A baby is like a new bud which grows into a beautiful flower. The little one should be raised with lots of love, healthy food and good morals. Learning to walk is a very important development in a child’s life. The inquisitive little creature needs ample of freedom to explore its environment, but at the same time it also needs protection from the various threats spread around it. Soft-soled baby shoes are a special companion built for the little ones, which not only let them feel the ground and learn to balance, but also provide them safety.
Following are the various benefits of gifting your bundle of joy soft-soled shoes:
1. Flexibility
To learn the proper way of walking, conducive to a healthy body posture, the baby must be able to balance his feel properly on the ground. Flexible and soft soled baby shoes let the child have a better balance on the floor than hard and un-flexible ones, thereby facilitating better development of ankles and bones of the foot. Also since the sole is soft, the child feels minimum discomfort. This unique combination of comfort and proper grip helps in the healthy development of muscles and bones in the rest of the body as well, particularly the spinal cord.
2. Protection
There can be plenty of things which can pose a threat to the baby’s sensitive feet, like dirt, splinters of glass, wood, rock, and coarse or slippery floors. In addition to protecting the baby’s feet from such hazards, these shoes also help to keep the feet clean. The shoes also provide protection against hot and cold surface of the floors. Thus, even while securing the feet from dirt, germs and many other dangers, the soft-sole shoes let the baby enjoy the natural motion of the feet.
3. Comfort
Some baby shoes may come with various additions (like buckles, plastic decorations and ties) which may restrict the movements of the baby and can cause him immense frustration and discomfort. Both the sole and upper portion of the shoes is made of soft and flexible material giving comfort and freedom to the delicate pair of feet. The socks also have a role to play as a pair that is too tight would lead to marks on the feet and may also limit the free movement of the toe.
4. Choosing the right shoe
There are different makes and models of soft-sole shoes readily available in the baby segment of all major shoe outlets. One should look for shoes with slip-resistant sole and the ones which are made of materials like leather, suede or sheepskin. Such breathable fabrics let the baby’s feet feel fresh. Look for flexibility in the soft-sole shoe; the shoe should be easy to bend. The shoe should also have space around the toe and heel for the feet to stretch and move. This would also allow a fine scope to accommodate the growing feet of a baby.
5. Facilitate Development
Some people believe that hard and restrictive shoes promote strengthening of the ankles. But in fact it is the natural movements made by the baby, like wiggling and kicking which assist in development of the foot muscles. Hard-soled shoes restrict the normal motion of the foot; on the other hand, soft-soled shoes, apart from protecting the tiny pair of feet also help the child to get acclimatized with the natural environment as it is almost akin to bare-foot walking.
Before shopping for Children’s Shoes one should get the baby’s feet measured from an expert so that finding a right fit becomes easy. If one is not able to find the shoe matching the exact size of the feet, then go for a number which is slightly bigger than the actual size.Even after getting a right pair, do check the fitting of the shoe after every two or three weeks, as due to their quick rate of growth they usually outgrow their shoes in every two to four months.Also, make sure to buy separate shoes for each baby as the shoes tend to take on the mold of an individual foot.
Soft-soled shoes come in various cute designs to attract the ever-drifting attentions of the babies. Popular ones include shoes with colorful patterns, characters (cartoons or actors) from movie or TV that catch the infant’s fancy.
