Baby shoes undeniably top the list of the world’s biggest businesses. Yes, they make your kid more adorable, and it is difficult to resist the urge to get him/her rocking the best fashion of baby shoes in town. But research shows that it is good to keep your kid barefoot as much as possible. That is not to mean that babies do not need shoes, they do of course.
Snowy grounds and city sidewalks are not friendly to the barefoot while mud paddles and playgrounds are! So kids need shoes.
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Why Barefoot Is Good For The Kid?
Keeping the baby barefoot is overly ideal for foot development unless you notice any issue with that process.
Below are some of the most common reasons why babies should be barefoot. Read on.
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It boosts their awareness.
Barefoot frees babies to look at the floor, up and around while learning how to traverse different surfaces more safely. Walking barefoot in both soft and tough surfaces gives them enough confidence to carry their bodies in different settings, which means that being barefoot is related to a lesser risk of injuries.
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For optimal foot development.
When a bay is born, the feet are obviously soft but they harden as the toddler grows up. Muscles, ligaments, and joints become much stronger as they develop. Studies from across the globe suggest that a child’s foot development is affected by shoes because the foot conforms to the shoe rather than forming naturally as required.
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Boosts coordination and agility.
If you are keen enough to spot differences between children who walk barefoot and those who do not, you may have realized that the former harbor amazing agility and brain coordination. This is because the information they receive via their feet orients them, something that makes them feel more secure.
Experts also explain it this way: that shoes block information intake, so babies wearing them end up looking down more often and they are likely to topple over. And then shoes hinder spreading of the toes, which make kids lose their balance.
Talking of brain coordination, barefoot steps send signals to the child’s brain about how to control movement patterns while navigating through any space.
For optimal sensory motor development. Barefoot coaches babies about their bodies and surroundings. It exposes babies to different environments, temperatures, opportunities and textures to help feet and toes tolerate any of them anytime. And by the way, did you know that the foot sole houses more than 200,000 nerve endings? Well, now you are in the know.
That said, keep the following points in mind for use when you want to put shoes on your baby:
-The shoes should have level soles, ones that match the floor
-High-tops hinder ankle movement
-There should be flexibility in front of the shoe to allow for foot movement
-They should be wide at the front to allow the toes to spread and move freely
-They should have strong ankle support at the back
While being barefoot is beneficial to the baby, there are a few exceptions to this rule. They include:
-Babies with knees that knock together
-Feet with blisters and callouses
-Persistent toe walking
-Feet that roll in