Are Walking Shoes Good for Babies? 3 Tips for Finding a Good First Pair - HARTS Bootees

Are Walking Shoes Good for Babies? 3 Tips for Finding a Good First Pair

Barefoot is best. But there are times when you absolutely must have some kind of footwear on small children, particularly in winter months or when they begin to stand and walk and you plan to be out of your home. 


1). Thin Soles: You’ll want to find footwear that will stay out of their way and allow the foot to move as naturally as possible. Baby feet don’t actually have bones. As children grow to age 5, their foot bones become harder and solidify into the 26 bones that adult feet have. So light and flexible is what you need. Babies and toddlers are learning posture and balance for life! 


2).  Flexible design: Look for shoes that leave the ankles unencumbered. Babies are learning to move and crawl and gaining muscle strength and muscle memory. Don’t narrow them into a rigid shoe. That’s why toddlers throw shoes! It doesn’t feel right. Our shoes are made with maximum flexibility, durability and stretch which is ideal for small children.


3). Nearly Weightless: You must find shoes that will go unnoticed by your baby or toddler. We pride ourselves on having the lightest possible first walkers. Our shoes are made to be the ones they’ll leave on, which makes your day better too. 

Back to blog

You Might Love

Need Help?

We’re here to help if you need advice on sizing first shoes or what style your baby might get the most use out of. You can see all of our washable first walkers here. Email us at hi@hartsbootees.com for help. Happy walking!