When should babies wear shoes?
Q: When do you recommend babies wear shoes? I've seen some babies as young as a month old wear shoes, and just the opposite on babies who walk. I want to make sure my baby has good feet with an arch. Also, what should I look for when buying shoes?
-- Submitted by Melissa in Clawson
A: (Karen Sokal-Gutierrez, M.D., M.P.H.) Melissa, letting your baby go barefoot as much as possible is the best way to develop your babyâs feet. When babies are barefoot, they can wiggle their toes, grip the floor, balance themselves, and push off with their feet muscles.
Some people buy shoes for newborn babies because they look cute, but they donât help the babyâs foot development. In fact, shoes or pajamas with feet that are too tight can interfere with babiesâ foot development. If your infant needs his feet covered to stay warm, socks and cloth booties are fine.
Get your baby his first pair of shoes when he begins walking, usually around the first birthday. Itâs still good for him to go barefoot indoors, but shoes are good for outdoors to protect his feet from cuts and infections. Look for shoes that are almost like going barefootâlightweight, soft, flexible material such as leather shoes or canvas sneakers. Get shoes with skid-proof soles to prevent slipping and falling. Make sure the shoes are wide enough for your childâs foot to lie flat, and long enough for a little extra room to wiggle and grow, maybe one-half inch beyond the toes. Itâs normal for babies to have flat feetâmost children naturally develop arches by 6 years of age, and you donât have to worry about buying shoes with special arch supports.
Your childâs feet will grow rapidly, so keep an eye out for signs that his shoes are too tight, e.g., his toe comes to the top of the shoe, his toes have red marks or blisters, he fusses when you put on his shoes, or he fusses to take them off. You might need to buy a couple of pairs of shoes a year, but itâs important to have the right shoes to help your child walk, run, and climb safely.