Caring for Your Baby's Feet
At birth, not all of the bones in baby's feet are completely formed. In fact, some of them are still cartilage that has not calcified yet, so they are quite pliable. Not long ago, parents were told that the first baby walking shoe should have rigid soles, and stiff high-tops, for extra arch and ankle support. Today experts say that this type of footwear can actually damage the soft bone structure in tiny feet, so they are now recommending flexible footwear. In fact, pediatricians say that the best thing for baby's feet is no shoes at all!
Although
barefoot is best, it is usually not practical, so parents should choose
shoes that are closest to no shoes by looking for the following features
(outlined in What to Expect the First Year, by Arlene Eisenberg, Heidi
Murkoff, and Dandee Hatthaway.) They should have flexible soles with flat
non-skid bottoms, and porous and flexible uppers. They should also be
low cut, have a roomy fit, and standard shapes (meaning no pointy toes).