Around to 8-10 months of age, when the child begins to stand up and move its first steps, all parents ask themselves the same fateful questions:
1. When to buy first steps shoes?
2. When you put baby's first steps shoes?
3. What features must baby's first steps shoes have?
4. How to choose first steps shoes and what characteristics they must have
5. What are the best first steps shoes per child?
Le answers to these questions are fundamental; what is at stake is the Motor Development e Postural of your baby.
First steps shoes, in fact, represent the fundamental between the soil, i feet and the his posture under development.
As a distinguished colleague used to say about child development: ''If the small plant grows crooked, the tree will never be straight''.
1. What are first steps shoes
First steps shoes are those booties using the child from 9-14 months of life (when he stands up and takes his first steps) until to the next 12 months or so (period in which your baby perfects the walk),
The term first steps shoes means a shoe which has special features designed especially for the physiognomy of the child's foot and its development.
First steps shoes are like this important because from the moment your son stands up, his feet become the tree roots, the foundations of his posture.
And its shoes represent the intermediary essential between the ground, i feet and its posture under development.
My experience as an Osteopath regarding the importance of first steps shoes
In the guise of neonatal osteopath and paediatrician, I follow thousands of infants from their first days of life until they walk independently (and beyond), helping parents to positively shape the motor development e postural of their child.
It is precisely because of my clinical experience that I understood the profound need of the child to have a shoe suitable for his growthespecially in the first years of life where the child moulds its way of walking and the posture.
Of all the items of clothing he wears, his first steps shoes are perhaps the most important.
First steps shoes must be carefully chosen (based on specific ergonomic characteristics) e used when the child is really ready taking its first steps.
2. When to put baby's first steps shoes on
After learning to crawling as fast as a Ferrari (aged between 7 and 10 months), your baby will stands up and is about to become a little walking heroproud of his great achievement.
That is why the period that goes 9 to 12 months of the child's life represents perhaps the most more intense and exciting of the first year, which is very often associated to first steps and first words of the child.
In this paragraph I explain in full when to put your baby's first steps shoes onstarting from the knowledge of the stages of its psychomotor development.
The route of motor development that will take your child to its first steps, starts 2-3 months earlier of the autonomous path.
In fact, at the age of 8-11 months your child should start to cling to the living room furniture or sofa and to get up standing.
His first real plantar support.
A postural revolution e motorisation proper.
A new point of contact with the ground (feet), a upright position for the spinea new centre of gravitya new point of view and one new coordination all to be calibrated.
The route to the autonomous walkway
Day after day, your child will learn to stand increasingly permanently and, after a few weeks (usually 3-4) will start to moving laterally.
Here we are faced with what is called lateral navigationi.e. baby's first lateral steps.
Initially the first lateral steps will be slow and insecure but, week after week, your baby will become a little shrimp moving all over the living room furniture and clinging to the sofa.
At this point, your child will begin to feel more and more secure in the side walk, so much so that it will try to detach a hand from the cabinet to pass from one support to another (example: from sofa to ottoman, or from one chair to another).
This is the signal that he is ready to try his first front steps.
Please noteIt does not mean that he is able to walk on his own but that, as was the case with lateral navigation, he will have to learn in the next 4-6 weeks to walk alone and take his first steps.
In the video above and in the video course from zero to hero I explain how to help your child in these sensitive and very important phases of its motor development.
Osteopath's advice: when to put on your first shoes?
I advise you to put the first steps shoes when your baby starts to stand up (and wants to stay there) but to use them ONLY when you are away from home.
When at home or in a safe environment e cleanwhether your child is in the early stages of standing up or walking perfectly, I recommend to leave him barefoot or with a appropriate non-slip socks.
If your child is already able to stand up independently and stay there, when you are at the park or restaurant and your child wants to get to his feet by clinging to the chair, the bench or your legs, you can use first steps shoes (although it still does not walk independently).
I DO NOT recommend to use first steps shoes when you are at home and I DO NOT recommend to buy them before your child is able to stand up independently.
First steps shoes will be fundamentals when your child learns to walk independently and wants to move at will wherever you are (outside the home).
