Are Shoes Needed
Until your baby has learned how to walk, he doesn’t necessarily NEED shoes. Shoes are great to have to make an outfit complete, or for pictures, but as a daily need it is not a must for most babies or their parents. As your baby learns to walk most pediatricians still suggest not putting shoes on their feet. The muscles on your baby’s feet only gain strength as they are used, and if your baby learns to walk with shoes on, he is not strengthening those muscles. When your baby is learning to walk and you are going to be out of the house putting shoes on his feet to protect them is a good idea, but he should still be allowed to walk around barefooted while at home.

What Should You Look For?
There are many things to remember when it comes to getting the perfect pair of shoes for your baby. Getting a good quality shoe is very important because the development of your baby’s feet is a constant ongoing process. There are certain details to look for when looking for a good quality shoe.

• The shoe should be made of breathable material (like leather) instead of plastic
• Sole should be bendable at the ball of the foot
• Should have cushioned insoles
• Feel for irregularities inside of the shoe
• Flat heels for babies and toddlers ONLY

Shoe Size
The size of shoe you buy is important as well. Just like clothing where one brand might be bigger than a different brand in exactly the same size, one shoe labeled as a three from one company may fit like a size two or a size four. When it comes time to measure your baby’s feet for shoes, measure them in the afternoon, when all of our feet are naturally more swollen than they are in the morning. If your baby’s shoes are a half an inch long on him it is ok because it will give his feet room to expand and move around some as he is learning to walk, run and jump. The width of your baby’s foot is just as important as the length. Some baby’s naturally have wider feet than others so make sure the shoe you pick out works widthwise as well as length wise before sending your baby out in the world in it.

Flat Feet
You may hear from friends or relatives something about your baby having flat feet and concern about how to buy shoes to help the feet develop an arch. The truth is that all babies are born with flat feet and that in most cases an arch will naturally develop as his muscles strengthen. Don’t buy shoes that have an arch built in as an effort to help your baby’s arch form. If you are really concerned about the development of your babies feet ask your pediatrician at your baby’s next well-check.

When your baby is walking you no longer have to make sure that your house is baby proofed two feet and below, but you need to make sure it is completely baby proofed several feet up. You will want to get all your drawer locks installed and keep items out of reach on your counters so that your baby’s little hands which can now reach do not get into dangerous areas and pull anything down.

Your baby will learn to walk first by learning how to stand. He will probably crawl over to a couch or a table, something he can reach, and either sit down to grab it, or grab it with one hand from his hands and knees. He will then learn to use his arm strength to pull himself up on his feet. This may take a few tries and end in a few tumbles before your baby gets it right. Make sure you are nearby in order to keep him from hitting his head on a hard surface like your table as he falls down.

Once your baby can successful stand he will probably begin “cruising” before he can actually walk. Cruising involves your baby walking around furniture and objects on the ground, holding onto them so that he doesn’t fall. He will start with two hands, eventually holding on with just one hand.

The day will come, probably when you least expect it, that your baby will all of a sudden let go and walk without the use of furniture to hold onto. The first few times that he lets go he might either grab the furniture immediately or sit down on the ground, but he will gain courage eventually. He will probably either walk to you that first time, or possibly to a toy on the ground that he wants that is not in his reach. When your baby is accomplishing these feats, be sure to encourage him, clap and cheer so that he knows he is doing something good. Like anyone, when a baby feels like he is doing something that makes you happy and proud of him, he will keep doing it.

When your baby first learns to walk on his own, he will probably be slow and a bit clumsy. Probably too slow for your liking when you are out and about. Don’t be afraid to still carry your baby some, but when it is possible and your baby wants too, let him try walking outside or in a store for a few seconds. Buy a good pair of supportive shoes for when your baby is outdoors, and indoors let him walk around barefoot or just in his socks in order to strengthen the natural arch in his foot.

After your baby gets the walking down pat, he will eventually get faster and will begin to run. Running is a great exercise for your baby and can be a lot of fun for you. When your baby is running though make sure he is running in a safe place so that when he trips and falls, which he will do, he doesn’t get hurt.