How To Choose The Right Baby Ankle Support Walking Shoes

Source: DHgate, Tag: Baby & Kids

When your baby starts to make their first steps, you need to get them baby walking shoes. Choose the right pair to ensure that they achieve this milestone.

Isn’t it amazing seeing your baby moving on their feet in baby walking shoes? At this point, they are experiencing a crucial stage of development. Earlier on, you might be tempted to get the shoes but this is usually for aesthetics or to counter extreme weather conditions.
But when they start walking, you need to choose the right shoes to help them get on their feet. The right pair of baby walking shoes is one that doesn’t alter their gait or cause asymmetries. Let us dig deeper into the steps you need to consider when shopping for your young one’s first pair of kicks.

When Should You Buy Baby Walking Shoes?
When you see your baby making their first steps, you will be excited and think it is the right time to go shopping. But that’s not always true. The body needs to be in its natural state to adapt to the mechanics of supporting weight and moving around. When you introduce the shoes too early, you will affect the natural balance and this will be a disadvantage to the little one.
Initially, you only need to find something that protects those tiny feet because, with the clumsiness, they are bound to get into harm’s way. Pre-walkers are the outfit of choice for babies that have just started walking. These are generally light and made of very flexible material to let the soles explore to the maximum.
When they have started being more consistent, you can now switch to the real baby walking shoes. Children have different rates of growth so you need to find out when your baby has gained enough stability.
Choosing The Right Fit For Your Babies Walking Shoes

You know how heavenly it feels to have shoes that fit well. A pair that doesn’t fit well can leave you with aches at the end of the day. It can also impact your gait negatively and make you grimace every time. You sure don’t want your kid to be subjected to this kind of torture. It is worse for the little ones because they might not be able to tell you that the shoe pinches at one corner. And because they are just making their first steps, any discomfort can lead to long-term effects such as a distasteful gait. If you get loose shoes, they will be dragging their feet all over. So you have to get the perfect pair.
The length test of the shoes can be done by pressing your thumb between the baby’s longest toe and the shoe end. It is recommended that this space should be half an inch to allow the little foot enough breathing room and provide the required fit.
Check if the shoe has the right width by trying to grasp the material at the widest point of the shoe. You should be able to grasp a tiny bit between your fingers. If you can’t hold anything, then the shoe is too narrow.
Finally, you need to check the heel. Slide your pinkie finger between the baby’s heel and the shoe and check that it fits snugly.
Generally, a shoe that fits well should be between 14mm longer than the length of the baby’s foot.
It is better to do your measurements later in the day because a baby’s feet can swell in the afternoon, just like adults.
Choose The Right Material of Baby Walking Shoes

Toddlers need shoes that give their feet the freedom to wiggle and find the right balance. They should be lightweight so that they don’t limit movement or slow them down. The shoes you buy should produce a barefoot experience. Therefore, you need a pair that is made of light leather, breathable fabric, or canvas. You should feel your baby’s feet through the material.
For toddlers, even walking with bare feet needs effort. Therefore, shed off as much weight as you can. To check for flexibility, try bending the shoes in different directions. They should be compliant no matter what direction you twist and bend. Whichever style you opt for, make sure the shoe can follow the contours of the little feet.
You don’t need to worry about arch and ankle support because babies can have flat feet. The leg and foot muscles should be left to develop naturally and forcing in corrective measures can be detrimental to the development of the baby. You can consider some padding on the sides to ensure the baby walks comfortably.
When choosing the material for baby shoes, go for non-skid types so that the baby stays on their feet even on challenging surfaces. Rubber soles have a good grip but you can also choose threaded leather which has adequate friction to prevent skidding.
Choosing The Right Fastener

You need to choose between Velcro, straps, slip-on, or buckles for fastening your baby’s walking shoes. To make the right choice, consider the safety of the fastening mode, the ease of removal, and how flexible it is.
Velcro is a nice option if you need shoes that are easy to fasten and undo. However, this can be a problem if your baby likes kicking away their shoes because they will soon figure out how to remove the pair.
Laces need a little more time to fasten but they will not be removed easily by the toddler. When choosing laces, go for those that have enough length to tie secure knots. Very long laces will trip the baby if they get loose.
Slip-on shoes save time when wearing them but you might make up for this when looking for lost shoes because babies can easily pull them out. They might also need to be fit precisely because this can be affected by socks of different thicknesses.
Buckles, like laces, can provide a secure fastening but you need to look out for rigidity. Choose the type of buckles that offer enough flexibility and those that won’t press on the baby’s feet.
Check Your Baby’s Feet Regularly

You need to know when to move up the shoe size. You can only tell the time is right by doing serial measurements. You should measure the baby’s feet every 2 months. Toddlers will have different rates of growth and you might see accelerated growth in others whereas some will take a whole four months to grow half a size bigger.
You also need to be on the lookout for signs of discomfort. Watch out for the redness of the skin at pressure points. Ill-fitting shoes can also cause nail and toe deformities or discolouration. Also, check your baby’s posture when they are wearing the shoes to find out if they are causing any discomfort.
Make sure your baby is in a good mood when you go shopping for shoes so that they are not throwing tantrums at the store. With these tips, you can find the right kicks for your toddler and enjoy seeing them stabilize on their feet.