Does he have to wear shoes?

My son is 15 months old and is not walking yet! I was wondering if the reason could be because I don%26#039;t put shoes on him? We have shoes for him, but he hates wearing them I think because they are really tight. They are the right size, he just has fat feet and I can%26#039;t find baby shoes that are made wide. He does get up and walk along things and stuff, but I%26#039;m wondering if putting shoes on him would help him to let go of things faster. What do you all think?

Does he have to wear shoes?
I think kids learn to walk faster without shoes, that way they can get a feel for walking and the balance. Walking is a very complicated action and they need to feel every thing in order to learn it. I did not put shoes on my kids until they were ready to walk everywhere. and once they were walking....out went the stroller! I just had to take extra time when we went somewhere!
Reply:Bare feet are best for learning how to walk. If he is cruising holding on to furniture at 15 mo. I wouldn%26#039;t worry. Shoes won%26#039;t make the process any faster.
Reply:its better not to wear shoes, his little body can balance better with bare feet, its actually recommended they don%26#039;t wear shoes when learning how to walk.
Reply:Putting shoes on him may slow him down.If he%26#039;s not walking yet don%26#039;t worry with shoes. Once he%26#039;s walking make sure to always put shoes on him when going out.I hate seeing kids in stores without shoes on.
Reply:It might, and it might cost a little more, but you might be able to special order shoes for him that would fit comfortablely for him. At least I would think you could. Otherwise look in the toddlar sized shoes, they might have something there that would work for him.
Reply:Babies in poorer countries learn to walk without shoes. It%26#039;s just built into the human gene... babies learn to walk no matter what. Just be patient.
Reply:it might help him learn out to walk better to not wear shoes and after he starts walking maybe to wear them in the wintertime.. My son wears shoes only when he has to... it just depends on what you want. if you want him to wear shoes then start him early if you dotn%26#039; care then let him go barefoot. Personally I love going barefoot so shoes don%26#039;t really matter to me.
Reply:Someone already suggested it, but I have to reiterate it...Robeez are the best for babies who are learning to walk. Both my children have them and I would suggest them to every parent out there! They are soft enough so your baby can still get that %26quot;barefoot feel%26quot; and you don%26#039;t have to worry about putting on bulky, heavy shoes or your baby walking barefoot in a place they shouldn%26#039;t. Go to Stride-Rite or www.robeez.com
Reply:If he is at home or at a relatives house, no shoes are necessary. But if he is in a store and can walk around, please put shoes on him! I cringe everytime I see a kid in a store or some other public place walking around barefoot or with just socks on.
Reply:Not wearing shoes does not affect walking. In fact, most people encourage you to let your child walk around barefoot (in the house) because it%26#039;s easier than it is wearing shoes or socks.





As for fitting shoes, you will have to look around more. I had to search for shoes for my daughter because the tops of her feet were puffy-like. Many dress shoes and such that I would find were to flat and didn%26#039;t have enough room. I just had to try different places to find ones that were made different and did have enough room. I go between wal-mart, k-mart, payless. Usually between the three I can find a shoe to fit.
Reply:Actually, they say it%26#039;s easier for babies to walk WITHOUT shoes. It gives them more control. So, just keep working with him and encouraging him, and I%26#039;m sure you%26#039;ll soon be saying, %26quot;Remember when he wasn%26#039;t walking? Those were the days!%26quot; :-) Good luck!
Reply:Don%26#039;t feel bad my son didn%26#039;t start walking till he was about 15 months either. His doctor told me to just stop picking him up. So I let him play and move around on the floor. Eventually he started climbing then standing then with help walking. Shoes had nothing to do with it in fact he took his first steps barefoot. The reason why you put shoes on his feet is so that he would get used to wearing them. Alot of children don%26#039;t like wearing shoes and will kick them off as soon as they get a chance.
Reply:My daughter started walking bare foot at 8 months. Her feet are fat too so for her first pair we went to Stride Right and they measured her feet and got her the right size( she was xx wide). The shoes were expensive ($50) but it was winter and she needed something on her feet.
Reply:babies balance better when they can flex their feet and toes for stability. shoes won%26#039;t help. Is he cruising around while holding on furniture? I have heard that babies who walk later than 16 months can have long-term problems with weight. You may want to ask your pediatrician. My 11 month old doesn%26#039;t wear shoes.
Reply:I have a three and a five year old that both have wide feet I purchase their shoes at Stride Rite, once you get shoes from here you will never go anywhere else they are Great Quality and Reasonably Priced. Try them out your son will love them! http://www.striderite.com/jump.jsp?itemI... They sell XW ( Extra Wide) Shoes in all colors, styles and sizes.
Reply:It is not because you don%26#039;t have him wear shoes that he is not walking.. I personally think having them wear shoes make them slower to walk but hey that only my opinion. Nothing bad will come out of you not putting shoes on his feet. (don%26#039;t listen to older ladies who will try to tell you they will have flat feet if you don%26#039;t have them wear shoes that%26#039;s an old wives tale)
Reply:I don%26#039;t think it matters whether or not he wears shoes. He will let go when he%26#039;s ready.
Reply:If he%26#039;s not walking yet then shoes arn%26#039;t that important.. Actually the people who make recommendations say its actually better for your kids to learn how to walk without shoes.. it helps their arches..





Try looking online at perhaps ebay or the sorts.. They make soft soled shoes and they are really stretchy..
Reply:If you are worried that it is the shoes, Payless Shoe Stores are now selling wide shoes for little ones. Each baby is different.
Reply:he needs to learn how to walk without shoes first, and also, shoes that are tight can affect the development of his feet, even tight socks can do this.
Reply:putting shoes on him is not going to help him walk any faster. don%26#039;t worry mom he will walk. take his hands and help him and then why he is walking let go. let him fall if he goes to fall. then he will think to him self that hurt he don%26#039;t want to do that again and he will try harder to stay up.



flower