Quality shoes are very important in
childhood. It is important to buy shoes that support good foot development.
This means that they need to be supportive in all the right places: the ankles,
the arch of the foot, and the heel. You need to know other things, too, and we
are going to cover these issues below.
When Should Your Child Start Wearing
Shoes?
Contrary to popular belief, it is not when
the child learns to walk that they should have their first pair of shoes, but
rather, when they are first walking outdoors. Most children learn to walk
indoors, and it is important at this stage of development to allow them to walk
barefoot. This promotes a natural walk that supports the skeletal frame. If you
introduce shoes too early, or force them to wear shoes all the time, they can
have later problems with their gait – although it causes only minimal problems.
As long as the child is in a safe environment, allow them to walk barefoot,
with or without socks.
How Much Should You Spend on Shoes?
Unfortunately, there is no scrimping when
it comes to children’s shoes. It is important that you buy a high quality pair
of shoes, especially if they are intended for everyday wear. Certain brands,
such as children's Kicker shoes, are renowned for providing good support and
structure, and thereby helping feet to develop and grow naturally.Regrettably,
you will have to pay a bit more money to buy children Kicker boots, or to buy
other brands that offer the same support. This is because they spend a lot of
time engineering, researching and developing their shoes, to ensure that they
offer the support needed by growing children.
What about the Sole?
Many people don’t realise it, but
children's soles need to be thicker than adult soles. This is largely because
children are clumsier than adults are, and tend not to look where they’re
going. They will often accidently walk on things like glass and nails, and a
thin sole will offer no protection. It is important, therefore, that the child
has a relatively thick sole.
The sole must also have a strong grip on
slippery surfaces. This means that the tread should be deep. Having a good grip
will prevent falls during wet and icy weather, which in climates such as the
UK, is common.
Finally, the sole need to be flexible. If
the sole is too rigid it means that the child will have to fight against it
with each step that they take. This can lead to an unnatural walk – for some it
may mean that they walk on their toes, as it’s easier than rolling the foot, or
it can lead to the child having a heavy footfall, as they’re pushing down extra
hard.
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