How to choose footwear for a child? Learn 6 features of good footwear
It is very important to find the right footwear for a small, constantly growing child's foot. Your little one's first shoes have a huge impact on the formation of their feet. Incorrectly selected footwear can lead to many defects. Therefore, make sure that your child has the best fitting shoes during the most intensive development. What should be good shoes for children?
Manufacturers of children's footwear have been outdoing each other for years in more and more sophisticated and fashionable designs. It even happens that in stores we find high heels for little girls or ballerinas with a spike at the front. However, it should be remembered that not everything that is available in stores is suitable for a child.
What should good footwear be like?
- Made of high-class materials, preferably natural,
- Light,
- Adapted to the length and width of the foot (so-called width),
- Easy to insert,
- Functional,
- They have a flexible, resilient and non-slip sole.
You can read about how to check all these features later in this article.
We want parents to treat the purchase of shoes for their child as an investment in health. After all, feet carry us all our lives, and footwear, especially the first one and worn in childhood when the foot is being shaped, has a fundamental impact on the correct development and posture. We are therefore concerned about the fact that there are many children's shoes of terrible quality on the market, which do not meet any criteria, but are very cheap and therefore bought by parents. Parents are also often attached to brands, especially sports brands, which they wear on a daily basis, and where models for the youngest are already available. This is not the best solution. What is good for adults is not necessarily good for children.
Many brands of footwear present on the market have undergone the opinion process at the Institute and this experience teaches us that it is worth looking around for products of brands specializing in the production of children's footwear. The best of them also have a healthy foot mark, i.e. a certificate that the footwear protects the proper development and functioning of the child's foot, awarded by the Leather Industry Institute.
The most important features of a good children's footwear
Children's shoes should be made of high-class materials - natural leather or breathable fabric. The lining of shoes is also very important - if it is made of synthetic, low-quality fabric, the child's foot will sweat quickly, which promotes the formation of mycosis and other skin diseases.
The weight of the shoes
There should be footwear for a child light. Children, especially those with problems with decreased muscle tone, must easily move their feet forward when walking. In the case of too heavy footwear, the child moves the foot sideways, pulls, shuffles it on the ground and places it lopsidedly in relation to the surface. In this way, he lopsided the knee and twists the hip inward. Due to heavy footwear, he can expose himself to serious posture defects.
The right size
The best shoes for a child of course, they should be in the right size adapted not only to the length, but also to the width of the child's foot (the so-called width). The tips of the toes should not touch the toes of the shoes. It is worth remembering that when walking, the foot lengthens by a few millimeters. Therefore, the footwear should not be too narrow, because then the child's fingers will be squeezed and the work of the muscles will be much more difficult. On the other hand, shoes that are too wide are conducive to deformation, because the foot does not have proper stabilization.
When choosing footwear, make sure that the foot has the least possible sideways movement, and at the same time that it is not compressed. The most important thing, however, is that the foot, especially the heel, is stabilized. Thanks to this, you will protect your child from possible curvatures, knee valgus and injuries.
Good quality sole
When buying children's shoes for learning to walk, check the sole carefully. It should be flexible, resilient and bend one third of the way from the front of the shoe. The shoe should also not be stiff, which is sometimes the case with high winter boots. It is best to check this by asking the child to sit on his heels while measuring. If the front of the shoe bends freely, it is a sign that your child will be comfortable wearing them. Shoes with a sole are a good solution non-slipwhich will prevent the toddler from slipping and falling on any type of surface.
Children's shoes must hold well on the foot and be easy to insert. Regardless of whether the footwear is fastened with Velcro or tied, it should not put pressure on the back of the foot. Children most often choose Velcro-fastened shoes, because they do not like to tie their shoes, it is difficult for them, and being the first to wear for a walk in kindergarten or ready to go out is very important for an ambitious toddler. Therefore, when buying Velcro-fastened shoes, pay attention to whether the length of the straps is sufficient - with a high instep, this may be a problem. Too short straps may detach and the shoes will then fall off the child's feet.
If you decide to buy lace-up shoes, check what the laces are made of. When they are made of artificial fibers, especially round ones, they can untie themselves. Therefore, the best solution will be flat and cotton shoelaces, which when tied well will provide the toddler with comfort and stabilize the foot for a long time.
The choice of footwear in the opinion of specialists
The problem that worries parents are foot deformities noticed by them in children. The most common is flat feet, which specialists refer to as flat valgus static flaccid feet. The opinions of specialists are divided here, some indicate that this problem affects 50% of children, others indicate even 90%. Such great discrepancies result from geographical areawhere the research was carried out and the method used.
Healing footwear for children
A detailed assessment should be left to specialists, the most important thing for parents should be that in most cases, it is a physiological phenomenon - fully normal, and therefore does not require treatment in developmental age, it is only advisable for the child to wear shoes with well-profiled supporting the so-called longitudinal arch, i.e. the center of the foot. Its occurrence is related to the well-developed so-called fat pad in children. It is assumed that such flat feet in children may persist even up to the age of 10, however, the key is the age of about 5 years, when a flat foot may be accompanied by a significant increase in valgus, then it is advisable to use shoes with a higher upper, and sometimes the so-called supination insole. However, a specialist must decide about it.
