Is your child taking their first steps or learning to walk, but you don’t know what kind of shoes to buy for them? Follow our advice to ensure strong, healthy feet.

Ideally, babies should always go barefoot. Yes, completely barefoot. Children’s feet have 70,000 nerve endings, which are constantly communicating information to the brain. This information is used by the brain to help the child stay balanced. This is why children, and adults too, walk better when they are barefoot.

It is, obviously, not always possible to walk barefoot and it is for these moments that you need to find the perfect footwear, which respects your baby’s feet and does not hinder walking movements, allowing the feet to develop naturally.

Firstly, shoes must be flexible throughout their entire length. Shoes that are too rigid limit and control the movements of the feet, making it difficult for the child to walk and explore the surrounding space.

It is also important to have a sole as thin as possible, to ensure the connection to the environment, and without any slope. Soles that are higher at the back alter posture and interfere with the child’s walking movement. The same applies to insoles, which must be flat and free from anatomical elements.

Also look for shoes that are as light as possible. Heavier shoes obviously limit the child’s movement and do not allow them to have the feeling of walking practically barefoot.

Avoid shoes with reinforcements to help you walk. There are models on the market with ankle counters or side stabilizers to help with walking, but what these shoes do is prevent the child from having natural gait development. Children do not need any physical support to help them walk, they can do it on their own.

Lastly, choose shoes with a shape adapted to the shape of the foot. The overwhelming majority of children’s shoes on the market have a toe box that is too narrow, meaning little toes don’t have enough space and sometimes even end up cramped together. It is important to choose shoes with a wide toe box, where the toes have space to move freely and develop as naturally as possible.

In general, always choose shoes that respect your baby’s feet and that do not impose changes in their gait. The natural development of gait is important for children’s autonomy and healthy feet!