translated from Spanish: Choosing the right child footwear benefits the health of children

Mexico.- The style of footwear in children will change according to the stages of growth, however it is important that the parents are on the lookout for when the shoes should be changed, explained the pediatrician attached to the Regional General Hospital (HGR) No. 46, of the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS) in Jalisco, Luisa Fernanda Pérez González.Indicated that during the pre-crawling and crawling stage children “do not need footwear, only cover the feet from the cold, then just put socks or shoes woven from cloth, and the only function we have is to protect it from temperatures.” He said that at the age when the child starts his gait or walk, it is desirable for him to do it barefoot if he is at home, or with socks, and only when he goes out on the street and requires protection for his feet, wear shoes with a flexible, thin sole , not more than two millimetres thick.

“We can put him barefoot to walk, it’s a recommendation that he learns, because he has his feet flexible, he can move his fingers to do flex and extension,” he said. He stated that the footwear he will use for walking must maintain a stiff heel, and the ankle should be free, so the use of boots is not ideal, as well as mentioning that the shoe should be wide. Pérez González explained that as it progresses in its growth, the foot will develop in size so it is important to ensure that there is at least one centimeter away between the child’s toes and the tip of the shoes. He also indicated that it is not correct to wear shoes that at the time were older brothers, because they are already fitted to the feet that they made use of them before.

Children’s shoes.

“We have to see when to change the shoes, the ideal thing is that each child has his shoes, because each foot is going to wear out a specific area of the footwear, and if they then pass it to the little brother, because they will have a predisposition,” the specialist explained. The ideal footwear, he said, must be made of materials such as fabric or natural leather to reduce sweating, in addition to having removable insoles that allow frequent grooming of the footwear. Regarding the formation of the foot arch, he explained that this would take his time so it should not be forced with the use of templates and other methods.

“The bow forms around the age of four, before this age all the children’s feet are flat and it’s totally normal and if we try to force the arch with insole instead of helping, it’s going to hurt it and it’s not ideal , the best way to fix or form the plantar arch is to let them walk barefoot or with anti-skid socks,” he concluded.



Original source in Spanish