It’s best to let your baby go barefoot. By this way, you can help him develop strength, get a total workout, as well as improve musculature. But, once his feet to be protected, there are some important things you need to know when buying toddler shoes. Check out this post, we will help you learn how to buy toddler shoes.
Look for appropriate materials
You should find cotton or soft leather shoes. They are flexible and breathable. Also, these materials are great for conforming to your toddler’s feet. Just with the quality and lightweight materials, your baby feels comfortable wearing.
It’s great to choose shoes with rubber soles to provide needed traction on the floor. It’s important when your baby is walking or crawling. In addition, these shoes are also flexible to prevent your baby from slipping.
You need to bend the shoe to check for the flexibility. If the shoes are enough flexible, your baby can develop his muscles properly. You should avoid choosing stiff shoes as well as ones made of synthetic materials.
Also, thinks about a comfortable lining. This lining should be made of soft cloth. Also, it is not too hot to wear.
Look for velcro straps. They are easy to use. Also, they help you toddler begin dressing themselves in his shoes. With them, your baby won’t fall off easily when running around a lot.
Choose the right type
You should purchase sneakers for wearing every day as well as outdoor. Their canvas and flexible leather materials make them suitable for your toddler’s feet. You can use them for casual wear. Moreover, they can help to develop your toddler’s muscle properly. At the same time, they protect his feet as well.
If you are looking for ones for colder days, you should choose boots. They are perfect thanks to their natural flexing of the foot joints. But, it’s not good to wear boots every day because they may be too restrictive for your toddler.
For wearing indoors, you can choose sandals. But, they can’t provide any protection at all. So, your baby may be hurt their toes if he is playing outside. We recommend you to pick closed-toed sandals for better protection.
Last, avoid giving your toddler shoes with heels. At this stage, you only should choose flat shoes for your baby.
Measure the right fit
Just by this way, you can choose the best shoes for your toddler. You can use your own measuring device such as Clarks Foot Measuring Gauge.
Besides, you need to put socks on his feet when fitting shoes. That’s why you have to choose shoes that allow you to accommodate his feet in socks. Also, it helps you avoid choosing too small shoes.
Ensure to give your baby enough space. If you want to check for this, you can press the part of the shoes. It’s ideal to get about half an inch of space between the shoes and the toes.
Don’t choose a too wide or too narrow shoe. In order to determine this, you need to check the tongue of the shoes.
Finally, you should ask your baby how he feels on the shoes. If your baby can walk, let him stand and walk while wearing the shoes. Or, you can also help him walk with the shoes on. Then, we will know his feelings about the shoes.
Final Tips
When choosing shoes for your toddler, you shouldn’t buy a size larger shoe for him to grow into them further. In fact, these shoes may be uncomfortable. Moreover, they can cause a tripping hazard as well as blisters. Then, measure both his feet. This helps to make sure the shoes you choose match your toddler’s feet.
It’s not a good idea to purchase too many shoes. Your baby may be able to grow fast. As a result, he needs to change shoe sizes every 4 months. We recommend you to buy a maximum of 2 types. You need to also remember to check every few months. This aims to know whether your toddler’s shoes still fit.
It’s not essential to choose shoes made with expensive materials. Most importantly, you have to pick ones that fit your baby’s feet.