How to Prevent Your Child from Getting a Foot Infection – Breathable and Machine Washable Shoes!

Are your child’s feet and socks always damp when you take your child’s shoes off? Did you know that children with sweaty feet are at higher risk of developing a foot infection? I will show you how to prevent your child from getting a foot infection based on my many years of shoe fitting experience.

There are different ways that your child can get foot infections, and the most effective and proven way to prevent them from happening is by providing your child with the correct type of shoes and socks.

Children’s shoes are the perfect place for bacteria to thrive since bacteria thrives in warm, moist, and dark environments. All it takes to establish a foot infection is for the foot to come in contact with a contaminated, moist surface.

The Importance of Wearing Breathable Shoes and Socks

If your child is wearing shoes that don’t properly breathe and bacteria has built-up inside the shoes, you are making your child more prone to developing a foot infection. For example, if your child has an open wound on his/her feet such as a cut or a skin crack and that wound comes in contact with bacteria, your child will be at a higher risk to develop a foot infection.

No matter how clean you try to keep your kids’ feet, they are constantly in contact with microorganisms that can potentially cause infections. Certain shoes provide better breathability, antibacterial insoles, and they are also machine washable. These 3 features make it harder for bacteria to thrive in your kids’ shoes, and by being able to put your kids’ shoes in the washing machine you can make sure that you are killing all types of bacteria.

The issue is that there is a very small selection of children’s shoes that are breathable, machine washable, and that come with antibacterial insoles to help prevent your child from developing a foot infection. The good news is that I will help you find them!

This experience helped me get familiar with which are the most breathable kids’ shoes that are also machine washable and come with antibacterial insoles.

Children are always on the move and their feet tend to sweat a lot. Did you know that a kid’s foot sweats about 2-3 times more than an adult’s foot? Providing your children with the correct pair of shoes can significantly reduce sweat and prevent their feet from feeling damp all the time.

Three Common Reasons Kids Develop Foot Infections

Fungal foot infections can be hard to treat, but they are rarely life threatening.

1️⃣ Trying shoes without wearing socks.

There have been several cases of children who developed foot infections from trying on new shoes at the store without socks. One particular case involved a 4-year-old girl from the UK who developed sepsis from trying on shoes without socks.

Doctors believe that the child picked up sepsis from bacteria inside the shoes. Sepsis is the body’s extreme response to an infection, and it’s a life threatening medical emergency. This deadly condition can be passed on if bacteria enters the body through an open wound.

The father of the child stated how he normally has his daughter try the shoes with socks on, but it was summertime, so she was wearing sandals.

The doctors didn’t have to perform an operation since they managed to drain all the pus out from her leg and the antibiotic drip did the job.

Always make sure that your children wear socks when trying on shoes since you don’t know whose feet have been in the shoes before!

2️⃣ Not wearing shoes around pool areas, public showers, and gyms.

All of these places are breeding grounds for the fungi that cause foot infections. Always make sure that your child wears shoes around these places to help prevent infections.

3️⃣ Not drying your kids’ feet properly.

Always make sure that your child dries his/her feet thoroughly.

Preventing Foot Infections – The 6 Most Effective Steps to Take!

These are the 6 most effective steps that you can take to prevent your child from getting a foot infection:

1️⃣ Breathable Shoes: Breathable shoes dispel moisture instead of trapping it and allow airflow in your kids’ shoes, preventing their feet from sweating excessively.

2️⃣ Machine Washable Shoes: This feature helps kill any remaining bacteria inside your kids’ shoes.

3️⃣ Antibacterial Insole: Certain shoes come with antibacterial insoles, which provide antifungal protection by resisting the growth of odor causing bacteria.

4️⃣ Breathable Socks: Your child’s socks also play a key role in keeping your child’s feet healthy. Socks made from bamboo fabrics keep your kids’ feet dry thanks to the hollow structure of the fibers which makes it super absorbent. Bamboo is extremely breathable and better than cotton or wool socks.

5️⃣ Make sure that your child wears sandals around pool areas, public showers, and gyms to steer clear of fungus.

6️⃣ Wash your kids’ feet every day and make sure you dry them properly.

Following these 6 steps will reduce the likelihood of your child developing a foot infection.

Before I provide you with a selection of the most breathable and machine washable shoes, I want to make sure that you know your child’s exact foot size.

Providing your child with the correct shoe size is also important in keeping your kids’ feet from sweating too much. Wearing tight shoes will cramp your kids’ toes which might lead to bacteria thriving inside your kids’ shoes. This leads me to this next question: Are you 100% sure of your child’s foot size?

Find Out If You Have a Specialized Children’s Shoe Store in Your Area

I always recommend parents take their children to their local fitting children’s shoe store that they trust. The issue is that most fitting stores have been closing down and parents need to end up buying their kids’ shoes online. There is nothing wrong with this, but you must know your child’s exact foot size to know what size to order.

I created a resource that showcases the best-fitting children’s shoe stores by state, so I suggest you start by taking a look at another resource.

Figuring Out Your Child’s Exact Foot Length and Shape

If after looking at that resource you still can’t seem to identify a shoe store in your area, then proceed to take a look at an article I created that describes the simplest, yet most effective way to figure out your child’s foot size from home.

In that article I help parents determine their child’s exact foot length and whether the child has narrow, medium, wide, or extra wide feet. I also will be able to tell you whether your child has a high instep or not.

Now that you know how to figure out your child’s exact foot size from home and what features the shoes I recommend below provide, you are ready to take a look at the best kids’ shoes that prevent foot infections and help kill any bacteria inside your kids’ shoes. Disclosure: Some links in this post may be affiliate links and we may receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you) when you click our links and make purchases.

I only write reviews of shoes that I have fitted before, so I can personally assess how well-made they are, the amount of support that they provide, and how well they fit.

The Best Kids’ Shoes to Prevent Foot Infections

In each of the descriptions of the shoes, I indicate whether you need to order a half size or a whole size bigger than your child’s current foot size to provide the correct amount of growing room.

Other Choices Available to Consider

If none of these shoes are available in your child’s shoe size or if you need the shoes to be made of a specific color don’t hesitate to contact me.

Before you leave, I want to provide you with a selection of the most breathable and seamless socks for children. Socks act as a barrier between your child’s feet and the shoes, preventing the formation and build up of bacteria.

Best Socks to Prevent Foot Infections – Seamless and Breathable!

Most parents are not aware of the important role that socks play in keeping their kids’ feet healthy, and most of the time they end up choosing the wrong type of socks for their kids simply because they don’t know what type of materials the socks should be made of.

If your child’s feet tend to sweat excessively, please make sure that you have your kids change their socks every day. I have put together a selection of the most breathable and seamless socks for kids:

These socks provide extra comfort, moisture control, seamless construction, and breathable properties. Certain symptoms of foot infections can be treated at home, but there are other ones that require more aggressive intervention that might include hospitalization.

Please remember that providing your child with the correct type of shoes and socks will help prevent your child from developing a foot infection.

Have you found a particular shoe style that has worked well in significantly reducing your child’s sweaty feet? Do you have a particular kids’ shoe brand that you prefer? Please share your findings below so other parents can benefit from your experiences.