Choosing Children's Shoes is Critical for Health, Wrong Size and Shape Can Cause Pain

Many parents focus only on appearance when choosing shoes for their children, but this can lead to serious health problems.

Wrong shoe selection; While it can cause pain, ingrown toenails and foot deformities, the choice made at the right time and in the right way directly affects the development of children.

Child Health and Diseases Specialist Assoc. Dr. Sevil Bilir gave important warnings to families on this issue.

FIRST SHOES SHOULD START WITH WALKING

Dr. Bilir said, "Babies do not need to use shoes when they spend time at home and have not yet started walking. The need for shoes begins when they start walking and spend time outside."

Emphasizing that the most critical issue in shoe selection is the correct size, Dr. Bilir said, "The shoes should not squeeze the child's feet and space should be left for the fingers to move freely. For this reason, the measurement should be made in the afternoon hours when the feet are the most swollen during the day, and approximately 1-1.5 centimeters should be left from the front of the longest toe."

He stated that wrong size shoes can cause ingrown toenails, pain and deformities.

WHAT SHOULD BE THE SHAPE AND MATERIAL OF THE SHOES?

Stating that the front of the shoe should be wide and round, Dr. Bilir said that shoes with pointed and narrow toes should not be preferred.

"The heel part should grip the foot well and the sole should be non-slip. In addition, the shoes should be made of soft, flexible and breathable materials. Leather, canvas or mesh structures are more suitable in this respect," he said.

SHOES SHOULD BE CHECKED OFTEN

Pointing out that children grow quickly, Dr. Bilir said, "In babies, foot size should be checked almost every month. In older children, it should be checked every 3 months at the latest." Dr. also warned about used shoes. Bilir said, "Every child's foot structure is different. The internal structure of the shoe is shaped according to the user's foot over time. For this reason, it is not recommended to use shoes belonging to another child."