Tips on Buying your child’s first pair of walking shoes
• Choose an infant sneaker or other breathable, lightweight upper (canvas, cloth, or soft leather) for your first infant shoe instead of the old-fashioned stiff leather shoes we used to bronze. Avoid synthetic uppers, which can cause feet to sweat.• Look at the outsoles. They should be flexible and gripping, not smooth and stiff. A nonskid rubber sole with ridges will offer good traction.
• You don’t need to buy high-tops for support, but they do stay on better!
• To check for fit, have your child stand up. There should be just enough room to squeeze your pinky between her heel and the shoe, and the full width of your thumb should fit between the end of her toe and the tip of the shoe. That’ll give her some wriggle room.
• Grab a bit of the material on top of her foot (if the upper is soft enough). If you can’t grasp any, the shoe might be too tight at the ball of the foot.
• Don’t expect your child to “break in” a pair of toddler shoes. Let her toddle around the store for a while, then take the shoe off and check her foot for any irritated spots.
• Make sure any laces are long enough to double knot (or buy a longer replacement pair while you’re at the shoe store).
• Some parents love the ease of Velcro fasteners. But others point out that once kids figure out how easy it is to undo the Velcro, the shoes may be off more often than on. Plus, you may hear that ripping sound of the Velcro opening just when you don’t want to hear it — at religious services, for example.
...
