Things to Remember When You’re Buying Shoes for Infants

As soon as Infants upgrade from crawling to walking ,comfortable shoes become an essential accessory for them. This is because while they are younger like (0-9months old) they are often being carried around in your arms. 

Choosing the right pair of shoes for your little one is critical as they affect stability and alignment and longer use of unfit shoes will lead to improper gait and balance of the kid for a lifetime? If you’re in the process of shopping for baby shoes online/physically, here are some things you need to keep in mind to have your little ones running properly without harming their posture and to protect them from dirt, germs and anything sharp.

1. Did you know, a baby’s feet swell in the evening, very similar to adults. Hence, we recommend you shop for your infant’s shoes in the evening, especially if you’re going to shop jump for the right pair physically. 

2. If you’re considering shopping online, ensure you read the description of the product mentioned online word by word. If your shopping from a physical shoe store, look out for a store with service personnel there to help and guide you with the shopping.

3. Do your homework well, here you need to in advance measure your kid’s feet at home. Keeping the measurement in mind we advise a loose-fitting pair of shoes compared to a tight-fitting one. Additionally, not both feet measure the same always. One foot is generally larger than the other and you want to avoid shoe bites and cramped feet redness due to small-sized shoes. So ensure you choose sizes based on the measurements of the larger foot. 

4. Look for infant shoes with Velcro fasteners because they are easy to put on and take off, for kids themselves as well as for the kid’s parents. Consider investing in a pair of lace shoes as that will stay in their place, avoiding shoe falls or loss while outdoor.

5. If you’re not comfortable with too-closed shoes, you can consider buying loafers/Slip-on for your infants. Just ensure that they are a proper fit and have ankle support or else you will be left with 1 slipper only with 1 being lost. It is most advised for kids’ shoes to have some type of back/ankle closure - like Velcro, laces, locking tab, etc. to ensure they stay well-fitting on the baby’s feet. Backless shoes and slippers for kids can slip off the kid’s feet easily.

6. Choose shoes with soft flexible soles as the kids will need to bend and stretch and need to be soft enough to help them balance and play freely.

7. Find shoes with non - skid bottoms. You will often find infant shoes that are plain on the bottom with no ridges on the outside which won’t hold properly on smooth marble flooring and your kid might end up slipping on the ground. We do not recommend you invest in those. 

8. Choose a light breathable material for kids’ shoes so that your baby’s feet won’t sweat and end up stinking after prolonged wear. Look for shoes made of canvas or soft leather. Or you can choose sandals with breathable cuts so their feet won’t get hot and sweaty. Don’t choose luxurious fabrics like stiff leather or synthetic materials as they end up restricting the movement of your child’s ankles. Also, when buying shoes/trying infant shoes from online websites, we advise you to rotate the kids’ ankles to check if they can move comfortably.

9. Don’t buy shoes that your kid will grow into i.e. don’t buy oversized shoes, ensure that they aren’t too loose because they might slip off easily and cause permanent gait problems. If they are too small, the kid’s cloth shoes will be nothing but a cause for pain, discomfort, blisters, redness and even swelling of your kid’s feet. Choose shoes with around 1 cm gap between the front and back of the foot from the shoe material. Additionally, ensure that the top part of the shoes doesn’t fit tightly on their feet because it will be uncomfortable and cause blisters or corns on their feet with prolonged use.

10. Look for the inside arch of the shoe. If the shoe is of good quality, it will definitely have an inside arch fitted specifically to the child’s feet. If it does not have it, think about buying a different pair.

11. Make your little one walk in the store/at home while trying the pair of shoes. Look for any signs of discomfort like limping or tripping.

12. As a child grows at a rapid speed in his/her early years, you must continuously check if the shoe is fit well as such growth spurts can cause discomfort if the fitting of their children.

Summing up:

The online market for Newborn shoes is expanding at a lightning speed. There is a plethora of massive options you can choose from to suit every purpose and occasion. From pre-walkers to walkers to sneakers, you name it, they have it. You’re just a click away from exploring infant clothes and accessories on our Genius Baby online store. 

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