How to Buy Baby's First Shoes

Most pediatricians agree that going barefoot is best for an infant's growing feet. Babies foot muscles need unrestricted room to develop properly and bare feet help babies learn how to grip the floor and find their balance. If your baby spends time crawling outdoors or learns to pull up, it's time to purchase his first pair of shoes. Read on to learn more.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Start with soft leather slip-ons. Leather booties provide more protection than socks, and are appropriate for infants and up.
2. Choose a shoe with moderate flexibility. Pediatricians now recognize that the rigid white boot with stiff leather soles is inappropriate for developing feet. The shoe must flex in the ball of the foot to help baby's gait.
3. Check the length with your thumb. The shoe should extend approximately half an inch beyond the longest toe. Babies grow out of their first pair of shoes quickly, but more room for growth causes tripping and stumbling.
4. Consider the width of the baby's foot. Babies have broad feet, and you must get a professional fitting to determine whether your baby needs wide or extra-wide width shoes.
5. Purchase shoes without an arch in the insole. Babies must use their muscles to develop an arch in the first two years of life and arched insoles impede the process.
6. Buy shoes with an enclosed toe. Although many designers vie for your dollars with cute sandals, you must consider how the shoe can protect the baby from stubbing her toes.
7. Make sure straps don't rub or bind to prevent blisters. Baby's feet sweat more than adult feet; so shoes must have mesh or other features in the construction that allow feet to breathe.