3. How to choose the best baby walking shoes - Complete guide
In the previous paragraphs, we have realised the importance of buying first steps shoes that are designed on theanatomy of the foot and be preparatory to its motor and postural development.
But what are the features which must have the best first steps shoes for the child and how to choose them?
Unfortunately, I have to tell you that most first steps shoes on the market are based on more on marketing studies that on the real needs of the child.
Often the soles are too thick e rigidthe heel è high, the narrow plant, the locked ankleconsequently also the movements of the child are more clumsy, stumble more often and its posture è altered.
Let us not procrastinate further and list the 15+1 key features on which to base yourself to choose the best first steps shoes.
#1: Wide, anatomically shaped sole
The child's foot is chubby and there is still a lot of fatty tissue around the muscle tissue.
The forefoot and the child's fingers are wide: they need space to find the right balance both in the static phase and in the foot thrust phase.
The midfoot (i.e. the middle part of the foot) is wide and the arch of the foot has not yet formed. Do not expect a narrow, tapered sole shape in the middle region as in adult shoes.
Le first steps shoes must therefore have a wide sole both anteriorly (forefoot and toes) and in the middle (arch of the foot) as well as in the heel region.
At the cost of being less beautiful to look at but functional, the sole of first steps shoes must be wide and anatomical.
Otherwise, the child's toes and foot will be crushed, impairing its ability to walk properly and develop proper posture.
#2: Flexible sole
The sole is one of the most important elements in the choice of first steps shoes.
If in adult shoes the sole can be more or less rigid, for first steps shoes there is no doubt: the sole must be extremely flexible.
The scientific reason is simple.
The foot of the child (but also of the adult) flexes and contracts in 2 phases during walking:
- Support phase in which the flexibility of the foot plays an important shock absolver function
- Pushing phase in which the flexibility of the foot pushes the leg forward to continue walking or running.
If the sole is too stiff (due to the material or thickness), the foot is not free to move and the child will walk as if it had two snowshoes on its feet.
I often see children with stiff soles walking like a struggling duckling in the studio; let's avoid that.
#3: Thin sole for greater sensitivity and freedom of movement
In the wake of the previous paragraph, let us add another fundamental characteristic: the soles of first steps shoes must be thin.
The sole must be thin enough to allow the right flexibility, a proprioception complete at the child's foot and a balance optimal.
Let me explain.
If the sole were too thick, the child's foot would be elevated off the ground and have less awareness and balance, precisely at a time when it needs it most.
Put yourself in your child's shoes: imagine that you have to leave the house wearing wedges or high-soled shoes. The child runs and plays. Imagine if you had to run in this type of shoe.
The sole of the first steps shoes must be so thin that the child hardly feels the difference between having shoes and not having them; of course, always keeping the right thickness to protect the presser foot from pebbles that can hurt the child.
#4: Side sole height
Third characteristic to check in the soles of first steps shoes: must not have lateral edges stand up.
What do I mean? The rubber of the sole must not rise laterally as in Converse.
When this happens, the sole loses elasticity and flexibility.
#5: Grip and stability
It is very useful that the child's sole is not completely flat, but has grooves. These are specially designed to facilitate grip and stability of the child during walking, running and playing.
It may sound superficial, but a proper sole bottom greatly increases the stability and safety of the child.
#6: Neutral sole with natural physiological support (no raised heel)
Here we come to the last feature concerning the sole, but by no means the least.
The sole should be a gentle protection for the foot, a light and flexible glove that does not alter the child's perception and balance.
That is why first steps shoes that have a thick sole and a raised heel (as if they were adult trainers) are no good at all.
The child who uses shoes with raised back, he finds himself unbalanced at the front in the most sensitive period for its postural development.
La sole must be neutralflat to ensure a natural plantar support for the child during its first steps.
#7: Inner sole and insole without elevation (NO artificial arch support)
L'plantar support of the child must be naturalthe child's shoe must not alter the child's perception and the physiological position of the foot.
That is why the inner sole and insole first steps shoes must not have a raised arch support.
