This week, Nike announced it is releasing the Nike Swoosh 1, which it says is a shoe designed to support toddlers as they learn to walk.
Nike boasted that it became the first kid's shoe to garner the American Podiatric Medical Association's Seal of Acceptance.
Nike says the shoe provides 360 degrees of pliable support. Its thermoplastic polyurethane outsole was designed to be grippy and provide children with traction.
"Promoting natural gait development is crucial for early walkers. Research shows that our lifelong gait pattern begins to solidify as early as five to six months after we learn to walk. Our feet need to bend, flex, grip and splay in order to develop how they’re naturally intended to," Nike said.
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According to the Cleveland Clinic, some babies will begin to learn to walk at about 9 months, but some babies might wait until 17 or 18 months.
“We need shoes when we’re protecting our feet or going outside,” wrote Cleveland Clinic pediatrician Dr. Michelle Marshall, “but within the home, bare feet or socks with rubber grips on the bottom are just fine.”
Nike said the shoe can bend in all directions and mimics the feeling of cruising on the floor barefoot.
Nike said the shoe will be made for sizes sizes 3C through 7C.
The shoe is not yet for sale, but shoppers can be notified when it's available. A pair will run $62 on Nike's website.
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