Thoughts on Baby Shoes?

StrawberryAlarmClock · February 2011

Dez is 10 mo and has not crawled yet. He loves to stand and "walk" holding our hands. My mom and dad swear he needs baby shoes and so does the saleswoman at the shoe store (it's a "real" shoe store where the employees are trained and know what they're talking about- not one with a bunch of teens who couldn't tell a maryjane from a creeper). Anyway, the saleswoman said that babies NEED (::side eye::) the support because they have no arches or heels yet. So, we try a pair on. DS is size 2.5 which doesn't exist so she puts him in 3s. He hates them. He doesn't know to uncurl his toes and when I try to stand him he does that fold in half routine meaning he wants to sit and try to pull off the confining leather intruders. When I do get him to stand, he has a horrible time "walking". You can see that the extra half inch of toe and the stiffness mess him up. He lifts a foot, it drags, he gets frustrated and whimpers and tries to sit. My mom and the saleslady said this is normal and "You'd be surprise how quickly they get used to it". DH and I are of the school of thought that cavebabies didn't NEED ($44) baby shoes and they had to run from sabertooth tigers!! What do you think? Am I being na?ve? Does DS need these for proper development especially since heelcups run in my family with the boys and he is not interested in crawling? Or, do babies need to be barefoot to learn how their own body works? (I feel like I read that somewhere) Thoughts?

iris427 · February 2011

There's no reason a baby who isn't walking needs shoes. If he hates the shoes and they are interfering with his movement, ditch them. My daughter learned to walk barefoot and I didn't start putting her in shoes until she was walking well on her own and wanted to walk around stores, parks, etc.

Why would humans need shoes for proper development? Animals don't. Nature knew what she was doing when she made baby feet.

BrittKav · February 2011

My daughter is wearing shoes for the very first time today, and she's been walking for almost 4 months now! She was a barefoot running pro...now she's stumbling around the house in her shoes.

nekorayne · February 2011

LOL, I loved the baby running from a sabretooth tiger example!

I have been researching and I read it is better for them to learn barefoot. And if you have to put them in shoes try for soft soles. I really like how this blog put it:

https://sewliberated.typepad.com/sew_liberated/201004/the-new-morning-walk-and-a-baby-barefoot-manifesto.html (the post includes a link and quotes from nice article with more detail).

And WOW $40!?!!? EEK!

Allie30 · February 2011

I wouldn't put my baby in shoes unless they were doing a significant amount of walking OUTDOORS. (I.e., I don't care how much they are walking indoors in FEBRUARY). Shoes, IMO, are only to protect your feet from hurtful stuff on the ground. Almost every study shows that shoes HARM feet, not "support" them. This is why long distance runners are moving toward running barefoot or in those little foot-glove thingies.

shaunna&chad · February 2011

nekorayne:

LOL, I loved the baby running from a sabretooth tiger example!

I have been researching and I read it is better for them to learn barefoot. And if you have to put them in shoes try for soft soles. I really like how this blog put it:

https://sewliberated.typepad.com/sew_liberated/201004/the-new-morning-walk-and-a-baby-barefoot-manifesto.html (the post includes a link and quotes from nice article with more detail).

And WOW $40!?!!? EEK!

I was send you the same link! I agree, I think baby shoes for beginning walkers are totally unnecessary. I'm thankful H will be learning to walk in the spring, so we don't need to worry about it too much, I will probably just get something for out & about. If you find later on that your DS might have some foot issues that need correcting, then I would worry about getting him fitted for shoes.

kwinters87 · February 2011

Lol I'm 23 and hardly ever wear shoes

. Grace will probably only wear shoes when walking around germy places like walmart and doctor's offices.

LinnyAnne10 · February 2011

I think shoes likes these soft sole are better for babies then hard soles

https://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4024704

My sister who son is 2, swears by these shoes, and infact still wears them

https://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4311654

Temp206787500007404 · February 2011

We let her learn barefoot. Once she was walking somewhat regularly and we were approaching fall, I knew I would have to get her some shoes that she could wear outside since it would be colder.

We went to StrideRite and were guilted into buying the first walker shoes (white hightops) and she HATED them. Refused to walk in them at all. We tried for over a month. At our 1-yr pedi appointment, I mentioned she was a good walker, but refused to walk in shoes so we were pretty much stuck inside and he suggested getting her a pair of Pip Squeaks to encourage her to walk (they squeak when she takes a step) and that once she was comfortable walking in them, we could remove the squeakers. So that's what we've done.

But yeah, shoes are NOT necessary for learning how to walk and we only wear them when we're going somewhere or it's cold. Otherwise in the house and the yard we're all mostly barefoot. I hate shoes, so I don't expect her to want to wear them.

goodheartedmommy · February 2011

I didn't put shoes on my kids until well past one and when they walked really well. They wore robeez or similar shoes until the winter when it got cold after they turned 1 (so about 18 months or more). They occasionally wore tennis shoes before then (like all day walking on hot pavement at an amusement park). Anyway, it's always been barefoot at home, soft soled shoes when out for us. The soft soled shoes are about as expensive as the stride rite (is that what you bought?) but they're still better for tiny baby feet! Robeez are great, and then you have pediped and see kai run which have a little more to them.

