Why is shoe shape and flexibility important?
We’ve all heard of barefoot shoes. There has been a large push and movement toward barefoot shoes.
Why does it matter though? It’s not just about preventing bunions.
When our babies are growing, letting them be barefoot/walk barefoot is so important. When we put them in shoes that restrict movement, we aren’t allowing their ligaments, bones and muscles to develop properly.
What can restrictive footwear lead to? Weakness, difficulty balancing and it could change the development of the bones.
Luckily, there are barefoot shoes!
I’m just highlighting one pair that we have bought and LOVE but I’ll also put a pair that we purchased from amazon down below that is a budget friendly pair.
First, let’s look at the difference between barefoot shoes and regular shoes.
Shoe Shape
When you go to the store, the majority of the shoes you will see will be shaped like the shoe on the right. It compresses the forefoot and doesn’t allow for proper relaxation of the toes. Muscle movement is affected and over time, the compression in the toe box can lead to bunions.
In children, shoes shaped like the one on the right don’t allow for proper foot movement and can affect balance.
The shoe on the left is a barefoot shoe with a proper wide toe box that is foot shaped. It doesn’t restrict the toes or compress the metatarsals (where a bunion would form).
Sole Flexibility
Next thing you’ll want to look for is a flexible shoe. One you can curl up into a ball, like the one on the left. These are Splay shoes, which is what we got for our daughter and they are AMAZING.
The point of a flexible sole for our babies is to provide them with proprioception, so their little toes can grasp the floor and gain their balance. A flexible shoe will also allow for their muscles to gain strength through proper movement of the foot.
A recent research article was published, “The long-term effects of shoe flexibility on a child’s foot development and gross motor skill performance.” 70 kids, ages 9-12 were assigned to wear minimalist shoes (barefoot shoes) for over 9 months. At the end of the time period, it was found that they had gained balance and their toe flexor strength improved along with muscle size. Pretty amazing right? So imagine if you have a child in this type of shoe from an early walking age. They’ll have some pretty strong, well developed feet!
The study can be found here: http://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/handle/2123/27614
My Recommendations
What do I recommend? Well, splays are amazing, fairly budget friendly, they have beautiful colors and two different closure options.
I’d also check out Anya’s reviews. She has a ton of reviews on different barefoot shoes for the whole family on her site, along with some discount codes.
If you’re a sucker for a Target run, I get it! Just make sure to pick those shoes up, look at the toe box, is it shaped like a bunion maker or is it shaped like a foot? Does it roll up in a ball or is it stiff? You might be surprised just how stiff some shoes are.
Lastly, here are the shoes from amazon that my daughter lived in for months and months and months. They survived many water adventures including being washed several times and scrubbed numerous times.
Here’s the amazon link for them: https://amzn.to/3DqBnWv
Let me know if you try any out and what you think or if you have any that your child absolutely loves. We are always on the look out for different ones to try. I’ll make another post for winter boots once it cools off a little too!
Side note: I am an Orthotist and when I was practicing, I saw so many kids in the wrong types of shoes. It is especially important when our kids are young to allow their feet to develop appropriately so they have less issues down the road. Any weakness that happens at the feet can affect the knees and hips too so it is really important to take care of them!