Your baby's feet
During the first year of life your child’s feet will grow to almost half of their adult size and healthy foot development is very important from the get-go.
The human foot has 26 bones that, together with muscles, ligaments, tendons, blood vessels and nerves, adapt to uneven walking surfaces and absorb shock. A baby’s foot structure, however, consists mainly of soft, flexible cartilage which only fully develops to bone in their mid- to late teens. This makes your little one’s feet particularly vulnerable to injury or deformity from restrictive or ill-fitting socks or shoes.
Learning to walk
For your child to learn to walk well, he/she needs to feel the ground surface as much as possible to develop good toe-gripping and muscle strength. Stiff shoes inhibit babies growing muscles from strengthening and balancing with the foot and leg. (Although rigid shoes are sometimes necessary for children with foot problems)
It’s best for your child to learn to walk while barefoot, but the ground surface might often be too hot or cold and your baby’s tiny little feet will need to be protected. In such conditions, it’s best for your child to wear soft-soled shoes. This will help them to still feel the ground and develop their muscles as needed while providing protection at the same time.
Why leather shoes?
- Leather will shape to your child’s feet, making it more comfortable to walk
- Babies feet sweet more than adults’ and leather is a very breathable material
- While socks are also breathable, they can be very slippery and can cause your child to fall and get hurt
- The non-slip suede sole prevents slipping and is still flexible enough for your child to feel the ground
During the first year of life your child’s feet will grow to almost half of their adult size and healthy foot development is very important from the get-go.
The human foot has 26 bones that, together with muscles, ligaments, tendons, blood vessels and nerves, adapt to uneven walking surfaces and absorb shock. A baby’s foot structure, however, consists mainly of soft, flexible cartilage which only fully develops to bone in their mid- to late teens. This makes your little one’s feet particularly vulnerable to injury or deformity from restrictive or ill-fitting socks or shoes.
Learning to walk
For your child to learn to walk well, he/she needs to feel the ground surface as much as possible to develop good toe-gripping and muscle strength. Stiff shoes inhibit babies growing muscles from strengthening and balancing with the foot and leg. (Although rigid shoes are sometimes necessary for children with foot problems)
It’s best for your child to learn to walk while barefoot, but the ground surface might often be too hot or cold and your baby’s tiny little feet will need to be protected. In such conditions, it’s best for your child to wear soft-soled shoes. This will help them to still feel the ground and develop their muscles as needed while providing protection at the same time.
Why leather shoes?
- Leather will shape to your child’s feet, making it more comfortable to walk
- Babies feet sweet more than adults’ and leather is a very breathable material
- While socks are also breathable, they can be very slippery and can cause your child to fall and get hurt
- The non-slip suede sole prevents slipping and is still flexible enough for your child to feel the ground
Tips for toes
- Shoes are not the only thing that can restrict your childs foot development – tight socks, baby-grows, etc. can also
compress their feet and toes.
- Always be sure that your childs feet has adequate wiggle room!
- Let your child walk barefoot or in soft-soled shoes for as long as possible or at least until they can walk and run with
confidence
- Change your babies’ footwear every six months. Children’s feet grow two sizes per year in their first four years of life.
- Your childs’ feet can lose heat easily. They need to be kept warm when their cold and as socks can be very slippery,
soft soled shoes are best. You can also opt for baby-grows, as long as there’s enough wiggle room!
- Although it’s good for children to be barefoot, remember that they can wear shoes in summer to protect them from hot
surfaces. Leather shoes are perfect for summer as they’re a natural and breathable material
- You can help your child in learning to walk by massaging their tiny feet when they can’t walk yet, balancing on
tip-toes when they start to stand and picking up light items with their toes.
- Always remember that children need to learn to walk at their own pace and they’ll only do so when their feet, legs and
balance are ready.
Interesting facts…
- Your feet account for 25% of the number of bones in your body
- In an average lifetime, a person walks approximately 185 000km’s – that’s five times around the world!
- Early symptoms of conditions such as diabetes, arthritis and circulatory problems can often show initially in the feet
- With every step your heel strikes the ground with a force equal to twice your body weight
compress their feet and toes.
- Always be sure that your childs feet has adequate wiggle room!
- Let your child walk barefoot or in soft-soled shoes for as long as possible or at least until they can walk and run with
confidence
- Change your babies’ footwear every six months. Children’s feet grow two sizes per year in their first four years of life.
- Your childs’ feet can lose heat easily. They need to be kept warm when their cold and as socks can be very slippery,
soft soled shoes are best. You can also opt for baby-grows, as long as there’s enough wiggle room!
- Although it’s good for children to be barefoot, remember that they can wear shoes in summer to protect them from hot
surfaces. Leather shoes are perfect for summer as they’re a natural and breathable material
- You can help your child in learning to walk by massaging their tiny feet when they can’t walk yet, balancing on
tip-toes when they start to stand and picking up light items with their toes.
- Always remember that children need to learn to walk at their own pace and they’ll only do so when their feet, legs and
balance are ready.
Interesting facts…
- Your feet account for 25% of the number of bones in your body
- In an average lifetime, a person walks approximately 185 000km’s – that’s five times around the world!
- Early symptoms of conditions such as diabetes, arthritis and circulatory problems can often show initially in the feet
- With every step your heel strikes the ground with a force equal to twice your body weight