Once your little one has taken their first steps, your best bet for baby shoes is to make sure they’re comfortable and provide some grip on slippery surfaces. This article explains how to measure your baby’s feet for shoes and choose the best shoes for them. It will also review shoes for pre-walkers and new walkers, as well as which ones to avoid.
How to Measure Your Baby’s Feet for Shoes
When determining what shoes to buy for your little one, size and comfort are the most important factors. While pre-walkers will only be wearing their shoes for looks, it is still critical that they aren’t in shoes that are too small for their quickly growing feet. Once your child begins walking, fit is even more crucial. According to the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, poorly-fitting shoes can cause multiple problems in kids. While a shoe that’s too big can cause the foot to slide forward and put excess pressure on the toes, tight shoes can cause ingrown toenails, blisters, and calluses. These issues can be avoided with a simple, accurate measurement of your baby’s feet to make sure you’re buying the right size. While it may be tempting, don’t skip the measurements and simply choose a shoe size for your child based on age. While sizing by age provides a general guide, babies’ feet grow at all different rates. Your little one could easily have feet that are larger or smaller than other babies their age.
How to Choose Shoes for Pre-Walkers
While shoes aren’t necessary for babies, some parents enjoy putting their babies in shoes for style and warmth. If you want to put shoes on your baby, look for soft-sole shoes. Soft-sole shoes are more decorative than anything else (and can help keep socks on your baby’s feet for warmth). Of course, you could also dress up your baby in a cute pair of socks until they are walking. While they are cruising and crawling, babies need soft socks with non-skid soles more than shoes. If your infant wears decorative shoes, take them off whenever your baby begins to cruise or walk. Bare feet or socks with non-skid soles will help with their balance.
How to Choose Shoes for Walkers
Once your child is walking, consider price, comfort, and style when choosing shoes. Some things to look for include:
ComfortCorrect fit (a bit of room at the toes, heel, and sides)Higher fit at the ankles to prevent your little one from taking them offNon-skid or skid-resistant soles
Save that pair of classic hard-soled baby shoes just for bronzing. Your toddler will likely do better in more flexible, soft-soled shoes even at this age. In addition, many brands of shoes for kids are made of very soft leather, which has the benefit of being comfortable and washable.
How to Avoid Problems
Some shoes are more prone to slipping off kids’ feet than others. These types of shoes include Crocs, sneakers with Velcro straps, and flip-flops. More secure shoes can protect your toddler or preschooler from stubbed toes, broken toenails, splinters, and other injuries, even inside the house. For example, kids can get injured when loose-fitting shoes get caught in an escalator. If your child’s shoes are flopping off their feet, it’s probably wise to graduate them to laced shoes.
When to See a Pediatrician
Talk to a pediatrician if you have any concerns about your child’s feet. Some signs that may warrant a visit to the doctor include:
Ingrown toenails In-toeing (walking with feet turned inward) or out-toeing (walking with feet turned outward) Not walking by 15 months Toe walking
A Word From Verywell
If you are tempted to put shoes on your baby, keep in mind that unless they are walking, shoes are unnecessary. However, if you want your infant to wear them for fun or warmth, stick to shoes that have soft soles and make sure they are the correct size for your baby’s feet. When your child begins walking, look for skid-resistant shoes that fit well and aren’t easy for your toddler to pull off. Soft-soled shoes are great options for kids just learning to walk.
