We’ve talked a lot about the importance of choosing the right footwear for children’s first steps and gait acquisition, but what is the real importance of healthy feet?

Made up of 20 muscles and 26 bones, the feet serve as the foundation for the entire body in terms of support, balance, posture and general well-being. That’s why having foot problems can cause back pain, joint problems, posture problems or even affect your health.

In the case of children, it’s even more important to keep their feet healthy, because any change in the development of the feet can cause pathologies or deformities that will remain until adulthood and have consequences for the whole body.

What’s more, up to the age of 5 is the stage of greatest foot development, which also corresponds to a period during which children’s feet are more delicate and need extra attention.

So what care should you take with your child’s feet?

Until they start walking, babies shouldn’t wear any kind of footwear. Allowing their feet to move freely will help their feet to grow stronger and be better prepared to start walking.

When babies start walking, let them go barefoot whenever possible. No matter how respectful the footwear, such as Tem-Tem’s, no pair of shoes is better for your child’s feet than going barefoot.

When buying shoes for your baby, choose footwear that is extremely flexible, light as a feather, with a thin sole that doesn’t slope, a wide toe box where the toes can move freely, without a heel counter or any other reinforcement and with a thin insole and no anatomical elements.

It’s also essential that the shoes are the right size for your young explorer’s feet. Several studies show that wearing shoes that are too tight in childhood can result in bunions appearing more frequently.

If possible, have two pairs of shoes and alternate them daily so that the shoes can breathe, thus preventing them from gaining moisture and sweat.

Start taking care of your child’s feet from the very beginning. They deserve it.