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Development of the feet

Developing the feet means more than just learning to stand early. Walking is fundamental to every human being. Babies try to walk as soon as they are capable of supporting their weight. By watching how babies shift their weight (the center of pressure), babies go through stages of development as they learn to walk.


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Baby shoes that encourage walking according to the child's developmental stage

Each stage of development is important. A baby's feet develop best when the child goes through each stage. One infant may be able to stand earlier than others, but that does not necessarily mean that this baby will walk any better. Choosing the right shoes for each stage will help the baby learn to stand and walk properly. Walking stimulates the cerebrum and develops the child's overall physical abilities.
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Babies need to learn to stand before they can learn to walk. First, they have to be able to move their toes freely - especially the big and small toes - because they rely on them to maintain their balance and support their weight. (Perhaps that is why a newborn's big toe is already more than 70% the size of an adult's.) Thus, shoes for babies and toddlers should be designed to let the toes move without restriction.

Free toe movement for better balance

Baby's feet are soft and pliable because they are 70% cartilage. The foot is thick and tapers towards the heel, while the big toe and small toe flair out - giving the appearance of a fan. With the wide span of its flexible toes, a baby's foot is really more like an adult's hand.

Baby toes flair out like a fan, but in adults, the toes are bunched together and the fan shape is inverted.
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Full range of toe movement is crucial

When babies stand, they support their weight and maintain balance with toe movements known as dorsal flexion and plantar flexion. That is, the big toe extends upward while the little toe fans out and grips downward. By coordinating these movements, babies can shift their weight and remain upright. To accomplish this while wearing shoes, the footwear must be flexible and roomy enough to allow the toes a full range of movement.

Shoes for this developmental stage should be roomy enough for babies to move their toes freely.
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Growth of the feet bones for rolling heel-toe motion
Young walkers tend to be flat-footed, stamping their wobbly first steps using the soles of their feet. At this stage, parents should pick shoes designed to enable the baby to shift his weight along the soles. In addition, the shoes should offer the proper level of sole support to prevent problems, such as fallen arches and deformities, from developing.

The rolling heel-toe step
The adult walks with a rolling motion, with his bodyweight continuously shifting along the sole of the foot. The process begins when the walker strikes the ground with his heel, then rolls by shifting his weight from the heel to the toe. He then pushes off with his toe to move forward and repeats the process with the other heel.

Shifting weight
When babies get around by holding furniture and ledges for support, they show little tendency to shift their center of pressure. However, as they become toddlers, they gradually develop the ability to shift their bodyweight along the soles of their feet.

Babies' feet are very soft and pliable. Footwear must not restrict their ability to bend freely.
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Development of an arch is key
Proper growth of baby's feet bones is an important prerequisite to developing the rolling motion. Transferring body weight from heel to toe requires the characteristic arch that develops as the bones mature. If baby's feet have room, and can maintain their flexibility, the bones will remain healthy and grow naturally into the arch shape. This will support walking with a rolling heel-to-toe motion.

The human foot's arched bone structure cushions impact and enables walking long distances.
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Features
Baby Shoes Step 1
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Baby Shoes Step 2
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