Should Babies Wear Shoes When Learning to Walk?
As new parents, when it comes to deciding if babies should wear shoes when learning to walk, there are two crucially important things to consider. Firstly, you need to understand the development of your child’s foot and how it evolves from the wrinkly, soft foot of a newborn to the stronger supportive structure of an inquisitive toddler. Secondly, you should consider the structure of a shoe, not just any shoe, but the right kind of shoe that can support and enhance your child’s ability to take their first wobbly steps to independence.
This Inch Blue blog sets out to do both, explaining your child’s natural foot development from zero to adventure hero as well as a wealth of tips and hints on how to help you make informed choices about when and where your child should start to wear shoes to support their journey as they learn to walk.
How Babies’ Feet Develop Naturally from Birth to Walking
In comparison to their bodies, newborn babies have super small, flexible feet with a lot of fleshy padding on the soles and toes. This helps to absorb any impacts and protect delicate bones that are slowly developing. Their joints and ligaments are loose, allowing for a wide range of motion. This flexibility is important early on for healthy foot development and helps babies feel their way by gripping with their curled toes. Don’t worry about babies’ toes, this is due to their position in the womb and they tend to straighten out in the first year.
Did you know babies also have flat feet? Their arches aren’t developed because the bones are mostly cartilage and only develop over time as the baby starts to weight bear and muscles strengthen. So, what happens next…
Birth to 6 months - during this time baby's feet are undergoing a major transformation, laying the groundwork for future walking and balance. Soft cartilage structures save space in the foot for where bones will develop.
6 to 9 months – is when cartilage in your baby’s foot begins to harden into the 26-bone structure of an adult foot. This process isn’t fully complete until around the age of 18. Who knew it took that long?
Muscle milestones – don’t worry, pre-walkers are preparing for their first steps! Leg and foot muscles develop through kicking or pushing off to a crawl, plus general movement as ligaments become stronger and stable.
Milestones in Learning to Walk
Most babies start by pulling themselves up on furniture between 7 and 10 months of age, and they practise cruising with the support of furniture between 9 and 13 months. First steps tend to be between 9 and 18 months, with most babies walking confidently by 15 months. Remember, this is just a guide, and your child may surprise you by making their ‘first steps’ milestone sooner or later, depending on their own development.
Are barefoot shoes good for toddlers?
All paediatricians agree that barefoot time is crucial for babies’ foot health to ensure healthy development along with enhanced balance and coordination. By giving your baby plenty of playtime in bare feet on safe surfaces with different textures, they can strengthen their foot muscles ready to take their first steps. So why introduce a shoe?
Well, the right shoes with total softness and full flexibility can give your child the full benefits of barefoot play with a little layer of protection to help them gain confidence to explore. Soft, gentle slip-ons can allow sensory exploration beneath their feet, but add a little warmth and a touch of protection. Barefoot shoes reduce the chances of slipping, while protecting little feet from sharp objects and rough surfaces. Barefoot shoes also cushion against bumps and scuffs as your baby develops from cruising indoors to taking steps outside.
What are the signs that baby is ready for the right footwear?
As soon as your child is a confident cruiser, often around 9 to 13 months and ready to explore the garden or playground, it’s time to swap bare feet for prewalker shoes with a bit more protection. Shoes with good grip become important on rough or uneven terrain like pathways or pebbly beaches.
Depending on when your child is born, cooler weather may be the deciding factor in when it’s time to keep tiny toes a tad cosier with a shoe. Soft-soled booties can provide warmth without impacting on foot development.
Finally, when your baby steps it up from pulling up on furniture to independent walking, toddler shoes can offer some stability during exploration to support those initial wobbly steps. Always favour flexibility over rigidity in footwear design though to prioritise natural, non-restrictive foot movement.
Flexible soles and lightweight materials are also vitally important, along with a proper fit and breathability. Inch Blue prewalker shoes are made from super-flexible suede or leather in natural materials that are perfectly in tune with your baby's foot. Their non-slip soles help with balance and coordination too. A step up and on from barefoot for sure.
The addition of soft elasticated collars that give the softest of hugs around the ankles will help to keep shoes securely in place. This style of barefoot shoe is perfect for baby’s early movements, staying on from crawl to cruise.
Babies first shoes for learning to walk by Inch Blue?
If you’re a new parent deciding whether to wear shoes when learning to walk, then rest assured that Inch Blue baby shoes bring all the benefits of supportive footwear with the feeling of barefoot freedom. By only working with natural materials like suede and leather, Inch Blue baby shoes bend with your newborn's foot supporting them step by step from baby, to prewalker, to toddler so your child grows and develops with supported natural movement and optimum foot health in bright, fun, bold designs and colours to delight you both from day one.
