STAGE, NOT AGE

OVERVIEW OF BOBUX STAGES

Little feet are always growing and changing, that’s why we design our shoes to suit every stage of growth your child may be in, to give them comfort, protection and freedom of movement. As your child grows, three things change; their feet, their moves and their needs, so it’s very important to their future foot development that they have the right shoes for every stage. Bobux shoes are designed from the sole up, to support your child’s feet and movement as they grow through each stage. Below we’ve detailed the five stages of development.

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BOBUX STAGES

Throughout their early years, children’s feet will go through five stages of development as they learn to crawl, walk, run, dance and play. The more they grow and develop, the more their feet need to grow with them, which is why they have the right shoes for whatever stage they’re in. At Bobux, we design shoes for stage and not age. All children grow at different rates and there is no one size fits all.

Overview of Bobux Stages
Overview of Bobux stages

SO WHAT DO THE DIFFERENT STAGES LOOK LIKE?

BABIES AND CRAWLERS

SOFT SOLE

The stage range for newborns, babies and early crawlers

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Soft Sole Feet icon

THEIR FEET

Crawlers' feet are mostly mostly cartilage with the beginnings of tiny bones. Their adorable little feet are flat and squishy without arches. They have chubby little ankles, square toes that curl down and heels that aren’t quite defined yet.

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THEIR MOVES

Bum shuffling, tummy rolling, sitting and starting to crawl. Crawlers haven’t yet tried to stand, they’re just starting to explore the world on all fours. They’re curious to experience the world around them, touching and grabbing as they drag themselves around on their tummies or lie on their backs and kick their feet. The journey is only just beginning.

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THEIR SHOES

Newborn feet are so malleable that rigid shoes or even tight fitting socks can stifle their growth. Bobux Soft Soles are made from flexible leather to protect little feet while giving their feet the freedom to develop naturally. Featuring a soft suede sole, an unlined leather upper and an elasticated ankle to keep kids from kicking them off! Friendly fun characters stitched atop the fronts of the shoes with faces that look towards babies to spark early imaginations. Bobux Soft Soles guide your little one on their earliest indoor adventures. Also a great shoe for older kids to totter around indoors.

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ALMOST WALKING & CRUISING

XPLORER

The stage range for kids almost walking and cruisers

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Their Feet icon

THEIR FEET

Cruisers' feet are just beginning to form, their heels and tiny toes are starting to take shape allowing them to stand when supported. Their feet are still soft, chubby and cute with flat pads and no arches.

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THEIR MOVES

Cruisers aren’t quite standing by themselves yet, but they’re starting to pull themselves up on furniture. They can stand when supported and are excited and curious to see the world at a new angle. With nothing to hold on to, they prefer to crawl around on all fours, but will soon be taking their earliest solo steps.

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THEIR SHOES

Cruisers’ feet are still changing every day, so soft materials and considered design give them a full range of movement and the freedom to develop naturally. Xplorer shoes are lightweight and durable to protect babies feet as they start to stand. Grippy textured soles help kids push against surfaces and reinforced toe-caps protect tiny little toes as the crawl around. The Xplorer sole was expertly designed to flex with your child’s movement, allowing their feet to strengthen naturally as they grow and start to explore.

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FIRST WALKERS

STEP UP

The stage range for early walkers

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Step Up Feet Icon

THEIR FEET

Early walkers have a unique foot shape, their little feet are still chubby and cute like they were as newborns but their heels are now formed enough to support their weight. Bones are beginning to form in their feet but they’re still rounded and feature a layer of fat across the soles. Their arch and achilles remain undefined like chubby babies’ feet, but don’t worry, they’ll soon be taking shape.

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THEIR MOVES

At this stage children are still learning to walk confidently, so they might wibble and wobble and look off balance. They’re starting to explore on their own and, though they may topple over backwards onto their bums at times, they’re capable of picking themselves up and carrying on. Their joints are still forming, so their cute little feet point outwards and their chubby little legs don’t yet bend as they walk.

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THEIR SHOES

Bobux Step Ups are flexible and soft for growing feet but feature harder wearing rounded soles for outdoor adventures. Carefully designed to form fit first walkers and using soft materials that fit snugly around chubby feet. Step Ups are styled like little shoes (who doesn’t want cool kicks for their kids?) while retaining all the important adjustability and stability features of healthy first walker footwear.

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TODDLERS & PRESCHOOLERS

I-WALK

The stage range for confident walkers

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I-Walk Feet Icon

THEIR FEET

As children become more confident walking, their foot strengthens and becomes more developed. Our little babies’ feet are becoming more muscular and defined and the layers of cute chub have almost disappeared. An arch has begun to form in the foot and the achilles is now clearly visible.

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THEIR MOVES

It seems as soon as children can walk confidently they want to run and jump and play. Kids at this stage are now walking confidently without falling over, they’re starting to run around more and might occasionally jump onto things. They’re a tiny ball of energy, bursting from surface to surface as they learn to move more confidently.

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THEIR SHOES

Learning to move faster, stop quickly, jump and change direction requires more support and a more diverse range of motion. Bobux I-Walk are designed to enable more confident movements. All the running and jumping that children start to do at this stage is important for their own mental development, so it’s important they have a shoe to carry them on this journey. Children are also starting to have a say in their own shoes aesthetically, so designing shoes they’ll love is a necessity.

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KIDS

KID+

The stage range for active kids

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Kid+ Foot Icon

THEIR FEET

As children begin active play their feet become more developed and begin to resemble the shape of adult feet. It’s the stage in life when they’re starting to communicate more, they’re moving around a lot and a more dextrous foot is required for quick movement and active play.

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THEIR MOVES

Kids at this stage are now running confidently, jumping, skipping, starting and stopping with ease. They kick balls and play, dance and jump rope. Their movements are faster and more coordinated. They’re becoming socially aware, making friends and playing with their peers. Their minds are growing as they learn to process the world around them and their space within it more quickly and they become more aware of their own movements.

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THEIR SHOES

More active play demands a more durable shoe. The Kid+ sole design combines the durability requirements of active children, with the comfort and protection inherent in all our shoes. Featuring super lightweight, flexible materials, Bobux Kid+ range stands up to all the activity kids put them through. Designed, from the sole up, to be the shoes that your child will live in and love.

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MADE FOR GROWTH

MORE THAN JUST THE SIZE OF THEIR FEET

In the first few years of life our feet go through more changes than almost any other part of our body. When our little ones are all grown up they’ll have 19 muscles and 26 bones in each foot, but when they’re born their tiny little bones are only just starting to take shape. That’s why babies’ feet are so soft and squishy.

Designing shoes for these stages of a child’s life is a delicate art, from our Soft Sole shoes for newborns to our Kid+ shoes for bigger kids, each of our shoes is carefully designed to the needs of your child as they grow. Each Bobux range is carefully tweaked for the right balance of flex, durability, adjustability and weight.

We don’t just want our shoes to fit well, we want them to fit better than any other shoe, so we designed them to be the same shape as your child’s feet as they grow and develop. All of our shoes are manufactured from carefully selected flexible materials, designed to provide protection as well as a free range of movement.

For every stage in your child’s development there’s a Bobux shoe to suit them. Form fitted to their feet and designed from the sole up for healthy natural development, that’s why there’s no better shoe for your child’s feet than a Bobux shoe.

FOOT DEVELOPMENT

Our feet aren’t fully formed until we’re about 13-18 years of age, but much of the big changes happen in the first six or so years. When they’re fully grown, children will have 26 bones, 33 joints and over 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments in each foot, but when they’re born their tiny bones are still growing and their feet are mostly cartilage.

Stages of foot development
Stages of foot development