When it comes to purchasing shoes for your baby’s feet, many professionals believe that babies and toddlers should not wear firm shoes before they are fully walking to allow proper growth. “It is important that the muscles in toddlers’ feet are allowed to develop through natural stabilization,” stated Dr. Douglas Horne, UK podiatrist. Shoes during the early years should mostly be worn to protect the foot; otherwise going barefoot will help promote a better toe grip and stronger arch of the foot.

Infants and toddlers need to have fitted shoes. If your baby needs foot care, see one of our podiatrists of Memorial Podiatry, PLLC. Our doctors can help your baby’s foot and ankle necessities

Fitting Shoes for Infants

Taking care of a baby to ensure proper development is highly important and necessary to make sure that they grow up to be healthy and happy. Finding shoes for infants may be tricky for new parents because it is a new experience for everyone involved. Also, since infants cannot speak, they cannot tell you which one feels best, which hurts, and which styles they like more. Although often crying is a signal for them being unhappy, it is still difficult to know what fits.

Since their feet are so tiny, it might be easier to go around a store and try to see which shoes fit them best. Most infant shoes are very soft and you will not have to worry about fancy laces or intricate shoe designs. For infants, all that matters is that they are warm, well-protected and comfortable so that they can grow properly.

Once a baby is able to stand or start walking after they pass their crawling phase, it is important to change their shoes as often as they grow, and since they tend to grow and change fast, it is best to keep up with them to ensure safety and comfort.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office located in Texas. We offer the newest diagnostic tools and technologies for your foot and ankle needs.

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