How to choose Children Shoes – A wise guide

Are you overwhelmed by the different variety of shoes available for your children when you go shoe shopping? While it's easy to go for the cutest pair, the perfect shoe for your tiny boy or girl should choose by fit and function rather than fashion.

 Making an effort to acquire a proper fit can help them build healthy feet for the rest of their lives.

"A child's foot can always continue to grow until roughly the age of 18," explains Nicole Nicolosi, DPM, a foot and ankle surgeon. "This is why good shoe fit and function are so important for your child's foot health and growth."

In the short term, improperly fitting shoes can cause foot pain in your child and calluses, corns, ingrown toenails, and blisters.

More severe problems such as foot and toe abnormalities may arise in the long run. If your child wears ill-fitting shoes throughout their developing years — particularly before the age of five — it can contribute to long-term posture, walking issues, and back pain later in life.

In fact, according to Dr. Nicolosi, many adult foot disorders stem from ill-fitting shoes or poor childhood foot experiences.

She shares five pointers to ensure you get the perfect pair of shoes:

1. Always measure your kids' feet correctly.

It's wrong to measure your child's feet at home and take them to a shoe store. A store associate will have the most excellent tools for determining the length and width of your child's feet.

Here is an additional tip: ask your child to stand up and place a small weight on each foot to extend it for a more accurate measurement.

2. Make sure you don't overspend.

Parents choosing too big shoes for their children is one of Dr. Nicolosi's most common problems. This foolish decision is seriously concerning and alarming for infants and toddlers who are just learning to walk and are frequently unstable on their feet.

"Parents frequently repeated the mistake and bought a size larger shoes in the wrong hopes that their kids will grow into them and that they will last longer," she explains. "However, shoes that are half or a more size big can put your youngster at risk of tripping and falling more, which can result in harm."

3. Always keep an extra eye on your kids' toes

by doing this, you can watch overcrowding or increased pressure on the toes with enough width and depth in the front of the kids' shoe or toe box. Make sure your child's shoes allow them to flex the front of their foot and wriggle freely or her toes — without any slippage or crushed toes.

Always measure from the longest toe to the front of the shoe, allowing 1 to 2 cm (or roughly a thumb's width). According to Dr. Nicolosi, more than 3 cm is too big, while less than 1 cm is too tiny

4. When it comes to supporting, function takes precedence above style.

Dr. Nicolosi recommends closed-toe athletic shoes with arch support for generally active children who like sports and other physical activities.

Rubber-made soles are especially useful for children since they provide enhanced traction and lower falling. Rugged soles offer more support, whereas soft soles offer minimal support and control of foot movements.

We know that children's feet sweat more than the feet of adults. According to the American foot Orthopedic and Ankle Society expert, buying children shoes specially made up of breathable materials like leather, canvas, or mesh is also a perfect choice. The usage of these materials can improve the airflow.

5. If the shoe does not fit properly, always throw it or replace it

According to Dr. Nicolosi, if your child is still developing, you may need to check and change shoes every three or four months.

In that time, children's feet expand roughly a half size, and they require lots of space to allow them to develop properly, she explains.

Take the time to measure and fit shoes correctly, and choose models that provide good support, and you'll set your initial children's development goals for success for the rest of their lives.

Many lovely children shoes are selling in the market, some of which are so adorable that we're even planning ensembles with them before our children have even tried them on! We all love sparkle fancy children shoes and mini-me booties, but the sad reality is that most children shoes today aren't built with their feet's health in mind.

Parents should pay close attention to the footwear worn according to podiatrist measures. We see inappropriate footwear all too often with children. With toddlers learning to walk, shoes with minimal flexibility in the sole and forefoot area, a complicated structure, or elevated heels might lead them to bounce and tilt forward.

Your child's development depends on their age.

Children's feet are incredibly soft and plump during this stage of development. Because their bones have not yet begun to ossify, they are exceedingly malleable, sensitive, and susceptible to harm if placed in inappropriate footwear.

Shoes for newborns or little kids are only necessary to protect your baby's feet from the cold at this point. Thus your baby's feet should be left barefoot as much as possible.

Children shoes should be lightweight, flexible, and have a smooth, seamless interior during this period of growth. As babies learn to move without irritating or impairing their foot development, this will keep their feet comfy.

The Bobo store Soft Sole collection is ideal for newborn babies in their development. The soft sole is a manufacturer of breathable, flexible leather and suede.

As a parent of new step takers, we all know that there is a new development going on during this era. Your youngster has taken their first steps and is now cruising around the house, propping themselves up on furniture. Your child's feet must be allowed to develop naturally.

 The foot will grow very swiftly at this stage, up to two full sizes (16mm) in a year! A fully grown foot will begin to take shape over time. Soft cartilage begins to ossify, developing into the bone and skeletal tissue when a youngster spends more time on their feet.

Shoe selection: At this age, babies require flexible, lightweight, and sturdy shoes that replicate the motion of barefoot walking. They should have a safe, functioning, and reliable system.