What to Expect the Toddler Years (9 page)
Read What to Expect the Toddler Years Online
Authors: Heidi Murkoff
“I know that a good fit is important when it comes to buying my daughter new shoes. But between her squirming, her whining, and my inexperience, I don’t know where to begin.”
Trying shoes on a toddler can indeed be a trying experience—so much so that you may be tempted to buy her shoes without her around. Don’t. Only a good fitting can ensure a good fit.
Keep these tips in mind when you make your next trip to the shoe store:
Shop where the sales staff knows how to fit young children. Ask other parents for recommendations.
Shop after a meal or a hearty snack. A hungry toddler is an uncooperative toddler and a hungry parent is an impatient one—and you’re going to need all the cooperation you can get and all the patience you can muster.
Shop after nap time. Whatever can be said about a hungry toddler can be said doubly for a tired toddler.
Avoid after-school hours, if possible. The more crowded the shoe store, the longer the wait and the more difficult the shoe-buying ordeal.
Arm yourself with toddler distractions. Being accompanied by a favorite teddy bear, doll, or truck can make the expedition to the shoe store more tolerable.
Bring along the right socks. Make sure your toddler is wearing socks that are similar in weight and thickness to the socks that will ordinarily be worn with the shoes you’re buying.
Don’t assume one size fits all. Since the right foot and the left often differ in size—sometimes significantly—the shoe size selected will have to accommodate the larger foot. So be sure that the salesperson measures both feet and that both shoes are tried on.
Don’t fit while your toddler sits. Shoes should be fitted while your toddler is standing with her weight on both feet. When checking toe space, make sure that she isn’t curling up her toes inside the shoe—a very common habit among young children, particularly those who aren’t used to wearing shoes. Rubbing your hand along your toddler’s calf will help relax leg muscles and uncurl toes.
Let your fingers do the testing. Check the width by pinching the side of the shoe at its widest point. If you can grasp a tiny bit of it between your fingers, the width is fine. If you can pinch a good piece of shoe, it’s too wide; and if you can pinch none at all, it’s too narrow. Another sign of a too-narrow shoe: You can feel the little toe or the outside bone of the foot when you run your finger along the side of the shoe.
Check the length by pressing your thumb down just beyond the tip of the big (or longest) toe. Note that in some children, the second or third toe is longer than the “big” toe. If there’s a thumb’s width (about half an inch) of room, the length is right. Press down, too, to make sure the toe box has enough height so that toes can be curled and wriggled comfortably.
To check the fit of the heel, slip your pinky finger between your toddler’s heel and the back of the shoe. It should fit snugly. If you can’t slip your finger in at all, or it’s a tight squeeze, the shoe is too small and will rub against your toddler’s heel. If you can move your pinky around freely, then the shoe is too large. Gaps around the ankle also indicate a poor fit.
Check the shoes in action. If your toddler can’t walk alone yet, assist him or her in taking a few steps so you can
observe how the shoe performs on the go. Be sure the toes don’t drag with each step and the heels don’t slide up and down.
SELECTING SHOES FOR THE WALKER
Young children have gone barefoot for most of human history, and still do in many parts of the world, so the definitive answer to the question, “What is the best shoe for the beginning walker?” is still evolving. Since feet are more flexible, stronger, and healthier in societies where shoes are shunned, most experts believe that no shoe is the best shoe. They recommend that children be allowed to go barefoot even in our society, where wearing shoes is the norm. Of course this is not always practical outdoors, where shoes are usually needed for protection, and in cold weather, when they’re needed for warmth. Nor is it always feasible in drafty or poorly heated homes, where floors are chilly. Slip-proof slipper socks are a good indoor compromise; they allow plenty of free movement while keeping feet warm.
The next best thing to no shoes is a shoe that’s closest to bare feet. Look for:
Just-right fit.
Ideally, a shoe should be neither too big nor too small, though a too-tight shoe is apt to cause more problems than a too-roomy one. (See page 7 for shoe-fitting tips.)
Easy on, easy off.
Experts differ about whether high-top or low-cut shoes are preferable. High-tops can be confining and are more difficult for parents to put on and take off. But low-cut shoes come off so easily, a toddler can pull them off at will. What’s more, they tend to slip off on their own. What’s best for your new walker may depend on his or her foot shape as well as on the fit of a particular pair of shoes.
Light weight.
Toddlers have a hard enough time putting one bare foot in front of another: The weight of a shoe, especially a heavy one, makes the task even more of a challenge.
Flexible soles.
You should be able to bend the toe of the shoe up (about 40 degrees) easily.
Nonslip, nongrip soles.
Soles should be neither so slippery that your toddler slides when trying to walk nor so ground-gripping that it’s hard to lift a foot. Ideally, traction should be similar to that of the bare foot. Look for rubber soles that are grooved, like tire treads. If you buy shoes with smooth, slippery soles (the kind you are likely to find on dress shoes), rough up the soles with sandpaper, or tape a couple of strips of masking tape across them to improve traction.
A shape that matches the foot.
Choose a high, square toe box rather than a pointed one.
Breathable uppers.
Uppers of leather or canvas rather than plastic or imitation leather will allow feet to breathe and minimize moisture buildup from perspiration.
No heels.
Even a slightly raised heel can throw a toddler’s posture and balance out of kilter.
Stiff heel counters.
The backs (or counters) of the shoes should offer firm support. Look for padding along the back edge; this feature will prevent the counters from rubbing and thereby increase comfort.
Bright, appealing colors and designs.
Appearances may not mean much to the average thirteen-month-old. But they can mean everything to older toddlers—who will often refuse to wear shoes that do not suit their taste. Bold colors and designs are favorites; animal and cartoon appliqués generally score extra points.
Reasonable price.
Shoes will probably have to be replaced four or five times—or even more—in the next year. So although they should be well made for the sake of comfort and safety, they needn’t be built to last forever.
If you can manage it, purchase two pairs of shoes at a time. Children’s feet perspire a lot, and switching off will allow shoes to dry completely between wearings.