Healthy shoes for children

A healthy foot is a happy foot. Children love to explore spaces, get to know various textures, they are fascinated by the unevenness of the ground and its specificity. They experience sensory impressions through touch, which in turn stimulates the development of their sensory integration. Children's shoes should therefore be a great excuse for a slightly more advanced traversal of the world and they should not limit the toddler.

Children's shoes – which ones to choose?

Healthy shoes for children are those whose presence on the toddler's feet is almost unnoticeable. Therefore, they should be extremely light, soft, breathable and properly profiled in such a way that the foot can work freely, perpetuating only the correct movement patterns.

A stable gait is the basis for a child's safe movement - but remember that footwear is not the source of balance and coping on various levels. This is a special task for children's feet, which are constantly working, developing and training. Therefore, healthy shoes for children cannot replace the child in these activities, but only support them.

Too stiff, heavy footwear with a high upper will limit the freedom of reaction and cause discomfort. Only flexible shoes that bend by 1/3 of their length will properly fulfill their function.

Let's pay attention to the backs. First of all, each child's heel is different, so what suits one child may not be comfortable for another. So let's check whether the colloquially called "heel clip" fits well and is not too stiff.

High uppers can sometimes be used - e.g. in winter. However, let's take into account that this is a higher necessity and if we decide on such a solution, let's check whether the upper is flexible enough. When squatting, playing on the playground or running, the child must have a maximum feeling of freedom of maneuver. This will keep him safe.

Home footwear

Just as important what children wear outside the home is what slippers they wear at home. Let's be consistent. If we pay attention to the choice of shoes, we should also choose healthy slippers for children. Let's avoid flip-flops that do not support the foot. Make sure that the slippers are well-shaped, light enough and support the foot. In this case, the rear is also very important. If it fulfills its function properly, the heel will remain in place. Let's also look at the sole. If it is relatively thin and flexible, it will not limit the child's freedom to play.

Let's also take into account the materials used. Sweaty skin will be slippery and chafe. Let's take care of delicate fabrics or choose slippers made of thin natural leather. Let's check the insert inside. It should not be completely flat to prevent foot deformation. Let's pay attention to the space for the toes and the width of the shoes.

Summer shoes

Healthy sandals for children mean they can enjoy summer trips and many hours spent outdoors. To avoid abrasions and blisters, look for leather sandals, soft and very thin. A bare foot in a shoe feels all the irregularities, sewing areas or protruding decorations. Let's carefully check the inside of the shoes with our hands to see if there are any protruding glue remnants, knots, buckles, etc.

Regardless of the season, children's shoes should meet certain conditions of use. Also in the fall and winter season, let's only look for healthy footwear. For salty and cold days, choose shoes with a breathable membrane and thick sole. When frost comes, look for warm, well-insulated boots or snow boots that will not restrict your child's movements and will protect his or her feet against cold and moisture.

Let's be careful when choosing the size. Not every style of footwear worn by a toddler at the same time must be exactly the same size. It may turn out that we will buy larger boots because of the insulating sheepskin lining inside. However, slightly thinner, sports shoes with an insole lined with a blanket will fit in a smaller size.

Always check the dimensions of the inner liner, also taking into account issues such as the thickness of the child's socks and tights. Winter is the time of insulated clothing, thermal underwear, woolen knee-high socks and thick microfleece trousers. A child should always wear properly selected shoes, because this is what ensures a healthy, unrestricted and natural gait of our child.