It’s scary how fast kids grow and develop; from contentedly exploring every corner of my home on all fours, my active toddler has now moved on to the cruising phase. Watching her take small, wobbly steps while holding on to various pieces of furniture for support has got me thinking – is it time to get her very first pair of shoes?
With the mission of protecting her feet as she moves around on her own, I know that toddler shoes should be all about fit, form, and function and not fashion, the choice most parents mistakenly make when choosing shoes for their early walkers . Before I hit the shops, I did some research and found some interesting facts about the early development of feet in children.
Foot notes
We tend to take our feet for granted as walking is second nature for most of us. But here are some things about our feet which you might not have known before:
- Our feet are complex structures made up of various connective parts. Each foot comprises 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments and 19 muscles and tendons!
- After their 2nd birthday, most toddlers tend to get busy running about, kicking a ball around or climbing the stairs while holding onto something for support (e.g. the railing of the staircase or a parent’s hand). The constant standing and walking causes the fat pad in their feet to be reabsorbed by the surrounding ligaments, forming new bone tissues along the way.
- As your children grow up, they naturally become competent walkers, and can run up and down the stairs effortlessly. Their feet continue to develop until the arch of each foot is set in place by the time they turn 6.
- Ill-fitting shoes will harm your children’s feet, posture and gait, the latter being the single most complex motor function of our body which involves half the body’s muscles and bones, as well as a large portion of the joints and ligaments. Not starting them off wearing the right shoes will give way to long-term ill effects that carry on to early adulthood.
(Facts courtesy of Stride Rite.)
For all these reasons and more, it is important for kids to get fitted with the right shoes, starting from the early years.
Choosing the right shoes for your kids can be as simple as 1-2-3 with Stride Rite. Find out how on page 2…
The Stride Rite system for growing feet
I came to know about Stride Rite kids shoes while chatting with a friend the other day; we were exchanging notes on our kids’ growth and development before getting carried away with the topic of shoes for the kiddos.
With over 90 years of research on kids’ footwear in the U.S., Stride Rite has formulated a sizing system which makes it easy-peasy for parents to choose shoes with the right fit for their kids’ growing feet. The S.T.E.P™ system (Scientifically Tested, Everyday Proven) categorises the shoes according to each stage of your child’s development, from pre-walking and early walking stages right up to the “off and running about” phase of an active child.
Step 1: Pre-walker
Some parents may like the idea of putting on soft-prewalker shoes once their tot starts crawling to protect their little feet. Stride Rite’s Step 1 shoes protect the heel and toes of your little one as she moves around on all fours. These easy slip-on-and-off shoes also helps your little one transit from crawling to cruising.
Step 2: Early Walker
Once my toddler got the hang of crawling, it didn’t take long for her to start cruising! That’s where the special Sensory Response Technology (SRT) Soft Motion™ patented construction in Stride Rite’s Step 2 shoes comes in handy to protect her little feet without restricting movement.
The unique shape of these shoes is designed to fit the natural shape of the foot, while the lightweight, ultra-flexible outsole and rounded edges help wobbly little feet feel the ground beneath.
Step 3: Off and running
After mastering the art of walking, my active toddler will soon be eagerly running around to explore her surroundings. Stride Rite’s Step 3 shoes is designed with the SRT patented construction to support those developing bones and muscles as she happily runs and skips from one place to another.
These Step 3 shoes also earn extra points for its lightweight, flexible outsole with rounded edges to help kids move around with ease, and keep them from stumbling and falling.
Find out where you can get Stride Rite shoes for your kids in Singapore. More details on page 3…
Stride to your nearest store!
To check out (and try out) Stride Rite’s amazing shoe collection, simply head down to the nearest store at the following locations:
- #05-K9 Paragon
- #03-25 Forum The Shopping Mall
- #B1-62 United Square
- Babies “R” Us, City Square Mall Basement 2
- #02-46/47 IMM (Outlet store)
Be sure to look out for the special edition ‘All-time favourite characters’ shoe designs that feature your tot’s favourite TV/movie character, such as Disney, Sesame Street, Star Wars, Marvel and Curious George.