When most of us get shoes for our little ones, we are more focused on their attractiveness rather than their dependability. It's important for parents to be aware of our child's needs and of the vast differences in the shoes we can purchase (and subsequently put on our kids) taking special note to have a shoe "match" where your child is at developmentally.  The right shoe can certainly promote or hinder walking!

Shoe Types/brands we love!

• Wobbly Wobblers
• Stride Rite
• Firm boots/high tops
• See Kai Run

Why You Should Care About Finding The Right Shoe!

• The right shoe can promote or hinder walking
• Shoes affect foot positioning 
• The ability to walk/run/explore environments impacts your child's development
• You don’t to waste money! Kids grow out of shoes fast and you don’t want to spend a lot of money on the wrong shoe
• Change shoes to "match" activities, such as when there is lots of standing, lots of sitting, lots of walking....etc.

Shoe Facts & Statistics

• Podiatrists, pediatricians and physical therapists promote shoes based on development
• When children are young, they should frequently be barefoot to promote balance, posture and coordination
• A child should start wearing shoes when they are "cruising" consistently and trying to stand about 80% of the day
• Wearing shoes consistently too early can hinder development of bones, muscles, and ligaments
• Kids' feet sweat 2x more than adults.... that must be taken into consideration when shoe shopping!

What to Look For When Shoe Shopping (Typical Development)

• Heel cup (support) especially on open shoes
• Traction on soles
• Soft sole to increase input through foot
• Ankle strap to keep heel in place (laces or velcro strap)
• Wide toe box to allow movement

What to Look For When Shoe Shopping (Atypical Development)

• More rigid shoe that doesn’t fold in half (any slight fold should be closer to toe box)
• Straight last shoe (Straight line from heel to toe with no curve on bottom of the shoe)
• Arch support
• Varying levels in different shoes
• If not enough add inserts or SMOs
• Rigid heel cup (shoe shouldn’t collapse with pressure when being pushed down)
• High top shoes or shoes with laces/straps

The Bottom Line

The type of shoe you purchase is so important for your child, especially for pre-walking and newly walking children. Be sure to purchase shoes that are best for your child’s development, not necessarily the most fashionable shoe. If you are noticing that your child is experiencing pain or is having difficultly walking, the wrong shoe may be the culprit! However, sometimes medical intervention may be necessary. The pediatric physical therapy team at PMC can help identify your child's needs and developmental milestones, create exercises to strengthen feet/ankles/legs as needed, and/or recommend orthotics/inserts or SMOs/AFOs as appropriate.

A huge "thank you" goes out to Hillary Bohanan, pediatric physical therapist assistant, for sharing her knowledge with us!