First shoes?

I need to get first shoes for my 1 year old son..he is cruising and every so oftem, he will take a few steps by himself. I know it's better for the baby to go barefoot but i need the shoes out in public as his socks get nasty when we are out...do i have to get the traditional high top sneicker for him for ankle support or can i go with a regular sneicker?

First shoes?
when my youngest was ready for shoes his Dr said go to payless and buy shoes, there is no need to spend big bucks at stride rite for shoes that they wears for such a short time. plus if you buy cheaper shoes you can buy more pairs to go with different clothes. i would have the person at the shoe store measure his foot cuz sometimes they like to curl the toes when you put on shoes for the first time. and have them rechecked every couple of months because they will outgrow them fast.
Reply:when he starts to walk on his own with confidence is when you should consider the shoes that supports his level of activity. Cost is not always an indicator. I have 4 adult children that all had the same 'first pair'--- from Thom McAnn! lasted 20 years. Great job mom! Report It

Reply:my daughter wore nike air forces and reebok classics...her feet are fine, u dont have to get those ugly stride right shoes...as long as he has support hes okay
Reply:he needs proper baby boots for walking,they are better than bare feet for learning to walk
Reply:I'd go with either sandals or sneakers.
Reply:Get something that look comfortable for him, I got these nice sandels for my friend son, it is adjustable..... sometime the shoe can hurt there little feet.....your can ware sock with the Sandels...
Reply:i believe sneakers are the best. My son is 11 months old and he already walks but i started with sneakers. and is going to be alittle weird for the baby at first but he will get used to it.
Reply:Definately the Robeez! You can get them at Stride Rite. Also they have the knock-off version at Target.
Reply:Baby shoes should be thin and flexible, basically just a protection from the elements or dangers outside. Soft leather shoes like Robeez or Preschoolians are excellent first walkers (my 2 year old still wears them and he has been walking since 10 months). You can find knock-off leather baby shoes at Target for less than half the price of Robeez. Our Target shoes have held up wonderfully and because they are so inexpensive we have been able to buy multiple pairs (they are super cute too).





Here is a great article about selecting baby shoes:





WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A BABY SHOE





"I have an eleven month old son who is healthy and growing in the 90th percentile. He is almost walking and we would like to introduce him to shoes. However, we have no idea how to begin. Could you guide us as to what to look for in infant shoes or what is considered good, supportive, and healthy for growing feet? Thank you for you time and assistance."





The sole: As a general guide, the earlier the stage of walking, the thinner and more flexible the sole should be. Before buying a shoe, bend it in your hand to test its flexibility. Then watch your baby walk. The shoe should bend at the ball of the foot as your baby takes each step. Whether to get rubber soles or leather soles is a mater of which is most flexible. The rubber soles on some sneakers are thicker and stiffer than leather soles. Also, rubber soles tend to be more rounded, whereas the flatter leather soles tend to provide more stability. Remember: avoid stiff soles for young feet.





Construction: Stick with natural materials - leather or canvas - that breathe, letting air get to baby's perspiring feet. Avoid synthetics like vinyl, which don't breathe.





Fit: This is the most important part of selecting a shoe. A qualified shoe fitter will measure both feet while baby is standing, looking for flexibility at the ball of the foot while baby walks, and checks for toe room and heel slippage. Don't forget to let baby take a "test-walk".





Dr. Jim, Nov. '06
Reply:Soft moccasins! They'll give him protection from the cold, and -if you care about such things- stares of the public, while still allowing his feet as much movement as possible. The 'support' from high tops is not near as good as shoe companies would like you to believe, it may even work against him. Allow his little feet to get strong, it's much better than using 'supportive' footwear all the time!





A few sources:


Lynn Staheli, MD


Quoted in The New York Times on Aug 14, 1991





Children with the healthiest and most supple feet are those who habitually go barefoot, according to Dr. Lynn T. Staheli and a growing number of other pediatric orthopedists. His studies of developing nations show that non-shoe-wearers have better flexibility and mobility, stronger feet, fewer deformities, and less complaints than those who wear shoes regularly. He says that, when a child must wear a shoe, it should be lightweight, flexible, shaped more or less quadrangularly, and above all, should not have the arch supports and stiff sides once deemed necessary to give the foot support. Many pediatric orthopedists strongly oppose "corrective" or "orthopedic" shoes for straightening foot and leg deformities like flat feet, pigeon toes, knock-knees, or bowlegs. Dr. Staheli and others contend that there is no evidence that corrective shoes correct anything, and that most of the supposed deformities correct themselves in almost all cases.





“Athletic footwear: unsafe due to perceptual illusions” Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 23(2), 1991, pp. 217-224. “Wearers of expensive running shoes that are promoted as having additional features that protect (e.g., more cushioning, “pronation correction”) are injured significantly more frequently than runners employing inexpensive shoes.”





Dr. Carol Frey, associate clinical professor of orthopaedic surgery in Manhattan Beach, Calif. says:


"We are no different from any other animal. We don't need shoes for proper foot development," explains Frey. Walking is a collaborative effort requiring constant communication between the brain and feet. Nerve endings on the bottom of the feet sense the ground beneath and send signals to the brain that help it determine how and where weight should be distributed with each new step. Shoes alter that feedback to the brain. The thicker the sole, the more muffled the message. "Children are forced to walk with their feet further apart to keep their balance," Frey says.





Udaya Bhaskara Rao and Benjamin Joseph.


"The Influence of Footwear on the Prevalence of Flat Foot"


The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 74B(4), 1992, pp. 525-527.


Our cross-sectional study suggests that shoe-wearing in early childhood is detrimental to the development of a normal or a high medial longitudinal arch. The susceptibility for flat foot among children who wear shoes is most evident if there is associated ligament laxity. We suggest that children should be encouraged to play unshod and that slippers and sandals are less harmful than closed-toe shoes.


...... This study also mentioned that the slipper and sandal-wearing children tended to play barefoot (since this footwear is more easily removed) and that this was believed to account for the intermediate flatfoot incidence rate.
Reply:Take him to a baby shoe store and get his feet measured. The salespeople may be able to advise you on good shoes for his age.





I advise against ankle support. He needs to strengthen his ankles to walk, and supportive shoes will actually keep his msucles from developing. Regular sneakers should be fine, or even just rough-bottomed booties. You just need something protect his socks and help keep him from slipping on smooth surfaces.



php