Specialists find diseases of the legs in more than half of the children. But children in life have to overcome thousands of kilometers. To protect your baby from future problems, you need a comprehensive approach, including choosing the right shoes.
Anatomical features of the child's foot
In a newborn, some bones are missing in the foot. They are replaced by cartilage and adipose tissue. The formation of the bones of the foot ends only by the age of 16. Therefore, a child's foot is very susceptible to various deformations. Walking barefoot on grass or sand is very beneficial for your baby. But for walking on the asphalt, a child needs shoes.
For the first walk, you need shoes that will protect the child's foot from all kinds of damage. It should correspond to the size and features of the baby's feet, as well as create a comfortable microclimate for baby's skin.
What should be children's shoes
When choosing shoes, first of all, you need to inspect the sole. It must be strong and flexible enough. It is better if the sole is leather, and the heel is made of rubber with a protector. Such shoes will not slip.
For older children, the sole can be all flexible rubber. A prerequisite for good and correct orthopedic shoes is the presence of a reinforced heel and hard elongated sides so that the foot does not "fall off" to the side. Shoes should be 5-15 mm heels. The heel takes up one third of the sole.
The insole must be removable, with an instep support, for the prevention of flat feet. The laces should start as close to the toe as possible to make it easier to fit your shoes. If it is Velcro, then at least three. A strap clasp is undesirable. She cannot tightly grasp and hold the child's leg.
Children's shoes are usually wider at the toe than at the heel. The fingers should move freely. Baby shoes should be made only from natural materials in order to ensure air circulation and moisture evaporation.
How to choose shoes for a child
It is better to choose shoes with a baby. But if this is not possible, make a thin cardboard impression of the leg in order to find the correct size. Baby's feet grow faster in spring and summer than in winter.
Correctly selected shoes or sandals should be 5-10 mm longer. The stock for winter boots should be 1.5 cm, taking into account the warm sock. For a year, the size of the foot increases by two sizes.
A small child cannot understand his feelings and explain that the shoes are uncomfortable, press or rub the delicate baby skin. Every 1, 5 months, you need to measure the feet of children in order to notice in time when the shoes become small.
One of the unacceptable options for the first steps of a child is slippers. Even if they are with an instep support, the soft back will not be able to keep the baby's leg in the correct position. Over time, the child gets rid of the backdrop, and the heel will move inward or outward from the sole of the slippers.
For the first steps, you should buy high-quality orthopedic shoes, made in accordance with the anatomical features of the baby's leg. Correctly selected shoes are the key to healthy legs of the child.
