Your baby is not only taking his first steps, but also cheerfully runs around the apartment and on the playground? It’s time to help his little legs develop properly. Pediatricians unanimously advise buying special shoes for babies. But how to find out which orthopedic shoes are suitable for a small foot, how to determine its quality and on what grounds to choose?
What are orthopedic shoes?
Mothers often think that orthopedic shoes are needed when there are already developmental disorders of the foot. However, it is not. Many doctors agree with the postulate that it is better to prevent a problem than to get rid of its consequences. Therefore, those orthopedic shoes that you can buy in stores perform a preventive function and help the child’s foot to form correctly.
How to choose orthopedic shoes?
When choosing shoes for your baby, you should pay attention to several important features:
shoes should be in size – no more and no less. The distance from the thumb to the toe of the boot is not more than 1.5 cm;
the toe of orthopedic shoes should be closed and have a rounded shape;
the sole of the right shoe is hard, hard to bend at the toe and does not slip. A small heel is required;
on the insole must be an arch support, which provides a uniform load on the entire foot;
the heel should be stiff. Squeeze the heel – if there is a dent, the shoes do not fit;
fixed orthopedic shoes on the ankle. This avoids sprains and other ankle injuries.
For the manufacture of orthopedic shoes, only natural materials should be used – leather or fabric. So that the baby is not hot and his leg does not sweat, choose models with small holes – perforation. Buy orthopedic shoes in trusted stores. Give preference to large, well-known factories. Orthopedic shoes must be new. It tends to retain the shape of its first owner’s leg, so the next owners will not even be useless, but harmful.
