Infants wearing shoes too early

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Hi all,
Just wondering what your opinions are on what age infants should start wearing shoes?

Obviously in built up and litter ridden areas we cannot go barefoot and need some protection. But is the rise in 'baby fashion' damaging infants feet?

Clarks for example have shoes specially designed for crawling (crawlers) which they say must not be confused with 'cruisers' or even 'walkers'.
Has there been any research into the subject?

Apollus

 

According to the Evangelists from the Church of Barefoot Running, infants and kids wearing shoes is the cause of flatfeet ... I have asked some of them many time to explain my one of my daughter who almost always never wears shoes has a flat foot .... don't figure.

 

Clarks brought crawlers and cruisers in due to parent demand. Our local branch (UK) had a meeting with the man from Clarks and they still say shoes (walkers) should not be purchased until child has been walking independently for 6-8 weeks. However, parents are desperate to get shoes on kids feet for reasons I have no idea and it does not matter what you say to them! I have friends who have had shoes on their kids too quickly but would never listen to my subtle advice :S

 

Children sport shoes—A systematic review of current literature
Markus Walther MD PhDa,*, Dirk Herold b, Angela Sinderhauf c, Robert Morrison -2008

I like this paper as it gives specific advice on shoe properties relating to activity and age. e.g.

Sports shoes for the activities in kinder garden
and children gymnastics should therefore have a flat and soft
sole. Gym shoes nearly meet these demands. The integration
of an arch support, as it is called for by a group of Australian
orthopedists, is seen by us as not only being unnecessary but
even dangerous for the normal development of the foot
[12,32,18]

 

Hi,
having worked for Clarks for a few years whilst studying, the advice we were always told to give parents was to delay buying 'first shoes' until the child had been walking confidently for approx 6 weeks; they've only just found their feet, it's all very new to them and their confidence needs time to develop. If you put shoes on them with the necessary growing room, it can hinder, rather than help the process. We used to recommend cordouroy booties to protect their feet.
Things have changed though, as mentioned, and Clarks now sell 'cruising' pre-shoes, ostensibly to satisfy parents' obsession with getting their child to reach that milestone in development of first shoes.
Providing there's no danger to the child's feet, I can't help feeling that barefeet is best for as long as possible.

 

We advise parents and Grandparents that age has very little to nothing to do with "when" the child will be ready for footwear.

We ask them to wait until the hands of the child are down near there waist as they walk, an easy to see sign, as apposed to them walking with their hands up near their shoulders or chest, this means they have balance and some level of coordination

 

my own personal opinion, based on very little fact, is that the very soft malleable cartilaginous-osseous structures that pre-curse the bones, need support if the joints exhibit reduced stiffness, which most children do. Whys is it sensible to allow a child to stand/walk in maximum RCSP, when we would deem that pathological in an adult?
Why do some children who are deemed late walkers, miraculously ambulate when they are put into sturdy shoes, with a stiff midsole, and firm heel-counter?
Why do we think that walking barefooted on a mostly unyielding hard surface is good, and a shoe which is invariably softer than the terrain is bad?

I suppose im just pragmatic, but I haven't got the time to collate the evidence, so I will just do what i think is best for my own children, and my paediatric pts.

 

Never understood why infants wearing shoes is that bad.

How can it "damage" a childs feet to be wearing shoes?

 

l dont see where anyone has said it will it will "damage" their feet.
From my view its about the child's development and strength building, we dont want to inhibit.

If they need support for another reason that is different

 

Once again it is an area that needs some common sense as a mother and podiatrist I tried to keep my children out of shoes as long as possible but a leather booty on pine bark is not adequate protection as I soon discovered after a sharp piece of bark penetrated through the leather. I now tell my patients nothing is best when indoor unless pathology present and outside use common sense.

 

Still not sure why barefoot is best. Not saying that wearing shoes is best either. I have no real opinion. I just hate scaremongering marketing tactics employed by some large shoe manufacturers

 

Sorry Robin l some how missed that.

 

Completely new to this, my first post infact. Very interesting discussion. I have read a few and today decided to become a member as i am currently a podiatry student and look forward to participating in future discussions. I was wondering if anybody could provide me with any research articles (links) providing evidence (if their is any) to support any negative effects providing young children with footwear too early can have?? the content of this discussion may be an interesting health promotion strategy for me to work on, instead of the seemingly usual, 'General footcare advice' If so, thankyou for your time and i add ..... i admire you all as many things you discuss i find extremely interesting but at this present time lack the knowledge to understand fully. :bash:

 

Here is a link to a UK article.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/aug/09/barefoot-best-for-children

Dont agree with all but in this article but it does make reference to
"..Research published in podiatry journal The Foot in 2007 suggests that structural and functional changes can result from the foot having to conform to the shape and constriction of a shoe,.."
l couldnt find the article? maybe admin can?

 

This is the article that they were refering to:
Zipfel, B., Berger, L.R. 2007. Shod versus unshod: The emergence of forefoot pathology in modern humans? The Foot. 17: 205-213.

They did not show what the Guardian claim they showed .... :bang:

 

Thanks for that Craig.

Since when have fact's been allowed to get in the way of a good story anyway?:santa: