Many parents do not think that a baby's outfit is complete unless it is topped off with a cute little pair of shoes. Those shoes, if not the appropriate kind, can do a lot more damage to the development of the child's foot than parents realize.

"Parents like kids to look nice, but parents have to realize that a baby's foot is different than an adult foot," says Dr. Andrew J Schneider, a Houston podiatrist.

Many health care professionals and parents debate whether babies need to wear shoes when learning how to walk. Schneider is against it.

"Babies' feet are growing so fast that they are changing sizes every month or two," he says.

Some Parents Do Not Know

Additionally, Schneider says that many parents do not understand that what they think is cute or making a fashion statement can hinder the foot development and sensitivity.

"To have shoes match an outfit is not a good reason for a baby to wear shoes," he says.

He adds that a baby's foot has soft tissue, ligaments and tendons that are continually developing. Also, babies need to be sensitive to their feet and begin to understand how to balance on them. Shoes, he says, restrict their ability to walk.

Babies should only wear socks or soft-soled shoes.

Once a baby is walking, Schneider says that it is crucial to have a child's foot fitted regularly to avoid any foot problems.

Feet Are Sensitive

He adds that parents do not realize how much damage they can do when buying shoes from discount stores and not having a child's foot professional sized regularly.

Schneider's views fall in line with findings in published in Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The findings said that "physicians should avoid and discourage the commercialization and 'media-ization of footwear."

The journal article also said research has found that "optimum foot development occurs in the barefoot environment. The primary role of shoes is to protect from injury and infection (and) stiff and compressive footwear may cause deformity, weakness and loss of mobility."

Tyra Wright, 36, a mother of a 7-year-old, says that her son wore soft-sole shoes before he was walking.

"I recall him having a white pair that matched his christening outfit, and he had a pair of white soft Nikes," she says, adding that the shoes came with the outfit.

Wright, of Orange County, Calif., says she does not recall being told by her doctor or anyone else not to put shoes on her son's feet.

Barefoot Is Way Of Life

For Cassie Germsheid's 3- and 5-year-olds, going barefoot is a way of life. They rarely wear shoes, and it has been this way since they were younger.

"They play outside with bare feet, so I make sure our yard is free of anything that could hurt their little feet," she says. "We always wear shoes when we go out in public, but at the park we'll take our shoes off to play in the sand." Germsheid, who writes a parenting blog, says the issue of babies not wearing shoes is a debated issue.

"Walking around town with bare feet can be a strange sight for a lot of people. Many commercial businesses will not allow anyone through their doors if they're not wearing shoes," she says. "In essence, people are fighting for their right to go barefoot, and many parents are targets of criticism for allowing their children to go barefoot."

She adds that there are a growing number of people called barefooters who advocate going barefoot.

"Many people, however, believe that barefooters are full of nonsense and that feet need to be protected," she says. "Even though many studies have been done, there is still a lot of confusion among people about who is right."

Germsheid says she made the decision for her children to go barefoot without consulting with her pediatrician, but he is sure that she would agree with her choice.

She also believes that more attention should be given to the topic.

"I think most parents aren't even aware of the damage that shoes can do to their baby's developing feet," she says. "Going barefoot is not something I even considered before I was a parent. It's something that should be talked about a lot more so more people can make an educated decision about letting their own children go barefoot. They may become barefooters themselves."