Should babies wear shoes ? This is the most commonly asked question by parents concerned about the health and development of their child's feet. Advice to parents from friends, grandparents and doctors varies greatly from, "Don't put shoes on until you have to," to "Sneakers are as good as shoes and will save you money," to "Shoes are important. Select a reliable store and get good shoes and a good fit."

The no-shoes argument : Even though a child will learn to walk without shoes there are real social, cosmetic, hygenic and practical pressures exerted on parents who elect to follow this course. If they manage to resist these pressures they are ultimately forced to face the problem of getting the child to accept shoes when the first purchase is finally made.

Even with a gradual "break-in" period, the adjustment to shoes from no shoes at all can require weeks or even months of reactions ranging from fussing to tantrums. The final question is: what has been gained? Would properly designed and fitted shoes in any way have been a disadvantage to the child's developing feet?

The sneakers argument : This recommendation, admittedly, is made in an attempt to save parents some money. The dollar difference is small but the difference in product is great. Shoes become more flexible as they are worn. The smaller the foot, the less leverage and strength there is to flex the sneaker or shoe during walking. The relative inflexibility of sneakers often encourages abnormal step-taking to compensate. Also, studies have shown that new walkers will trip wearing a sneaker five times more often on a carpet and three times more often on a hard floor than if they were wearing a smooth leather-soled walking shoe.

Sneakers are often only available in one width as compared to better shoes in two or more widths. This may force undesirable compromise fittings. Sneaker soles are often rounded from side to side and many encourage weightbearing toward the inside rather than the normal outer weight-bearing area of the foot. (The In-Step carries a Stride Rite leather-soled walking shoe in four widths!)

Learning to walk is a progression of learning to stand on one foot at a time. A properly designed and fitted shoe can contribute to this process without interfering with natural development. Here are the plusses of baby shoes:
Freedom: It has been said that the foot is restricted within a shoe. The fact is, if a shoe is properly selected and fitted, the movements or functions of the foot are no more restricted than when standing barefoot on linoleum.
Flexibility: There is often a gross miscalculation of what to look for in flexibility. A sole must have a certain firmness to be of any value yet, by no means, can it be totally rigid. Flexibility does not mean bending a sole double with little or no resistance. Flexibility does mean that with pre-flexing and minimal wear the sole becomes resistless to flexing (at the ball) to the degree the heel is raised in taking a step.
Stability: Shoes on the foot of a baby are likened to fins on the feet of a scuba diver. The fin squares off the bottom of the feet, widens the margins and extends the length all to increase leverage so that with each stroke of the foot, potential for propulsion is magnified greatly.

The same principal, to a much lesser degree, applies to the use of baby shoes. The shoe becomes the baby's walking surface. It squares off the bottom of the foot for firmer contact and extends the width margins. It contributes to balance and stability and helps to eliminate confusion and uncertainty when standing on one foot and thrusting the other foot forward.

The greatest difference in construction between shoes and sneakers is that good walking shoes have a stiff counter. (The part that wraps around the heel.) Sneakers have soft counters. The stiff counter is what gives shoes lateral support and stability. Good walking shoes have a base that is 50% wider than the base of the baby's foot adding greatly to stability. When an infant first starts to walk, they don't have their balance or their natural gait. Learning to walk in a shoe that offers lateral support and stability simply makes it easier for a child to learn how to walk.

Shoes are important: Select a reliable store (like The IN-STEP), and get good shoes and a good fit. The underlying thought to this advice is that it is nature and not footwear that develops the foot. The importance of footwear is that it not interfere with nature's intended function and development.

Much of the opposition directed against the use of baby shoes comes from a lack of familiarity with what is really available. It is unfortunate but many judgements have to be made only on the basis of what one has been exposed to. In many cases, these judgements are made without the benefit of new information. For a child who is just starting to walk, properly fitted flexible walking shoes can be a great advantage. The correct walking shoe makes it easier for a child to walk. The correct shoes are more flexible than sneakers, they provide a broader base for better stability, and offer the lateral support non-existent in sneakers.