When choosing the right material in walking shoes look at the pros and cons of each shoe. Sure, the cute little pair that is calling you from the shelves would look adorable with a particular outfit; on the other hand, does it serve the purpose you need it for? Does it provide the support a toddler's foot needs? Is it just aesthetically pleasing but has no qualifications to help your emerging walker?

Furthermore, everyone knows babies are messy. They drop food when they feed themselves; they have the occasional spit-up session still. Does the material of the shoe you are purchasing allow for easy clean-up? That is why when you select a material you need to look for the following characteristics of the material:

A material that is not lightweight could be hot and cumbersome to a baby. They will not be able to voice their opinion about the sticky shoe. You must use good judgment on the material. Feel it and place your fingers inside the shoe. If it does not feel good against your skin, it most certainly will agitate a baby. Their skin is sensitive since it has not matured like an adult's feet have. Furthermore, babies exert much more energy than their older counterparts. Additionally, you could expect them to have sweatier feet. In that manner, the babies need lightweight shoes that don't add heat to their bodies.

Also, having bulky and heavy shoes will weigh them down. Their little legs and body stature do not need clumsy baby walking shoes. Above all, it could hinder their journey in learning to walk. What's more, nine months to three year age range children need shoes not made from synthetic materials. It is best to look for linen, cotton, mesh, and others of the same standards. Even leather is a good choice. Leather supports the foot and helps keep it in position.

Have you owned a pair of shoes you couldn't stand because they made your feet hot and uncomfortable? Now imagine, you can't tell anyone they bother your feet because you only know 2-3 words at best! Pair that with being a small child that has to wear the shoes picked for them. To put it another way, it sounds like a miserable situation. This is one reason babies pull their shoes off. They don't like shoes.

They have not adjusted to wearing shoes. It is wise to pick breathable shoes. Therefore, lessening the chance of putting the infant walking shoes back on your child dozens of time a day. Another reason to pick a breathable shoe is for hygiene reasons. Shoes that trap heat and therefore sweat, set up breeding grounds for bacteria. In fact, small children and babies are not immune to an athlete's foot disease. That is a fungal infection growing in warm, dark, and moist environments. In addition, staphylococcus, or "Staph", grows in the same environments also.

Toddlers and babies go through so many sets of clothes on a given day. You most certainly do not want to hand-wash the shoes that go on their feet. Having any time or energy after chasing a toddler all day is an old wives' tale. Make sure, when researching shoes for emerging walkers, you buy a shoe that is machine washable. Otherwise, you will find yourself scrubbing the shoes every few days. They will run through anything once they get fully mobile.

Following this, check for the material to be stain resistant. Therefore, when you are tossing them in the washing machine, you won't have to worry about the milk they spilled at lunch staining the shoes. Save the cute boutique shoes that are "Hand Wash Only" for photography sessions. Another great tip for the care guidelines is to find a material you can spot wash. Meaning, it should wipe clean with a damp rag to save you from having to wash frequently. Washing machines should be a last resort when cleaning most infant walking shoes; they can damage shoes over time.

The last thing to check for when looking for the best new walker shoe is the flexibility of the material. Flexibility is key in promoting a child to walk on their own. They will need a shoe that can transition from the ground playing to standing in seconds. If a shoe is too rigid, it won't move with their legs and feet. Moreover, it can slow them down. If the shoe does not flex, children get mad. Inevitably that leads to their baby's first walking shoes being pulled off.

Moving into a new stage of development, children will more times than not take a fall. It is part of the learning process. However, we need to give them all of the advantages to assist with walking. One of the most important things a child needs in first-walker shoes is a non-slip sole. In fact, almost 8,000 kids seek treatment daily from an injury sustained during a fall. Not all of these are from almost-walkers. However, if we can make the environment safer, that is the goal.

The best option for outsoles is always a rubber material with a traction pattern on the bottom which will prevent slipping and sliding but also won’t pick up too much dirt. If shopping for indoor use, you can also get away with a softer sole with rubber points that prevent slipping on hardwood floors, but outside you’ll want more protection.

Weather conditions should be a special consideration, as wet surfaces will require a better grip and more aggressive traction pattern. In these cases, you should look for a shoe with deeper lugs that will stick to the floor better, preventing unwanted accidents. Similarly, if you’re buying summer footwear, you need to consider the heat resistance of the purchased model, as soft rubbers often won’t offer suitable protection, especially if walking on pavement or in the sand.