A simple way to find flat feet is to evaluate the prints of your baby's feet. When standing, the foot structure places a load on the heel, lateral edge and forefoot, leaving a distinctive imprint. Any deviations from the classical prints may indicate various types of pathologies. Among the disadvantages we can find, for example, hollow feet, club feet, horse feet, they are needed to recognize them specialist consultation and custom-made children's shoes with an orthopedic insole.
Expert advises
It is worth realizing the essential features of the foot structure and function. A properly arched foot has two longitudinal arches - lateral and medial, and two transverse arches - anterior and posterior. They form a kind of vault held by the tension of the plantar fascia. Moreover, it should be remembered that the foot is uneven. We distinguish the correct structure, regardless of whether it is a type of Greek foot (XNUMXnd toe longer than the first) or Egyptian (XNUMXst toe longer than the second). In both cases, it can be flat or flat valgus and here we use various types of ready-made shoes. But we can also find a hollow, club, horse or flaccid foot, and in these cases, custom-made shoes ordered by an orthopedist are required.
Regardless of the type of footwear, in children it performs the following functions:
- Always protect the foot,
- Passive shaping and / or correction,
- A preventive role.
For development reasons, good i comfortable shoes for children are those with the so-called functional allowance, i.e. they should be about ? size larger to ensure freedom of movement of the fingers and, if necessary, the possibility of inserting corrective or thermal, cushioning gel inserts. In the case of a sports sole, the forefoot and heel should be at the same height. A higher heel causes contracture of the heel (Achilles) tendon. The sole of the shoe is a very important element. For younger children, buy footwear with a sole cut in the shape of the letter "S" running transversely under the metatarsus, starting from the medial side.
The main features of good footwear are recognized by specialists:
- Wide front (due to finger movements),
- Rigid heel counter and high upper,
- Non-compressive top,
- Appropriate size with functional allowance.
Development of the foot from childhood
A child's shoes also affect their knees and the way they move. The gait stereotype is formed at the age of 7 - 9. Hence, it is important to correctly form the so-called dynamic axes of the lower limbs. Particularly important will be the impact of footwear on the reduction of knee valgus due to the action of ground reaction forces through the foot corrected with the shoe.
What mistakes should be avoided when choosing footwear for a child?
A very common mistake is to give the child used shoes (e.g. from older siblings or bought somewhere occasionally). In this case, it is not only about hygiene, but also about possible deformations of a toddler's developing feet. Each foot has a different pressure and is shaped differently, so the disadvantages of the previous shoe wearer may also develop in your child.
It happens that parents pay more attention to footwear intended for outdoors, and less to slippers and shoes used in kindergarten and school, and yet there the child spends a significant part of the day. When choosing this type of footwear, also pay attention to its quality - both in terms of raw materials and construction.
According to our experts, the most important features of good slippers are:
- made of natural raw materials,
- airy structure,
- high heel,
- the upper that stabilizes the foot,
- easy to insert yourself,
- a sign of a healthy foot, which means that they meet the criteria of footwear ensuring the proper development and functioning of the child's foot.
Another mistake is the emphasis on aesthetics, not on footwear functionality. Too thin and flat soles, too narrow a foot and the lack of stabilization of the foot are the features of the footwear which may be nice and fashionable, but they do not have a positive effect on the development of the feet. Fortunately, now you can find good footwear for childrenwhich combines both aesthetics and functionality. It is understandable that the shoes must also appeal to the child - only then will they be willing to put them on.
Why is it worth taking your shoes off sometimes?
Children today very rarely go barefoot. Walking without shoes on various textures (sand, grass, or any other natural surface) significantly strengthens the muscles that shape the foot's arch. Whenever there is an opportunity, allow your child to go barefoot. It is a natural massage for the feet and stimulation of nerve endings. Walking barefoot on an uneven surface strengthens your posture and aids in the development of the foot muscles.
Why is well-chosen footwear so important?
Appropriate footwear helps to protect the child against foot defects, e.g. flat feet, valgus toe, and against skin diseases such as mycosis. Most parents are aware of the importance of good shoes for the proper development of their children, but they still succumb to the appearance of the shoe or its price. Unfortunately, bad footwear will affect the attitude of the child and then the adult.
How to choose footwear for a child?
Experts from the Institute of Mother and Child recommend that you buy shoes after your child has tried them on. Even the best home measurement of your foot will not replace wearing your shoes on your feet. It's best if you take your little one for new shoes in the afternoon - then their feet will be slightly swollen after the day. A shoe that is comfortable in the morning can start to hurt after a long day. Keep this in mind and keep your child comfortable and safe.
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