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​Cooler Weather Coming: How Do You Properly Fit a Shoe for an Infant?

With summer coming to a close, it's time to start thinking about what will be keeping your kids' feet warm. If you have a small baby, this may be tricky. Babies have to have shoes that fit well once they start walking because their shoes helps their development and encourages the baby to take more steps. So, how do you make sure the shoes are fitting properly? Here are four steps to take.

Do the Pinkie Test

It will be difficult to make sure the feet sit in the shoe properly by feel. You'll want sturdy shoes, so it won't be easy to feel for their toes through the shoe. That's why you need to do the pinkie test. This involves putting your pinkie finger into the back of the shoe while it is on your baby. There should be enough room to just squeeze it in and no more. This means that the toes aren't right at the end and gives some wiggle room for the growing feet.

You'll need to do this test regularly. Testing every two or three months is important, as this is the general time that it will take toddlers to outgrow the shoes.

Do the Grip Test

While the baby is sitting—being held by another person or sitting in the high chair—put the shoes on. Grab the ankle gently and then pull on the heel of the shoe with the other hand. There should be some grip on the back but not too much that the shoe will cut into the back of the ankle. You also don't want a shoe that slides off really easily, which means the shoe is too big and will slip up and down when baby tries to walk. Test this on both shoes to make sure the shoes fit well.

Do the Stand Test

Next, stand your baby up. If your baby is still getting used to standing and balancing, you may need to offer some support. Feel around the top of the shoe around the ankle. The shoe shouldn't touch the ankle bone and there shouldn't be any major gaps—other than the wiggle room already mentioned.

However, if the shoe has a padded section at the top around the ankle then it is designed to reach the ankle bone. It should just touch, and offers support for the whole ankle. The padding shouldn't rub or cut into the bone in any way.

Do the Side Test

Now check that the width of the shoe is right. Put some pressure either side of the shoe and push inwards. If there is any bulging or pressure fighting back, it is possible that the shoe is too wide for your infant. Try going a width size down to get the perfect fit and avoid too much wiggle room.

Now you won't have to just guess and eye the shoe hoping that you get it right. A well-fitting shoe is critical to your baby's development and will make walking a lot easier for them. With the cooler weather coming up, you can use these tips to purchase warm shoes and even snow boots for your toddler.

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Friday, 29 March 2024

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