When to buy first shoes
The signal that it's time to hide cute knitted booties in the closet and go for the first real shoes for the child will be his attempts to stand on his own feet. Usually this happens between 9 and 12 months. Sandals, shoes, shoes or boots - the model depends on the time of year and the weather outside the window. One pair of shoes is enough for walking along the street. But it's worth taking care of what the kid will be moving around the apartment. Socks and booties can be worn by a child who is only going to stand on the legs. But for independent children as a home footwear for the first time it is better to choose the usual street shoes. They will protect the still fragile legs from damage.
How to choose the right shoes for your child
Visually, children's shoes should please my mother no less than her own shoes. Nevertheless, the external appeal is far from the most basic, what you should pay attention to when buying the first footwear for your child. There are a number of key parameters on which the child's health and safety depends. Namely:
- The sole should be thin and flexible.
- Shoes should have a small heel (5-10 mm). It will help prevent a fall back, in which you can get serious head injuries.
- For a good fixation of the heel you need a hard back, which will save a small leg from the dislocation.
- The insole must be removed so that, if necessary, it can be replaced with an insole with an instep.
- The socks of shoes must in no case be narrowed. The leg should develop correctly.
- Inside the shoes there should be no gross seams, which indicate a bad quality and can rub your foot.
- Footwear "for growth" can be bought, but here it is not necessary to wear it ahead of time, the leg should not go inside.
Do I need orthopedic shoes to prevent flat feet?
The concept of "orthopedic shoes" should not be applied at all to healthy children. Such shoes are sewn to order on the prescription of the doctor and in no case for the prevention of flat feet. All babies are born with flat feet, which are formed over a period of 12 years. Very often orthopedic is called the most ordinary footwear with an insole-arch support, which meets all the requirements.
Young parents should understand that the appearance of flat feet is in no way dependent on the choice of shoes. It can be prevented with the help of insteps, walks on uneven surfaces (sand, grass ...) and lessons on the orthopedic mat.
