When your baby begins to stand and walk, mothers often ask, “Should my baby wear socks while walking?”

Experts have long agreed that walking barefoot is best for babies. The reason is that the soles of the feet contain thousands of nerve endings that are stimulated more when barefoot than when wearing socks or shoes. When your child can fully experience the surface they walk on, it teaches them a great deal about the world around them.

For example, how sand feels and how hard it is to walk on. Water is slippery and can cause you to fall. How painful it is to step on something sharp, like a small toy. And, most importantly, how to balance and navigate on all kinds of surfaces without taking a tumble.

In years past, doctors believed that children should wear shoes as soon as they began walking. Shoe companies saw a market and sold shoes for new walkers. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with your baby wearing shoes, socks are another matter entirely.

Socks are slippery, even those with nonskid bottoms. Walking in them increases the risk of slips, falls, and serious injury.

Footed onesies usually have nonslip soles, but those get twisted, so the baby ends up walking on slippery fabric. Walking in socks provides more sensory feedback through the soles of your child’s feet than shoes, but socks can be slippery and more hazardous. Barefoot is ideal.

We’ve all learned that walking on slippery surfaces, such as wet floors or icy sidewalks, can be challenging and may cause a fall. Anytime we fall, we risk serious injury. Broken bones, busted teeth, and concussions are not uncommon, even when wearing shoes with good traction.

Your baby is learning to walk and is not yet as skilled as you are. When you place slippery socks on their feet, it increases the chance of a fall that could cause harm. I’ve treated children who’ve broken legs, strained muscles, and suffered concussions from slips and falls. Many of them feared a return of the pain when trying to walk again.

There are approximately thirty muscles in each foot. Those muscles get stronger the more you walk. Your child needs strong feet to maintain balance and develop the ability to run, jump, and climb.

Walking barefoot stimulates all those nerve endings and strengthens the muscles in the feet.

Walking in socks can lead to hard falls and injuries that cause pain and a fear of walking. #newwalker #babywalking #babysocks #grossmotordevelopment
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