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Children’s feet can grow an entire size or mroe every three months which can make it tough to keep properly fitted shoes on your children.

When shopping for your first pair of kid’s shoes, you should wait until your child starts to walk.  Research shows children develop well-devloped feet when they learn to walk barefoot first.  You can use soft booties or warm skid-free socks to keep your child’s feet warm and unrestricted.

When your child does begin to walk and it’s time to buy their first pair of baby shoes, you should take them to a quality children’s shoes store with children’s shoes specialist that can properly fit your child.  Recommended stores are Stride Ride, Elefanted, and Nordstrom.

Have the salesperson measure the length and width of both your child’s feet.  Many children have a wide foot and need wider shoes that will fit them properly.  Also make sure the shoes aren’t too big, which will cause your child to trip.  The first pair of shoes should be soft and pliable to let your child get a feel for the ground.

As your child grows, have your child get their feet measured on a regular basis at a shoe store that specializes in children’s shoes.  Since kids grow fast, their shoe size can change from month to month.  If you do buy shoes from somewhere without a salesperson, make sure to know their size so you can be certain what shoes will fit them properly.

When buying shoes, have your child try both shoes on to see if everything fits and feels right.  Until your child can tie their own shoes, buying shoes with velcro will save both of you a lot of time.