As your baby grows, you want to be sure that they’re provided with absolutely everything they need to develop healthily. Footwear is an important aspect which contributes to babies growth and development, and understanding whether pre walker shoes are good for babies feet allows you to equip them with the right shoes to grow healthily.
We’re here to explain why pre-walker shoes don’t inhibit babies growth, and how they are actually beneficial to development.
How babies feet grow
Babies feet grow rapidly, especially in the first couple of years. During this time, the feet turn from soft cartilage into bone, and muscles are strengthened drastically, particularly during the first year.
To begin with, most babies feet appear flat footed as arches haven’t yet developed, and the feet look like soft ‘pads.’ During crawling and shuffling, nerve endings are developing and the soft cartilage in the feet begins to harden and turn into bone.
It’s also useful to understand that babies' feet tend not to grow at a steady pace, but in spurts.
Supporting growth with footwear such as the Nova White Suede Leather Pram Shoe means you’re protecting tiny feet without compromising on style. Using materials such as leather and suede ensures that the shoes are flexible and durable, with foot health in mind.
From the pre-walking stage onwards, it’s also important to understand the journey from pram shoes to first walkers.
The impact of footwear on babies feet
Footwear has a direct impact on babies' feet. Given how soft and fragile feet are early on in life, they can be pushed or manipulated out of shape which, over time, can cause long term issues.
Footwear which is too tight, restrictive, or designed to ‘support’ feet by boxing them in will inhibit growth and the development of healthy movement and walking patterns. In fact, barefoot is the best way to go the majority of the time.
However, the right footwear protects little feet without the drawbacks of restricting growth and moulding feet into the wrong shape. Pre walker shoes, suitable for use in the pram, should be soft, flexible and breathable, with foot health at the forefront of development.
This is exactly what Prenta Shoes’ new pram shoes collection is designed for, allowing little feet to breathe whilst keeping them safe, and supporting growth whilst letting little toes wiggle and move.
Do pre-walker shoes affect the growth of babies feet?
The right pre-walker pram shoes do not negatively affect the growth of babies feet. In fact, they actually provide important protection for fragile feet whilst in the buggy.
Whilst it is true that some pre-walker footwear can affect the growth of young feet, this is only the case if they are not designed correctly, and are constructed using stiff, restrictive materials.
Prenta shoes’ pre-walker collections however, are made from strong but flexible full grain leather and suede materials, meaning that they’re soft, flexible, breathable and fundamentally don’t inhibit growth in any way.
Check out pre-walker girls shoes and pre-walker boys shoes.
What do podiatrists recommend pre-walking babies wear?
For babies in the pre-walking stage, a lot of podiatrists recommend that combining barefoot time with pram shoes is the best way to support growth and development.
Whilst indoors, barefoot time is crucial to encouraging your child to build strength and balance, as it allows feet to learn to send feedback to the brain. Encouraging natural sensory feedback is part of what helps children to learn to scoot, crawl and eventually walk, on their own.
During the pre-walker stage, shoes should primarily be for protection, and for looking cute! This is ideal when out and about, typically in the pram. These shoes should be soft, breathable and flexible, ensuring they don’t restrict wiggling toes and moving feet in any way, but provide much-needed warmth and protection from the elements.
A pre walker pair that perfectly combines cuteness and comfort for little feet is the Alba Mushroom Suede Pram Shoe. These shoes are built using breathable chrome-free leather for maximum comfort and quality, and feature cotton laces for a secure but adjustable fit.
Support your child's development with footwear which lets toes wiggle and breathe, with Prenta Shoes.