StrawberryAlarmClock · February 2011

Thanks for the advice, links and recs. I don't really wear shoes either. Ironically, I have a million pairs. Perhaps because they never wear out. Haha. I had no idea that runners were leaning towards barefoot. That's awesome. Mother nature creates a customized sole with caluses so that makes sense. I appreciate all the anecdotes and support. It looks like, yet again, instincts and nature win over consumerism. Wink

::off to check these links:: Gracias

StrawberryAlarmClock · February 2011

iris427:
There's no reason a baby who isn't walking needs shoes. If he hates the shoes and they are interfering with his movement, ditch them. My daughter learned to walk barefoot and I didn't start putting her in shoes until she was walking well on her own and wanted to walk around stores, parks, etc.
Why would humans need shoes for proper development? Animals don't. Nature knew what she was doing when she made baby feet.

AND She knew what she was doing when she made your gorgeous DD

Thanks for the advice.

StrawberryAlarmClock · February 2011

nekorayne:
LOL, I loved the baby running from a sabretooth tiger example!
I have been researching and I read it is better for them to learn barefoot. And if you have to put them in shoes try for soft soles. I really like how this blog put it:
https://sewliberated.typepad.com/sew_liberated/201004/the-new-morning-walk-and-a-baby-barefoot-manifesto.html (the post includes a link and quotes from nice article with more detail).
And WOW $40!?!!? EEK!

Haha. So glad we aren't cavewomen. Talk about stress! Stick out tongue

Yeah, $44 for something he'll wear for 10-12 weeks!! Thanks for the info. I'll check it out!

StrawberryAlarmClock · February 2011

kwinters87:
Lol I'm 23 and hardly ever wear shoes . Grace will probably only wear shoes when walking around germy places like walmart and doctor's offices.

Me neither! They're the first things that come off when I get home...even before my coat some days!

StrawberryAlarmClock · February 2011

goodheartedmommy:
I didn't put shoes on my kids until well past one and when they walked really well. They wore robeez or similar shoes until the winter when it got cold after they turned 1 (so about 18 months or more). They occasionally wore tennis shoes before then (like all day walking on hot pavement at an amusement park). Anyway, it's always been barefoot at home, soft soled shoes when out for us. The soft soled shoes are about as expensive as the stride rite (is that what you bought?) but they're still better for tiny baby feet! Robeez are great, and then you have pediped and see kai run which have a little more to them.

Yes. They're the white Stride Rite hightops. More expensive than any shoes I've ever bought- even for my wedding!

wifeandmama · February 2011

Shoes on babies are so silly! My first was an early walker (right before 9 months) and he always wore Robeez until one day, he hid one and I was forced to put real shoes on him because we were going to an event where he'd be running around.. he was 10.5 or 11 months. Otherwise, I would've kept him in Robeez. Save the hassle of shoes for when the kid actually needs them, I say. It's just an annoying thing to do in the long run!

hst · February 2011

There is a new book out, sorry can't remeber title or author (saw him on various shows being interviewed), about how you should run barefoot, and that shoes are ruining our feet!

katie6195 · February 2011

My son had a physical therapist seeing him when he was learning to walk and she said that babies actually learn better withOUT shoes. My son was barefoot until he was walking well on his own.. then he adjusted to shoes. Although, he still rather be barefoot (I've created a monster!!). Even the socks come off, despite how cold the floor is.

Kersbear · February 2011

A baby definitely does not needs shoes and if you are going to put shoes on a baby they should be soft soles because their feet are still developing. We have some soft soled shoes I've put on Casey when it was cold and I needed to keep his socks on (he only keeps socks on if he has shoes over them). Other than that he is a no shoes baby.

BFab11 · February 2011

They should be either barefoot or in soft-soled shoes while they're learning to walk. C is cruising and I think will be walking fairly soon (who knows?) but he's almost in a size 5 and it's getting really hard to find soft-soled shoes for his big feet!!

Hard shoes are heavy and clunky and won't help LO to learn to walk any better or faster. They develop their arches by using their feet to balance themselves.

StrawberryAlarmClock · February 2011

Thanks, Mamas. And, hst, I'm going to look for that book because I hate shoes. My mom used to call me Blackfoot Indian

SteelCityBride · February 2011

I'm glad you posted this SAC, because my mother keeps bugging me about shoes for E. She wants to buy him all these cute shoes we see everywhere... and yes, they are cute & would look adorable with whichever matching outfit she is holding up with them, but I keep telling her that they are totally unnecessary & she doesn't believe me. I told her that he's cruising on furniture, which means he may be learning to walk on his own soon & that he needs to feel the ground under his feet & that shoes would put an extra layer between his feet & the ground & would hinder his walking development. Her response is always "Well you wore shoes as a baby & you learned to walk just fine" Confused Lovely. I mean, what do you say to that? It's true. But it doesn't negate my point.

Either way, we have not bought shoes yet & we won't until it becomes necessary - i.e. - when he's walking really efficiently on his own & wants to walk places that I wouldn't let him go barefoot, like in the grocery store, etc.

beccer · February 2011

My MIL was devastated when I said no shoes until she learned to walk. I have heard that it's actually bad for baby's foot development to put shoes on early.
When my sister got shoes for my nephew when he was one, the sales clerk applauded her for waiting so long before getting his first pair.

Jennicap · February 2011

No when they are learning to walk they should be barefoot so they can learn to walk with natural footing! BUT with that said if your going to allow him to walk outside in public I would get some kind of shoe. My doctor told us hard sole outside barefoot inside (but we are full on walking so I would double check with yours).

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