It is an exciting time when your kids start walking. It is an important milestone in your baby’s life, but equally important is providing the right footwear to support their journey. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
- If a child is learning to walk and is indoors, bare feet or socks are the best options. Their muscles are still learning this new adventure. People used to think that hard soles were best for a baby taking his or her first steps, but this is not the case.
- If learning to walk and outdoors or when walking is becoming more of a daily routine, a shoe with a flexible sole is best. While this can vary for every child, Julie McDonald, general manager at Shoe Stop, recommends this for children from 8 – 30 months.
- If a dress shoe is worn, this should only be done so for a short amount of time.
- When buying shoes for your little one, always get a professional measurement from a shoe store like Shoe Stop. McDonald says it is important to measure both feet, always fitting for the larger foot. A good guideline is a thumb width from the longest toe to the tip of the shoe.
- Kids grow at different rates so there is no time line on how often to get new shoes. Parents, it is important to remember to periodically check your child’s foot measurement in their
shoe,keeping in mind the thumb width rule. - Also, parents should never buy shoes too big in attempt to get more use out of the shoe. “Kids have enough to worry about while learning to walk — don’t add to that with shoes that are too big,” McDonald said. “A shoe too big is as bad as a shoe too small.”
- It is also important to have shoe soles with grip. If a shoe sole is too slippery, McDonald recommends to sandpaper the soles of the shoe.
- The seasons of the year should dictate the type of shoe your child wears. Winter calls for leather shoes, summer calls for canvas and McDonald says all plastic shoes should be kept for water purposes.
Visit Shoe Stop in Town Square North for your kids footwear.
270-686-7508 • www.shoestopky.com • Open 9am – 9pm, Monday thru Saturday • 11am – 6pm Sunday
