Shoes

The boys never had anything other than socks on until they started crusing really well and trying to walk. So in a moment of true sadism I think I decided it was time for shoes. With support. Because really those floors they are going to be walking on are awfully hard. You would think I poured them concrete boots they way they pulled their knees up super high, clomped around in them and tried to get them off at first. Who knew they had to learn how to sit from a crawl all over again and vice versa because of those darned shoes?

Fast foward... that was about a month and a half ago. I still notice that the boys walk totally differently with shoes and without. Depending on which they have been most often (shoed, or shoeless) when they switch over they walk akwardly or clumbsily for a while until they figure it out again. I really didn't intend to torture them, or make walking any harder than it has to be. I really just wanted to help their feet - I know mine kill me when I walk around on the hard tile without shoes all day.

So what do you do? Do your children wear shoes? If so, what kind? When did you start? Or if you didn't was there a reason you waited?

 

Mine wear shoes only when we go out. I never have them in shoes at home. And I didn't get shoes for them until the weather got cold.
From everything I read and what my ped told, barefoot is best so that's what I did/do.

I did spend a little extra on their first shoes from Stride Rite. They have very flexible soles, so it's supposed to mimic barefoot walking. And they're pretty light shoes. At first they acted a little confused and did the high step with them on, but now they don't seem bothered.
But DS does love to take his shoes off. And his socks. So I'm always afraid of losing a shoe now when we're out and about.

Oh, and they were around 10 months when I bought them their first pair of shoes.

 

QUOTE(beemer @ Jan 10 2009, 10:51 AM) [snapback]1141020[/snapback]
So what do you do? Do your children wear shoes? If so, what kind? When did you start? Or if you didn't was there a reason you waited?


I would keep putting them in shoes. They'll get used to them in time. My children do where shoes since 6 months old when going out. I also leave them on in the house since they were 10 months old many days. After all, they're not dragging mud into the house . We have all types of shoes. I look for some that seem to have been constructed well. GL!

 

I would keep trying with the shoes too. We don't usually wear shoes in the house, just to go out. My DS, who does not walk on his own, will stand easily when he is in his shoes. DD who does walk, walks a little awkwardly at first and then it gets better for her. Good luck

 

Mine wore Robeez. They don't need anything hard & stiff @ that age.

 

I always thought it was better not to wear shoes when trying to walk.

 

When mine first started walking we had no shoes on or the occasional Robeez. Plus, we live in FL so we really dont wear shoes in the house much at all if ever. But as they got older, they would still trip and fall in bare feet (totally normal) but it seemed to go on forever. I mentioned it to my friend who happens to be an OT for babies and she said to put some nice thick soled shoes from Stride Rite on them to walk around the house in. Sure enough, they quit falling everywhere. They just needed some extra support to help them along.

 

Mine wear shoes any time we go outside or leave the house. If we are inside they don't wear shoes. When they were learning how to walk they wore pedipeds, but now that they are good walkers we got them a good pair of hard soled Stride Rites.

 

Mine wear Robeez when we go out - they are not yet walking, though. My older DS only wore Robeez until he around 2 or so. There is nothing like barefeet to build those feet muscles correctly for good walking as well as letting them use their toes to grip the ground - but soft soled shoes are a close 2nd b/c they allow the child to use all of the muscles in their feet and even grip a bit with their toes. Then when they are walking outside and need protection, there are good flexible sole shoes out there (Stride Rite, Puma, Nike Free, Pedoodles, etc.)

Here are a few links to soft-soled shoes:

www.robeez.com

www.pedoodles.com

www.preschoolians.com

Good luck!

 

I believe the newest recommendations are to be barefoot or wear soft soled shoes. The previous poster had some good suggestions and is right on about foot muscle development. Bobux is a competing brand to Robeez, and they aren't as tight on the ankle. This type is often called "crib shoes". It is even recommended that they can wear these outside as long as they aren't walking somewhere dangerous.

After they move out of these "beginner" shoes they should wear shoes that you can bend in one hand, folding the toe to the heel until they touch.

We found stride rite too stiff. Others I've seen recommended are see kai run, robeez tredz, livie and luca and gucio.

 

At that age, mine wore shoes only if they were going to be walking outside. Kids learn to walk easier with barefeet, so I left them bare until they were great walkers. Actually, they still only wear shoes when we go out, now that I think about it. None of us wear shoes in the house.

 

We never even bought them shoes until they needed them for Baby's Day Out at the local church preschool. They learned to walk without shoes and still rarely wear them.