[Phoebe]

So do babies learn to walk better with our without shoes? I would think without since they can feel the balls of their feet and the pressure each movement puts on different points on the soles. Of course MIL (if you read any of my posts you can tell she buggs me to no end :LOL) keeps asking if ds has any shoes and I say "no, he doesn't walk". She seems to think he need to wear them indoor so that his little socks will stay up.<br><br>
What's the story with shoes?

 

[wednesday]

Soft-soled shoes are good for holding socks on! Robeez, Bobux, Buskins, Shoo-shoos, etc. All of those brands slip on like slippers and have very thin suede soles so the baby can feel the pressure, like you describe.

 

[Dylan'sMom]

I've read that the recommendation is to be without shoes to learn to walk. My ped told me the same thing. That the traditional hard shoes are more for looks then needed to learn to walk good.

 

[alegna]

yep. No shoes <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"><br><br>
-Angela

 

[irinam]

For my kids I thought - "hmm, learning how to use your own body AND how to balance those thing that are strapped on my feet" might be a little too much.<br><br>
So, I decided for no shoes (not that I did much research back then)<br><br>
Any time I am in doubt on milestones like this I ask myself - "how did people BEFORE the modern society do it? (i.e - the natural way)"<br><br>
So in this case my answer would be - barefoot <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngbiggrin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="orange big grin">

 

[mum2tori]

The AAP (very mainstream) doesn't recommend shoes for walking. Barefoot or soft sole shoes only. A child should be able to feel the floor to gain good balance. Mine all wear socks and/or Robeez/Shooshoos. Only in the last couple of months has DS#1 had tennis shoes to wear.

 

[runes]

As a pediatric PT, my input is...<br><br>
BAREFOOT!<br><br>
This is how we learn balance. If you watch your child's feet when they're pulling up and cruising, you will see their little toes working hard. Shoes inhibit this learning as they don't have an accurate sense of gravity through their little feet.<br><br>
Shoes are important once your child starts walking outdoors (for safety). Of course if you live in a cold climate, protection from the elements is important, but socks and soft shoes (ie Robeez) are great for that.<br><br>
When shoes are necessary, make sure to get them that are not too thick in the sole, and please please please never ever put your little girls in those 'jelly' shoes...they're about the worst thing you can put on your child's feet!

 

[boingo82]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>kidspiration</strong></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">..and please please please never ever put your little girls in those 'jelly' shoes...they're about the worst thing you can put on your child's feet!</div>
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Just wondering why....I wanted those SOOO bad when I was little, my parents never let me have them. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/greensad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="greensad"><br>
I wasn't planning on getting any for DS, just wondering if I should thank them for depriving me. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngtongue.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Stick Out Tongue">

 

[rubelin]

My mom's rule for shoes was when the kid could make it to the end of the front walk. By them we were walking well enough to need some protection outside. We got Ben some soft soled sneaks from Old Navy right around his first b-day when he was just starting to walk a lot. One day at LegoLand and he was straight through those thin soles, lol!

 

[3girlsmommy]

I love my Robeez when we are out and about but when we are home it's barefeet unless it's chilly in the house. If your mil is worried about cold feet then softsoled shoes will do the trick.<br><br>
on a side note my brother and his so put my poor neice in the worst shoes ever. THey are usually thick soled types that don't bend and then they wonder why she constantly falls over. This summer they had her in thick soled sandals and her poor toes were all scuffed up because they were curled over the end trying to get a grip. My sil's train of thought is if it's trendy and cheap it must be good! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/eyesroll.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="roll">

 

[bradley method mom]

ONE WORD<br>
ROBEEZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/thumb.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="thumbs up">

 

[paquerette]

My mother had me in hard shoes quite early, and I'm pigeon toed. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/greensad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="greensad"> We've always blamed the shoes and cautioned other people not to put real shoes on babies too early. Come to think of it, this is total speculation, but I wonder if anyone else has had the same experience.