Dorie Meek is director of the Infant & Family Support Program, provided by Saint John's Health Center in partnership with the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. Meek answers questions concerning children ages birth to 5 years old.
My 13-month-old is starting to walk and I’m looking for shoes that he’ll keep on his feet. Some of my friends have said barefoot is better, some have said that I must get his feet ready with shoes. Is there any majority opinion on this?
Foot Fright
Dear Frightened,
As you’ve experienced, there are mixed opinions (most of them strong) on whether or not a walking toddler should wear shoes. I defer to the majority, which encourage the natural route. That is, let your toddler walk barefoot whenever possible.
This means at home or when the environment is safe for bare feet, let him be. In other scenarios, parks for example, try a leather bootie that allows the foot to follow a similar natural pattern. Restrictive shoes don’t necessarily help the foot develop any more efficiently and, as your toddler can’t tell you if his feet hurt, can be counter-productive. I’ve seen many a toddler just sit when the shoes didn’t feel right.
Above all, follow your toddler’s signals. He’ll tell you more with his actions than I can with words. Good luck.
