Footwear

Hello

As a starting point do not buy shoes for your baby before he has started to walk. At your son's age, where he is practising his balance, pulling himself up holding onto furniture, it is far better to buy him a pair of soft soled skin slippers to ensure that he does not slip on the carpet, allowing him at the same time to stretch and bend his toes and use the entire foot to keep balance. Besides, the slippers are not too tight and do not pinch, which is very important as the bones are still very soft.

In the next couple of months it might be relevant for you to buy your son a pair of shoes, and it is very important to buy a soft shoe that fits your son's foot. By soft I mean that the sole should be soft and flexible, you should be able to squeeze the sole together between your thumb and fore finger.

Besides, the shoes should have a firm heel counter and not be too big as the baby risks to slip forward, and he will have to curl his toes to keep the shoes on. I recommend that you buy laced shoes or a shoes with velcro closures in order to tighten the shoes.

For the wet autumn and winter season buy water resistant footwear. When your son starts to walk more and more he will naturally also spend time outside and will need shoes that endure wind and water. Whether he will need winter boots depends entirely on how much time he spents outside - short boots are often the best solution for a boy at your son's age. It is important that the boots are not too heavy - then your son will not be able to lift his feet:o)

I recommend that you find a shoe shop where you can get personal advice and guidance, this way you will find the shoes, short boots that fit your son's needs.

Good luck:o)

Kind regards,

Helen Hansen