Because my toddlers wear soft bottomed shoes.

I cringe when I see a baby wearing hard, stiff, "supportive" shoes.

Then I think, "Oh, don't judge. Maybe the mama doesn't know that it is bad for babies to wear those kinds of shoes". Then I think, "Damn the shoe companies for MAKING those stiff shoes and marketing them as being GOOD for babies because they offer support! Babies this age don't need support, they need to feel the earth beneath their feet!" Then I think, "Maybe there is a good reason that baby is wearing those shoes."

Manufacturers make it so difficult to be a mom these days. Tricking us into thinking we've made good choices when the reality is that we have been brain washed to trust the packaging over our instincts.

And now, here is some brainwashing from a handful of soft soled shoe manufactures, whose propaganda I buy into. I mean, here are some websites explaining why soft soled shoes are superior for toddlers :)

The Robeez website sums it up quite nicely: Robeez' soft, flexible soled footwear support normal foot development by allowing a child's foot to develop naturally. Stiff shoes inhibit a baby's growing muscles from strengthening and balancing with the foot and leg. A podiatrist on the website goes on to say, " a hard inflexible shoe can inhibit the child's ability to have their foot develop in a normal fashion." There is a lot more good info on this site about soft soled shoes and when a hard leather shoe is better (major flat footedness).

The Foosies website, which sells a variety of different soft soled shoe brands, goes into a bit more detail about appropriate materials for a good soft sole shoe: For shoe uppers, medical experts recommend only pliable, breathable materials such as soft leather, suede, sheepskin, UItrasuede, etc. Plastic, vinyl and imitation leather should be avoided because they will make young feet perspire excessively.

The PediPed website gives a quick glance at what to look for in shoes for infants (leather soles), new walkers (soft rubber sole), and confidant walkers (flexible rubber sole). I like that they give overlapping age ranges as well as descriptions of the shoes.

Happy walking!