Choosing the right shoe for your toddler is extremely important.
A child's foot is still developing during the early years of life and improper shoes can cause long term effects and problems with your child's feet.
Choosing the proper fitting shoe can be somewhat of a challenge as you can't actually see how the foot fits the shoe on the inside along the sole.
You can however squeeze the shoe from the outside to make sure it isn't too big nor too small for your toddler's feet.
After placing the shoe on the foot tie the laces snugly.
If you can, have your toddler stand up and press down on the tip of the shoe with the tip of your thumb.
You should be able to feel your child's toes inside of the shoe.
You don't want too large or too small of a gap here though as a gap that is too large can cause your toddler's foot to move around too much inside the shoe while a gap that is too small can cause cramping and discomfort.
A 1/4 inch gap should be sufficient enough to prevent too much movement for the foot while making sure that your child has room to grow.
Then, press down along the tongue of the shoe to make sure there isn't too large or too small of a gap between the foot and the top of the shoe.
The same method can be used for the sides of the shoe while making sure the shoe itself still has slight movement before it is pushed too far down onto the foot.
It is also wise to check the back of the shoe to make sure there isn't too large of a gap which would let the shoe move up and down along the back of the heel causing it to rub.
Finding the right shoe can be somewhat tough though.
Depending upon the color and design it could take a while to find the perfect shoe.
While you don't have to spend a lot of money on a shoe spending too little can be an issue.
Cheaper shoes are usually glued together and not sewn meaning they don't last as long and aren't as well put together.
A shoe that is sewn together can take far more abuse before coming apart and losing it's form.
You also want to make sure and check that the sole of the shoe on the inside isn't too soft or firm.
You want it to have a slight give when depressed for slight cushioning.
This way the shoe will still support your toddler's foot without them feeling like they are walking on concrete or another hard surface with no give.
Fortunately today there are many different styles and designs of shoes giving you plenty of choices to choose from.