First steps shoes are not the shoes of adults, don't think that a raised arch supports arch development.
Not at all, quite the contrary.
The plantar arch develops in the first 3-5 years of life through free movement and continuous pulling of the calf and plantar vault muscles.
Putting a artificial rise in the insole first steps shoes shifts the balance laterally of the child and alters his posture.
I have seen several children at 15-18 months who, after having used first steps shoes with an accentuated arch support insole for 4-6 months, walked on the side of the foot.
Pay attention, even the most well-known and renowned shoe brands have this big problem.
Before buying them, visually check the insole and touch it with your fingers; make sure the insole is neutral.
#8: Removable insole
A child plays and runs everywhere; shoes can get wet and dirty.
Having a removable, anti-mite and antibacterial insole is important.
You can wash it when you wish and always keep their shoes clean and smelling good.
#9: Insole with shock absolver function
Another important feature of the insole is its ability to absorb heel and foot shock in general during the support phase.
In addition, a soft sole makes shoes the most comfortable possible for the child, who, especially in the first months of independent walking, may struggle to put on shoes (he prefers to be barefoot).
#10: Breathable insole
A removable insole is easy to wash when the child sweats a lot.
At the same time, the breathability of the slab itself is important to ensure a proper foot ventilation during play and motor activities.
#11: The upper (leather part of the shoe) must have a high collar
Up to about 20 months, children have a chubbier, wider foot and a high instep.
In addition to the wide sole, it is important that first steps shoes have a upper (fabric or leather) large and spaciouswhich does not constrict the instep and which, thanks to the straps, is easily adjustable.
#12: Adjustable tears
The child is not capable at 1 year of putting on shoes and closing them properly; tears are comfortable and functional for parents.
After the age of 18-20 months, tears help the child to achieve its own small autonomylearning to open and close shoes by himself.
#13: Anatomically designed upper
This is one of the most important points of all.
Let's start by saying that old medical recommendations suggested buying first steps shoes with lateral heel and ankle support.
This was because it was thought that in order to help the child learn to walk and to avoid ankle sprains, reinforcements were needed across the heel and the ankle itself.
Nothing could be more false!
It is a significant impairment of postural development of the child and I will explain why.
The ankle (along with the knee and hip) is one of the most important joints of the lower limbs. In fact, the ankle allows ample movement of the foot during the stance phase and during the thrust phase.
When we 'protect' the ankle and hindfoot with rigid, wrap-around supports, we clearly limit both the flexion-extension movement of the ankle and the prone-supination movement.
Would you learn to walk better if they bandaged your ankle and immobilised it? Would it be an aid to walking or an impediment?
Let me give you another practical example.
If, instead of the ankle, we put a rigid brace on the knee limiting its movement, would the child's walking be facilitated or impeded?
The answer is obvious.
To ensure free movement of the foot and ankle, make sure that the first steps shoes do not have rigid rubber reinforcements on the heel or ankleat the same time ensure that the upper is no higher than the ankle itself.
The line of the shoes must pass below the ankle ankles to allow its free movement.
#14: Quality and durable materials
A feature as important as it is obvious: the quality.
First steps shoes have very different costs from each other, but when quality materials are chosen, the cost is often higher.
Make sure the materials used are durable and resistant (the child gets up to all sorts of mischief).
#15: Freedom for the Achilles tendon
For the same reason that it is important to leave the ankle free, it is essential to leave free passage of the Achilles tendon at the rear.
A shoe with an upper that is too high restricts the ankle and rubs the Achilles tendon, which may become irritated and annoy the child.
A anatomical line tailored to the child is very important for the upper of the first steps shoes.
#16: Made in Italy
In a world where the made in Italy for first steps shoes seems almost utopia due to its high prices, having a first step shoe that is ecologically sustainable (not coming from the opposite side of the world) and that it is completely made by Italian craftsmen is a great source of pride.
We support Italian craftsmen, Italian companies and use quality materials; all made in Italy.
4. The best first steps shoes for children
The best known brands producing first steps shoes are Primigi, Balducci, Falcotto, Bobux, Naturino, Geox, Kickers and Chicco.
