First Step, First Shoes

 If your baby hasn't started to take their first steps yet, you don't need a shoe yet. The important thing in this process is to keep your baby's feet warm, a pair of socks, booties or a soft-soled baby boot will be enough to keep your baby's feet warm. If you are sure that tiny feet will not get cold, their feet may even be bare. However, your baby will grow rapidly and will begin to take the first steps you look forward to. Now is the time to choose the right baby shoes for your baby. This choice will be a little confusing as you want the best for your baby. For this reason, we tried to answer the questions you might have in your first shoe selection.

When to Buy Your Baby's First Shoes?

 We know that your baby's first step is an exciting process for you and you can't wait for your first shoe. However, it is useful to wait a few weeks for your first shoe. It is better for your baby who has just taken their first steps to gain experience of walking barefoot. This process should not add difficulty in getting used to shoes. You can buy your favorite baby shoes 2–2.5 weeks after your baby takes his first step.

Orthopedic Baby Shoes Models

Babies' feet are soft and flexible; For this reason, you should choose orthopedic baby shoes with a comfortable sole, not compressing the fingers, and not causing deformities in your baby's feet.

Shoes Should Be Breathable and Flexible

When your baby takes the first step, the shoes on his feet are an important factor in his walking habit. The sole of the shoe should be flexible and soft. You can test the flexibility of the shoe you are considering to buy by bending it right and left, back and forth. In addition, care should be taken to make sure that your baby's shoes are made of breathable material.

Leather or Textile Shoes Should Be Preferred

When choosing your baby's shoes, one of the things that should be considered is the material from which the shoes are made. Because the material determines all the features of the shoe, from the flexibility of the shoe to the breathability. Leather and textile are both flexible and breathable materials. Baby shoes made of rubber or plastic-containing materials cause sweating and produce bacteria, thus negatively affecting baby foot health.

Choose the Appropriate Size and Model for Your Babies’ Foot Structure

‘My baby can wear longer’ is one of the most common mistakes of parents made in choosing shoes for their kids. The wrong shoes you will choose for your baby who is still novice in walking could possibly delay walking and push him to continue crawling. When your baby wears the shoes, there should be a space at most one thumb width between the toe of the shoe and your baby's thumb. Often one foot can be half or a size bigger than the other, so be sure to measure your baby's feet and make sure that the shoe you choose does not squeeze both feet.

Writer: Merve Tavoğlu