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When you have just one kid, it is hard to resist buying them everything. Trust me, been there, have the dent in the wallet to show for it. But someone needs to tell Beyonce and Jay-Z there's a line in the sand you just do not cross. Kitten heels for toddlers? Those are on the WRONG side of that line.
Yes, it seems 17-month-old Blue Ivy has herself a pair of itty bitty kitten heels. And not just any kitten heels. Kitten heels from Tom Ford, of course, because she is the princess, and we all must bow down (insert eye-roll here).
Need I remind you that Beyonce's daughter is just a toddler?
A photo of Blue Ivy's pink heels posted on Beyonce's Tumblr -- where she's also been showing off some of her daughter's other duds -- proves they are adorable. But that doesn't mean they aren't patently ridiculous. And not just because designer labels are a waste for kids who think dress is synonymous with napkin.
Putting a toddler in heels is practically begging for podiatry problems down the road!
This isn't me, the judgy mom, talking. It's science. Consider this warning about ill-fitting shoes on kids straight from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP):
The foot takes the shape of the shoe, not vice versa. Improperly fitted or manufactured shoes may be the primary cause of acquired foot deformities and problems. Shoes that do not fit properly can deform an otherwise-normal foot, resulting in hammertoes, hallux valgus, bunionettes, corns, and, ultimately, the need for surgery.
Got that? Put a toddler in kitten heels, and you're risking her (or his) foot actually taking that painful shape ... and worse!
As much as we, the moms who drool over those darling shoes in the store's baby section, hate to admit it, the truth is early walkers don't really need shoes for much more than protection from dangers on the ground (stones, broken glass, whatever). Looking like a fashion model is not important; function is.
That means heels are out. So what kind of shoes SHOULD a kid like Blue Ivy be wearing? Here's what the pediatricians recommend parents put on the feet of toddlers:
1. Flexible shoes that allow the foot some freedom inside the shoe rather than forming the foot.
2. Something with a non-skid sole to keep early walkers from slipping.
3. Shoes that fit well. Because kids' feet grow at different rates, you need to check them pretty regularly to make sure their little toes aren't cramped in there!
4. Simple shoes! According to the AAP, "Your child does not need wedges, inserts, high backs, reinforced heels, special arches, and other features designed to shape and support the feet as they have no proven benefit for the average child."
Got that? See kitten heels anywhere on that list?
Didn't think so.
Do you think Beyonce is crazy for letting Blue Ivy have these shoes? Would you let your daughter wear them?
Image via Iam.Beyonce
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