Should my toddler wear shoes?

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Your toddler’s feet have a big job ahead of them, with years and years of walking, running, jumping and balancing. In a day and age where fashion and social media is big, there are lots of fancy shoe options for children from the moment they are born. When you look online, there is often conflicting information and opinions, making it tricky to know what the best option is. As a parent you always want to make the best decision for your child and development. This opens up the conversation of whether your child should wear shoes or not.

About your child’s feet?

When your child begins to walk, they are developing biomechanics of their whole body and importantly their feet. A child’s foot contains lots of different structures, 26 bones, 33 joints and a multitude of ligaments all supporting these. When your baby is born, the bones in their feet are made of cartilage that will get harder as they get older. Your child’s feet won’t fully develop until late in their teenage years.

When should my child start wearing shoes?

Most children start walking between the ages of 8 months and 18 months. Walking barefoot around the house can help to develop the biomechanics and the intrinsic foot muscles of the feet. This does not discredit the use of shoes for example once they become confident in walking outside, this may be when it is time to buy their first pair of shoes.

While barefoot time is beneficial, there are also situations where shoes become necessary to protect your child’s feet from injury. In scenarios where there might be extreme temperatures like the road or really hot sand. If there are harsh surfaces such as sharp rocks, hard roots or potentially dangerous items. Or if it is really cold a child’s feet will need protection too.

The key is to choose the right type of shoe which would be best determined by a specialist who can recommend shoes that are individualised to your child’s needs.

Common Problems with Children’s feet

Club foot: A congenital condition.
Walking on their tippy toe’s (toe walking)
Inward or outward turning feet
Flat feet

Who do I see if I have concerns?

At Strong and Courageous, we support families to better understand a child’s strengths and provide effective evidence-based interventions to support a child’s development. Our therapists are able to provide support to help identify reasons as to why a child might have difficulties with their feet or if they require specialised footwear to better support their development. We can also liaise with podiatrists, paediatricians or orthotists to share our concerns and work together for the best option for your child.