How to buy the right pair of shoes for your child.
Many people believe that the beginning walker should be allowed to go barefoot as often as possible. However, you will need a pair of shoes for one reason on the other. While there is no "perfect" shoe on the market, you can assure a good fit if you follow a few guidelines.

Never buy a shoe for your child to grow into. Nor a shoe that is too small. The shoe should fit just perfectly. Easier said than done right. Allowing your child's foot to sit in the shoe and not slide back and forth which can cause blisters.

The top our your child's shoe should bend easily. The soles should be flexible and grip. They should not be slippery and allow your child to slide. However, be careful to not pick a shoe that grips the floor to much causing your child to trip. Rubber soles seem to work best. If the soles are not rubber, try scrubbing the bottom with piece of sandpaper and roughing it up a bit before your child uses the shoes. This works well on dress shoes.

Light weight shoes are easier to manage for a beginning walker. Toddlers even have a hard time with heavier shoes. So keep your child's shoes light weight and easy to pick up.

Make them appealing. Many children do not want to wear shoes. But if they have their favorite action figure or cartoon character on the side, they are more likely to put them on and keep them on. Tell them they are putting their princess slippers on for the day. Or maybe their shoes give them super powers to skip. Be creative in your explanations and design them to suit your child's current interests.

The best advise of all is to look at your child's feet after they have worn the shoes. If you see any red marks, the shoe is probably not the right fit. Be aware of where the marks are. On the sides, maybe the shoe is not wide enough. On the heals, maybe the shoe is too small. Don't pay much for your child's first shoes because chances are it will take you a few tries before you get the right fit. Don't give up and be patient in your search for the right fit.

About the Author

Roxanna Ward, Community leader and staff writer for http://www.BabyUniversity.com, lives in Georgia with her husband, Stan and her three children, Kirstie-Raie, Chase and Kale. As a published freelance writer and breastfeeding advocate, the focus of her writing is concentrated on sharing household tips, her experience with her frugal lifestyle which is compensated by being able to afford to be a stay-at-home mom, as well as the phenomenal process of breastfeeding, child rearing related issues and romantic relationships. She is also currently the Editor of three newsletters: What's New at BabyU?, Intimate Encounters and At Home with Baby University. Roxanna can be contacted at Roxanna30135@aol.com

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