Why Children’s Shoes Are Important

As parents, we constantly strive towards adopting practices that promote health and wellness in our children.Exercise, eating right and proper hygiene are all areas we focus on to ensure our little ones grow up healthy and well.However, parents often overlook the importance of proper footwear and how footwear can affect the health and well-being of a child, especially later in life.

According to a number of leading podiatrists, many adults today suffer from later-in life ailments, due in part, to poor foot-health practices during childhood; this includes wearing ill-fitting or poorly designed shoes.Ailments such as plantar fasciitis, poor circulation, degenerative joint disease, and wear-and-tear pain can be minimized by taking a proactive approach to foot health, even when it comes to choosing shoes for young children.

When born, a child’s foot is pudgy and shaped a bit like a ravioli; that’s because the bones are not fully formed, and the soft cartilage is protected by a layer of fat.As babies begin to take their first steps, cartilage in the foot starts to harden into bone.As bones start forming, the fatty pads minimize and the traditional “foot form” begins to take shape. As children get older, the bones in the foot fuse together, fat tissue disappears and the arch forms.By the time children are 10 years old, 80% to 90% of their foot growth has been complete.But what does this have to do with children’s health? According to the design team at children’s footwear brand, See Kai Run, it means that a shoe should meet the needs of a changing foot. While some brands focus on scaling down adult sizes to create their kid’s shoes.See Kai Run starts with the infant foot and SCALES UP in the same way that children grow; a process they call, proportional engineering. Babies not yet walking need shoes that are soft and malleable, as the goal is warmth and comfort.First Walkers need shoes that are flexible with roomy toe boxes so toes can wiggle, which builds tendon and muscle strength.Toddlers need lightweight, flexible shoes, which help develop balance, gait and stride, while Big Kids need durability for active play. Proportionally engineered footwear allows children to seamlessly transition from one age and stage to the next, while promoting proper foot health.

From November 15^th to the end of the year, See Kai Run is promoting a Grow with Us campaign, where any Crib or First Walker shoe order placed at seekairun.com will receive a coupon for 20% off the next order.* For more information, visit seekairun.com or email at customercare@seekairun.com.

*Promotion ends December 31^st, 2017 or while supply lasts.