Best First Steps Shoes: Guide to Choosing and Using
The best first steps shoes are designed on the anatomy of the child's foot and must be preparatory to his motor and postural development .
Choosing them, however, is not so simple. In fact, there are several characteristics to take into consideration in order not to alter the posture and arch of the foot of the child.
Read on to discover all the properties that must be present in baby shoes for first steps .
Before starting, I'll leave you some useful information:
- If you would like to schedule a studio visit with me, you can find me here.
- You can also find me on Instagram with the profile @drsilva.com_official
- In the video courses section you will find how to promote the psychomotor development of the newborn.
Plantar support and arch
Before going into specifics about first steps shoes, I think it's important to explain what support and arch are and how they develop.
Their development begins even before the baby is born; that's right, it begins during pregnancy !
In some cases, the intrauterine position can even determine in the newborn a faulty position of the legs, knees and feet (positional clubfoot). In these cases, the intervention of a pediatric osteopath will be necessary, who will resolve the tensions and muscular contractures of the lower limbs.
If the support and arch of the foot are perfect at birth, they will begin their slow development during the months of the newborn's life and this will depend on 2 factors:
- Mechanics : muscles involved;
- Motor activities in which the foot is stimulated.
It is precisely the motor development of the newborn that will lead the lower limbs to develop more and more. In fact, from their unconscious movement in the first months, to crawling to standing with the foot on the ground.
Plantar support and postural development
Plantar support is closely related to postural development as the foot becomes the link between the child's posture and the ground. In fact, it forces him to find his center of gravity by sending thousands of signals to the brain; therefore, it gradually forces him to assume an optimal posture.
How the arch of the foot is created
“My baby’s foot is flat!”
It's true that a one-year-old's foot appears flat (with a slightly accentuated arch) and slightly pronated (tending inwards).
Usually, children who appear to have a pronated foot do not present any problems as this phase is physiological .
The development of the plantar arch lasts about 5 years and is created as follows:
- During the push phase, the muscles of the plantar fascia and those of the calf are activated;
- These stabilize the foot on the ground and, during walking, move the joints of the foot and ankle;
- This continuous activation of the muscles will cause the arch of the foot to rise and, consequently, the arch of the foot to be created.