace of mind that the shoe will offer comfort and support.
Conclusion
We hope you were able to extract the necessary information from this blog and get answers to all questions, including whether babies need shoes to learn to walk. Apart from that, if you are looking for a vendor to purchase shoes for your baby, then visit PatPat. The website is full of shoes for babies and toddlers in a wide range of varieties, sizes, colors, and reasonable rates. So, give them a chance this time, and you are good to go.
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