"Do you have shoes for flat feet?" asks a hypothetical mother of a salesperson in a hypothetical shoe store. This is exactly the same caring mother who wants to lay down some straw in a certain place in advance, in other words, tries to avoid unwanted changes in the development of the foot. By the way, this is a very important nuance - preventive footwear is suitable precisely in the case when no serious changes have been detected, such footwear is usually bought and worn for the purpose of preventing a diagnosis, and not treating the disease itself and its consequences.
What does preventive footwear look like?
First, let's define the difference between orthopedic preventive footwear and orthopedic therapeutic footwear.
If in therapeutic orthopedic footwear, mandatory requirements for foot placement prevail, equipped with a rigid back and high rigid uppers, additional fixators, then preventive footwear, with all the criteria for proper footwear, still remains more comfortable. After all, it does not actually correct, but is a preventive measure - precisely so that nothing needs to be corrected later.
So, the design of preventive footwear is not as rigid and high as in the case of orthopedic boots or sandals.
The back is required, but it does not have to be very high. In short, there is no need to interfere with the development of a healthy foot and forcefully impose a shape.
The design requires a small heel, while its height, length and width should correspond to the age of the child.
The presence of an instep support is required if the child is over one and a half years old. If you buy preventive footwear for younger babies, pay attention to the shape and size of the arch support - it should not be high and too tight. If in a child's - very childish, for babies up to 18 months - there is no arch support at all, this is acceptable. After all, in the place where adults have a longitudinal arch, in toddlers there is a natural fat layer in the middle part of the foot.
The materials from which the shoes are made are preferably natural - but this applies to all everyday shoes in general, regardless of their purpose.
We will note as a separate point such an option for one of the types of our preventive footwear as a cork sole - a light, hygienic material. And most importantly - a special shape that takes into account the anatomical features, the natural relief of the foot.
Please, get the right size!
When buying any shoes, not only special orthopedic or preventive, but even everyday, be it the most ordinary sandals for a walk in the yard, it is very important to choose the right size. In too tight or, conversely, large shoes, all the important notches and bulges will be out of place, and then their whole meaning will not only be lost, but even distorted and will cause harm.
How to choose the right preventive shoes?
So, the time has come to choose shoes. Let's say we have chosen the right size, shoes made of natural materials and a design suitable for preventive shoes. How do we choose shoes? If in therapeutic shoes, first of all, rigid fixation is important, preventing the development of deformation, then in the case of prevention, another criterion prevails - the child should be comfortable. Mention your requirement to the consultant of the online store or a stationary outlet. After receiving the shoes, during the fitting, ask the child to sit down, jump, walk and make sure that the gait is not distorted. That's the whole science of choice :)
And once again, we remind you that prevention is not a cure. If you decide to buy your child preventive shoes, this does not mean that you will cure flat feet, varus or flat-valgus foot placement. If the diagnosis as such has already been made, preventive shoes will not solve the problem here - in this case, the doctor prescribes wearing therapeutic orthopedic shoes taking into account a specific pathology, while naming the diagnosis. At the same time, you need to remember that good shoes are only one of a set of measures to fight for healthy feet of the child. An active lifestyle, walking on uneven surfaces are also a very important factor.
Choose in our store orthopedic sandals for a boy or for a girl, sneakers or boots, slippers or sandals that your child will like!
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