Important Things to Consider When Choosing Children's Shoes:

• Shoes should be made of top-grade leather or suede, sheepskin, canvas, fleece or other type of breathable material.

• Try to find shoes that will be easy for you to get on and off yet difficult for your child to get off (either accidentally or on purpose). Take advantage of Velcro fasteners, slip on or elastic. Laces work well, but be prepared to double-knot and deal with a potentially squirmy foot.

• A good fit is extremely important so that your child feels natural in his/her shoes. ¼ to ½ inch "wiggle" room is ideal from the longest toe to the tip of the shoe. This is the right amount to prevent tripping and maximize the life of the shoe.

• Barefoot is always best for your baby, but is not always practical. Prevention of injury is one of the primary purposes of footwear.

• Shoes that are soft and flexible are best.

• Poor-fitting children's shoes can cause a number of problems such as hammer toes, ingrown toenails, foot corns, calluses and bunions. Given the high level of pain and discomfort that these problems can cause, it makes sense to try and prevent these problems by ensuring that the child's shoe is fitted appropriately. Foot problems in children are usually preventable.

• The shoe should be flexible across the ball of the foot where the foot bends.

• Shoes should not need to be "broken in." If they do, they are either poorly designed or poorly fitted.

• An absorbent insole is important because little feet sweat a lot — children are very active!

• If your child has an extra-wide foot, be sure to focus on one of the brands that feature wider cuts.

• Feet grow quickly at early ages, and shoes typically need to be changed every three to four months. As the foot is growing, it is developing. If the shoes are too tight, the foot cannot grow and will not develop properly.

• Shoes should never be handed-down to younger siblings.