At what age should you buy baby’s first shoes?

When baby starts to walk well, the time has come to buy him his first shoes. Generally, putting baby on is done gradually. It is also advisable to first let baby walk barefoot before putting it on with real shoes. The choice of shoe model is just as important and it must meet certain criteria. At what age should you buy baby’s first shoes? What should be paid attention to? Chloé Devie, masseur-physiotherapist in pediatrics in Paris, gives us her advice.

At what age should you buy baby’s first shoes?

“The first shoes can be bought when the child begins to walk, from around 12 months. It’s good put it on gradually. AT Conversely, it should not be put on immediately for a whole day. We can put his shoes on to start an hour a day”, advises expert Chloé Devie.

“The first shoes can be bought when the child starts to walk, from around 12 months”.

Which model of shoes to choose for a baby?

There are two types of shoes that may be suitable for a baby: soft shoes or hard shoes. The choice of shoe model generally depends on the baby’s feet.

For baby’s feet without orthopedic problems

“Generally, if the child has no orthopedic problemsit’s good to make him walk barefoot or with very flexible shoes, such as thin and non-slip slippers“, emphasizes the specialist.

But do not focus on a single type of shoe model. “I am of the opinion of vary the shoes, leaving the child barefoot most of the time when he is at home and to introduce rigid footwear gradually. We often hear that baby’s feet work best barefoot, it’s true, but other muscles also work when they are kept in rigid shoes. In concrete terms, these two methods are complementary, according to our expert.

“You have to vary the shoes, leaving the child barefoot most of the time and putting him in rigid shoes gradually.”

For baby feet with orthopedic problems

“For problem little feet – sagging arches, metatarsus varus (deformation of the front of the foot, editor’s note)adduction of the feet, i.e. feet that go inwards, flat feet -, it is necessary toopt for sturdy shoesbecause it is the rigid shoe that will guide the foot”, she indicates.

To choose the right baby shoes, you need to know the baby shoe size. “It’s necessary buy the right baby size. For the first pair of shoes, it is important to go to the store and not to buy them on the Internet”, advises the pediatric physiotherapist. here are the criteria for choosing the model of baby shoes:

• of the leather shoes,
• high that rise above the malleolus,
• with laces and not scratches.
• They must also have a thin sole and that they are enough light.
• The structure must be rigid aat the heel of the shoe “to hold the child’s heel well in line, and that there is no sagging”says the specialist.

Which shoe brands are recommended by professionals?

Several children’s shoe brands are recommended by professionals. Chloé Devie recommends for rigid shoes to head for the Little Mary brands and White Wolf. “The shoes of the brand Kickers may be fine for a normal foot, but not for a child with clubfoot”, she comments.

For soft, slipper-style shoes, the expert recommends always turning to of the “soft leather or small skin slippers“. Mention may be made in particular of the brands Bopy, Gaspard the Fox or even the Lille brand Tichoups.

Thanks to Chloé Devie, massage therapist in pediatrics.