At the same time, the baby walking shoe sole needs to have some flexibility. You should be able to flex the shoe in a rainbow shape with some ease. Conversely, if you can bend the shoe with no resistance, the sole is too soft. This will not be appropriate for a baby learning to walk.

While most people love the sound of baby footsteps on the floor, their walking shoes for babies learning to walk will require some padding. If they do not have the proper amount of padding in their shoes, they could injure the bottom of the foot. The soles of most baby walking shoes are not as thick as adult shoes. Therefore, it must have adequate padding to protect the foot.

Nonetheless, it's best not to have too much cushioning either, as it may affect the way your baby learns to walk, and how they land on their foot. Dense EVA foam, rubber, or even natural materials should do well enough. If, however, you feel like your little one requires something extra, you may consult with their doctor who may recommend special insoles that'll offer a higher level of protection.

The cushioning found in infant walking footwear also doubles as a support stabilizer. Toddlers just learning to walk are most definitely unsteady. A well-padded footbed ensures the foot lands equally with each step. Stabilization is also important in the health of afoot. The foot of any human has hundreds of tiny bones. Those bones require support in order to function properly. Further, foot development problems happen without correct arch and foot support. Through repetitive abuse over the years, adults have to sometimes seek treatment for foot pains. Start early during the foot development to ward off potential problems.

Make sure to encourage your child to walk and run around as much as possible in their walking shoes for infants, allowing them to develop a healthy musculature. Should their doctor notice any issues, they may recommend using custom orthotics to ensure proper development and the support necessary to achieve it.

Many options exist for the closure of a shoe. You might see hook closures, velcro, or shoestrings. In our opinion, shoe strings would be the only choice to not buy on the child's first shoe. String laces are a better choice for later on. That is not to say if your personal choice is shoestrings you should change your mind. Just know, you will be tying laces numerous times a day. However, the upside to laces is, they give you more control over the tightness of a shoe. Additionally, laces make removing the shoes for the child harder. As well, kids are closer to 10 years old now before they learn to tie shoes. Compared to the earlier age of 6 many decades ago. This is due to shoe manufacturers coming out with more creative ways to secure a shoe.

There are pros and cons to each style of shoe closure. You will have to evaluate the walking shoes for babies learning to walk based on your child and their needs. If you have a child that loves to pull shoes off, a slip-on style is probably not the best choice. By way of contrast, children with thick feet might need a shoe that expands more with velcro than just a slip-on.

Another popular option that's becoming more and more popular among manufacturers are elastic laces that don't require any tying or untying but still allow for a customized and secure fit that's easy to put on and off. This type of closure is perfect for those with chubby feet or a high instep who don't do well with buckles but tend to undo velcro closures too easily.

The fit of a shoe is the key ingredient to making a successful walker out of your crawling baby. How do you know what to look for in the fit of the shoe? Especially since the child does not have the vocabulary to tell you how it feels. More importantly, most parents have a struggle when they put walking shoes for babies on their child. The child is fussing, kicking, and sliding out of your lap.

Brands specifically tailored for children have traits that assist babies learning to walk. Their designs incorporate the flexibility, breathability, and toe box space needed for growing feet. Also, when checking the basic fit of the shoe, insert a pinky into the heel area when the shoe is on the child's foot. Your pinky should fit snugly in the space. Similarly, now is the time to feel the material against your skin. If it rubs your finger in an irritating way, it will absolutely rub the skin on the back of your child's ankle. Lastly, when your child is standing in the shoe, there should be no more than one-half inch space between the toe and the tip of the shoe. That gives just enough wiggle room. However, there is not so much space your child trips over their own feet.

Some kids are more sensitive than others, so in addition to length, you should also consider the width of the shoe, as well as whether it provides enough space over the top of the foot. If there are indentations or redness on your child's feet, it means the shoe is too snug, and you should either loosen the closure or look for a larger size or different model.

Furthermore, check whether the inside of the shoe has any exposed seams that may pose a problem. As children have more sensitive skin, that's made even softer once they've worked up a sweat, they are more susceptible to blistering than adults. For the best possible fit, you should go with a model that has a seamless construction on the inside, paired with a pair of quality socks and a proper fit.