Most parents know that proper shoes are crucial for the healthy development of their child’s feet. But do they choose socks for their children with the same care? We think not always. This seems strange to us because socks have direct contact with the sensitive skin of a child. Ill-fitting socks can cause discomfort while walking. Non-breathable socks can lead to excessive sweating (and eventually to chafing or skin conditions), while overly tight socks can negatively affect leg circulation. The key role is played by the material from which children’s and infants’ socks are made. Before deciding to buy socks for your little one, check which option will be the safest.
Socks for infants and children – what functions must they fulfill?
Socks are a small but important part of a child’s wardrobe. Toddlers, like adults, wear them all day long. We put them on babies even during their peaceful sleep, older children take their first steps in them, and later they wear them during cheerful play, running around the yard, or climbing on the playground. These are many different activities, and socks should keep up with them. Therefore, before discussing which socks for children will be most suitable, let’s consider what functions they should fulfill to provide your child with comfort and safety. The three most important ones are:
- Proper thermoregulation – it’s clear that properly chosen socks should provide warmth to a child, protecting their feet from the cold on cooler days. However, remember that we also wear socks in spring and summer, when good ventilation is crucial. Socks must allow the delicate skin of children and infants to breathe freely, minimizing the risk of irritation.
- Protection against abrasions – proper socks act as a protective layer between the feet and shoes, helping to prevent abrasions, especially when children are learning to walk or run.
- Hygiene – wearing socks helps keep a child’s feet clean, preventing dirt and bacteria buildup and protecting shoes from sweat.
Both toddlers and older children spend most of the day in motion – often without slippers or shoes. Therefore, an important function, although not from the perspective of a child’s health and safety, that socks should fulfill is resistance to daily use and frequent washing. In well-selected socks, holes and deformations won’t appear quickly.
Choosing the right material – read the composition of socks for children and infants.
Whether socks will fulfill the above functions, and consequently provide your child with comfort, healthy development, and safety, depends primarily on their composition. The material most often used for socks for infants, children, and adults is cotton. It’s almost always a good choice if high-quality combed fibers were used for sock production. Cotton is a natural fabric, soft, gentle, pleasant to the touch, and most importantly – it allows the skin to breathe. This keeps the child’s feet dry. Cotton is also hypoallergenic, so it’s suitable for children with sensitive skin.
Socks made from bamboo fiber are also gaining more recognition. Usually thinner than cotton socks, but equally soft and gentle. They provide excellent breathability for a child’s foot and absorb a lot of moisture. Bamboo socks are antibacterial and antifungal – they eliminate unpleasant odors and minimize the risk of fungal infections. Moreover, bamboo fiber, like cotton, is hypoallergenic – it doesn’t irritate or cause allergies. They are recommended for children from a very young age. Weather conditions also influence the comfort of using socks for children.
On cooler days, it’s worth opting for wool socks. High-quality wool isolates warmth excellently. It’s also breathable, maintaining the proper temperature of the child’s feet. However, it may happen that wool socks irritate sensitive skin and cause itching. If you don’t want to give them up, choose merino wool. Socks for children and infants made from Merino wool are very soft and don’t cause a scratching sensation. Thanks to their thermoregulatory properties, they are suitable for both cooler and warmer days. Moreover, Merino wool creates an environment unfriendly to bacteria, “cleans itself,” and effectively wicks away moisture. It’s also suitable for children with allergies.
What about synthetic fibers – do we really need to avoid socks for children with elastane and polyamide?
Dear parents – THIS IS A MYTH! Blends of synthetic fibers in socks for children and infants don’t necessarily mean lower quality (of course, provided that they are not used in significant quantities). Let’s explain using the example of cotton, which, like all fabrics, has its advantages and disadvantages. We’ve mentioned the former in the above paragraph. Let’s move on to the latter. Cotton is characterized by high moisture absorption and relatively slow drying. When a child’s foot sweats in a shoe, a sock made 100% of cotton will absorb all moisture, significantly increase its volume, stop letting air through – as a result, it will be heavy and wet, and therefore uncomfortable. Cotton is also not very elastic – especially when moist, it stretches strongly and doesn’t return to its original shape. Mixing cotton with other fibers eliminates such and other material flaws. The best socks for children and infants are those that contain ten to fifteen percent blends, e.g., polyamide or elastane. The latter makes cotton absorb less moisture, and the sock better fits the child’s foot.
Socks for children and infants – a choice more important than it might seem.
As you can see, choosing the perfect socks for infants and children is not easy. Focusing solely on the right size or interesting color is not enough. Ill-fitting socks will certainly hinder walking and may also cause abrasions, rashes, and other unpleasant conditions. That’s why it’s worth choosing very carefully. When buying socks for a small child, opt for those made from at least 75% natural materials – cotton, bamboo fibers, or wool. Avoid socks made with chemicals and artificial dyes in their production, as well as those containing a high percentage of synthetic fibers.