Features and Benefits
Maximum Flexibility
From the design, to the materials chosen, including details such as the width of the velcro, everything in Tem-Tem shoes is thought out so that they offer the greatest possible flexibility, without compromising the structure. The concern with flexibility is important, because it guarantees that the shoe does not hinder the movements of the gait and allows the free activity of all the joints.
Thin sole, without slope
Children’s feet have over 70 thousand nerve endings that are constantly communicating with the brain. For this reason, walking barefoot or wearing shoes with thin and flexible soles allows the brain to collect much more information, which in turn will make the brain work better to keep the child balanced. At the same time, it is important that the sole has the same height throughout its length, because any slope changes the way in which young adventurers use the centre of gravity when walking, preventing a natural gait and the acquisition of fundamental skills. Tem-Tem shoes have soles that are only 3 mm thick and are completely flexible, because the closer children’s feet are to the ground, the more they feel and the better they walk.
Light as a feather
If you’ve read this far, it’s very likely that you’ve already realised that Tem-Tem shoes are extremely light, which allows your child to walk practically as if they were barefoot. It may seem hard to believe, but each pair of Tem-Tem shoes weighs a maximum of 150g and doesn’t need another gram.
No shoe reinforcements
Contrary to general belief, our feet do not need any kind of support when we are learning to walk. In fact, it’s best to always walk barefoot. This is why gait acquisition shoes with structural reinforcements, to help build strength in the ankle, or lateral stabilisers, which provide false balance, do nothing to help your child learn to walk. Tem-Tem shoes do not have any physical reinforcement to help children learn to walk, because we know perfectly well that they get there on their own. 😉
Harmless materials
We carefully chose the materials for Tem-Tem shoes. The rubber, present in the sole and toecap, does not contain phthalates, a substance that is very common in plastic and that has a negative impact on our health. This means that young adventurers can put their shoes in their mouths, although this is obviously not recommended. One of our mottos is “shoes on your feet, soup in your mouth”.
The leather used is free of chromium 3 and 6, in addition to complying with the European Union’s REACH regulation, created with the aim of improving the protection of human health and the environment against the risks that may be posed by chemical substances.
Designed for the shape of the foot
What we are about to tell you may seem incredible. In 1861, a gentleman called John C. Plumer said that “while shoes are designed without having anything in common with the feet, they will, naturally, produce deformations in the feet of whoever wears them”. More than 150 years later, we continue to wear shoes that are mostly designed with the aesthetic side in mind and are not suited to our feet. Tem-Tem footwear respects the natural shape of the foot, with particular emphasis on the wide toe box where the toes have room to move freely, providing the foot with all the conditions to develop in the most natural way possible.
Protected front side
When it comes to footwear, there is no worse experience for a parent than purchasing a beautiful pair of shoes for their child and after two days seeing that the shoes are completely ruined at the toecap. This experience, which was also common to us, led us to protect the front part of the Tem-Tem footwear with a durable rubber material, extremely flexible, which is more resistant to playing and which, on top of that, is easy to clean, guaranteeing a longer life for little adventurers’ shoes.
Flat insole without anatomical elements
If your child’s foot is healthy, the insole should be flat and free of anatomical elements that could affect natural growth. The insole of our shoes has yet another great advantage, it is removable and has marks that help you understand if the size is adjusted to your child’s foot. It may seem like a detail, but this feature is essential to easily understand when the shoes are getting too small and it’s time to change them so as not to cause damage to the feet of young adventurers.
Handmade in Portugal
The long history of the footwear industry in Portugal and the recognition it often receives, both nationally and internationally, for the quality of its products, made the choice to produce Tem-Tem footwear in Portugal one of the easiest we have ever taken. Handcrafted by artisans with decades of knowledge, Tem-Tem shoes are made with all the care and affection that your child’s feet deserve.
Happy children
Tem-Tem footwear is synonymous with two things: freedom and confidence. The freedom for little adventurers to learn to walk on their own, without artificial aids and reinforcements that only get in the way, and our confidence that with Tem-Tem shoes your child will walk better, safer and happier. Happy feet make happy kids.
