babymakes3
Almost there!
Member since 7/06 7376 total posts
Name:
|
Informative Article on Baby Shoes
Baby needs a new pair of SHOES
Cuter than a bug's ear and ranging from affordable to overindulgent, baby shoe styles are multiplying like rabbits.
By Wendy Donahue, Chicago Tribune
Last update: July 11, 2007 – 4:53 PM
Parents occasionally get rattled when Michael Thomas, co-owner of the Piggy Toes boutique, tells them that their baby's (unspoken adjective: fat) feet aren't ready for shoes.
"They get mad," said Thomas, whose family-owned boutique in Chicago specializes in European brands such as Mod 8 and Naturino.
Who could blame parents for going a little gaga over all the fun footwear available to babes nowadays? Even so, Mom and Dad shouldn't rush to shoe their beginning biped. If they go to reputable retailers, "barefoot is best" will become a familiar refrain, a sort of sequel to "breast is best."
That's because the foot and its muscles develop through the preteen years. They do it best without restrictions, says Chicago area podiatrist Dr. Marlene Reid, a spokeswoman for the American Podiatric Medical Association. Toes and soles also need a free range of motion for a baby to learn how to grip and balance.
Still, tender feet sometimes need a shield from environmental aggressors.
"People don't think of the things that fall on the floor," said Steve Wilkos, Nordstrom's national retail director for kids shoes. "Protection is the piece people don't think of enough."
The old belief in hard leather soles and rigid ankle support, however, has gotten the boot.
These days, newborns and crawlers might start in soft-leather slip-ons, such as Robeez (pronounced ROB-eez).
Babies who are crawling and cruising (walking along furniture) could graduate to slightly more structured shoes such as Pedipeds.
When tots are ready to move into sturdier rubber-soled shoes, the soles should remain flexible, as in sandals and slip-ons by Stride Rite and Umi.
"I'll sometimes see 2-year-olds in sandals that don't bend, and they have to lift their whole leg up to get the foot off the ground," Reid said. "If their foot can't bend, they're going to be prone to injury. I sometimes actually stop moms in the park and tell them."
Many parents believe a child should be walking by 12 months and think the right shoes might help. But the average is between 12 and 15 months. And as a mother of two, Reid adds that it's not a milestone to hurry.
You'll be doing enough of that after it's reached.
Before you buy baby's first shoes
Start with a professional fitting. "That's really, really crucial," Wilkos said.
Nordstrom's salespeople go through a certification program for fitting children's shoes. They measure length from heel to toe and from heel to ball of foot as well as width. The fitter also looks at the girth; a higher instep may call for going up a size from what the vertical measurement indicates.
Other considerations:
Flexibility: "It should be flexible, but not to the point where you can totally twist the shoe," Reid said. "If you flex the toe of the shoe upward, the bend should be at the ball of the foot, not in the middle of the shoe."
Length: A too-long shoe is just as bad as a too-short shoe. The ideal is about a thumb's width or 3/8 to of an inch between the longest toe and the tip of the shoe, Reid said. The child should be able to wiggle the toes.
Width: Many companies that primarily make adult footwear do not fully reconfigure their silhouette for a baby's broader, squarer foot. That's one of the advantages of going with a children's specialty company such as Stride Rite, which offers various widths.
Soles: Robeez aren't meant for wearing outdoors where glass or other road hazards might be encountered. The jury's out on whether arch support is necessary for babies.
Soft, breathable uppers: Baby's first shoes should have an enclosed toe to avoid stubbing, Reid said. But they should breathe for a baby's foot, which sweats more than an adult's. Beware of shoes with plastic or synthetic interiors.
Straps that don't rub or bind: Check the foot for irritation. Velcro straps allow adjustments. But an enterprising child also learns how Velcro works.
Maintenance checks: Uneven wear on the soles can indicate flat-footedness. Tripping in shoes can indicate intoeing. A podiatrist can treat both problems easily if they're diagnosed early.
|
GoldenRod
10 years on LIF!
Member since 11/06 26792 total posts
Name:
Shawn
|
Re: Informative Article on Baby Shoes
We're not rushing the shoe issue, either. DD is about 14 months, and some people comment that she's not wearing shoes, as though that's something horrible. She's not really walking yet (a few steps, but no real distances), so it's not like she's walking on rough pavement or anything. We'll put shoes on her when we think she needs them.
|
dawnygirl25
Growing up soo fast..
Member since 1/06 14917 total posts
Name:
Dawn
|
Re: Informative Article on Baby Shoes
Posted by GoldenRod
We're not rushing the shoe issue, either. DD is about 14 months, and some people comment that she's not wearing shoes, as though that's something horrible. She's not really walking yet (a few steps, but no real distances), so it's not like she's walking on rough pavement or anything. We'll put shoes on her when we think she needs them.
same here....Alyssa is 12.5 mths and we never have shoes on her unless we are going somewhere outdoors that she may want to practice walking and need protection. She only takes a few steps by herself right now so I dont feel she needs shoes on most of the time. People comment but the ped agreed that barefoot is best until they are walking by themselves......
|
)