I prices of the best first steps shoes tend to range from 50€ to 70€..
However, most of the first steps shoes of these brands do not offer all the special features I mentioned earlier.
Le I analysed them one by one and, after having touch with hand and warheads at thousands of newborns, I can say the two best first steps shoes per child.
I leave you the Amazon link from which you can easily buy them:
1. Bobux Step Up Grass Court
2. Primigi PNX - For Change
5. Plantar support and arch support, from first steps to independent walking
Proper motor development should result in the child standing up for the first time at the age of 8-11 months and after learning to crawl.
Although this is the age at which the child develops its first plantar supportthe development of posture and lower limbs begins much earlier of 8-11 months.
The development of plantar support and arch support begins during pregnancy.
In fact, the narrow intrauterine position can create spoiled positions of the infant's legs, knees (intra-rotated) and feet (positional clubfoot) that may already be visible at birth.
In these cases, it is essential to resolve the muscular contractures and joint stiffness created during the intrauterine period.
The development of theplantar support and thearch of the foot will be the resultant of mechanics (any joint stiffness or muscle contractures) and motor activities (motor development) to which the foot will be stimulated during growth.
Assuming that the baby's feet are perfect at birth, The development of plantar support continues slowly during the first months of life.
The development of plantar support from the first months
In the first months the foot is not particularly stimulated, the infant is not very aware of its feet and often moves them involuntarily.
Gradually, however, month after month, the infant reaches important motor milestones, learning to roll over, rotate on itself and crawl.
During these months, the leg muscles begin to be activated more and more.
Soon, however, after crawling the child will learn to crawl and stand up.
Here, then, is your child's first proper plantar support and standing position.
At this moment, the foot becomes the conduit between the child's posture and the ground; the needle of balance in the child's centre of gravity.
Allowing the child to have free plantar support and full proprioception (awareness and sensations derived from the position of the foot) is fundamental to his or her postural development.
It is precisely from the quality of plantar support and the secure stability that the child will begin to develop subsequent motor skills.
The sole of the foot begins to send the brain thousands of information to find the centre of gravity of the body and gradually build up a posture optimal.
Flat foot in the newborn
At the time when the child stands up for the first time and begins to take its first steps, the foot is flat.
Let me explain.
The child's foot is still chubby, has a very wide plan, a neck of the foot high and one arch support (plantar arch) little accentuated.
The child's foot at 1 year of age looks flat and, often, slightly pronate (the ankle and heel may fall slightly inwards).
But don't worry, this posture is physiological e normal in the vast majority of cases.
Lo plantar arch development is a path that starts when the child stands up and that lasts for the first 4-5 years of life.
How is the arch created?
The muscles of the plantar fascia and that of the calf work in synchrony; they activate when the foot is in the pushing phase.
By activating, the muscles of plantar fascia and those of the calf stabilise the foot on the ground and, while walking, move the articulations of the foot and ankle (in flexion-extension).
It will be thecontinuous and repeated activation of these muscles (especially the posterior tibial muscle) that day after day, year after year, will make the plantar vault rises and, consequently, you create the arch.
To summarise, the development of your child's stance and arch of the foot stem mainly from 2 aspectsfrom the quality of motor development of your baby (from birth to crawling, and from the first steps of life onwards) and the muscle and joint functionality of his body (are there contractures or joint stiffnesses that impair postural development?).
Foot support assessment
In the first years of life there will be children who have a pronounced arch and children who have a less pronounced arch.
Do not evaluate the quality of his plantar support, his foot and his posture only from a visual aspect of the foot.
A correct assessment of the foot must especially take into account the functionality of the foot.
To assess foot function one must evaluate the musculature of the foot, calf and legs. In addition, the joint mobility of the foot, ankle, lower limbs and posture in general.
If there are no muscular contractures, the joints are free, the baby has excellent motor skills, adequate posture and no pain, it means that your baby is growing perfectly.
The old medical view that a visually pronated foot (flat) certainly leads to postural damage and physical pain, it is FALSA e SURVIVED!
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