A few months ago, I came across a dilemma.
My daughter was 6 months old at that time and every time we stepped out of the house, I would try to have her wear a pair of shoes. However, most days I don’t have her wear any and I used to wonder if it reflected badly on me as a Mama – perhaps my baby’s feet was uncomfortable or other parents might wonder why I didn’t put any shoes on her.
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It wasn’t until I started questioning myself if babies even needed shoes at all that I started looking for answers.
Surprisingly, here’s what I learned…
Does my baby need to wear shoes?
The answer to that question is no, your baby doesn’t!
In fact, babies do not need to wear shoes until they start walking. If he or she is learning to walk, wearing shoes can be uncomfortable and your baby can slip and fall. It is recommended that until your baby starts walking confidently, you allow your baby to go barefoot. This can help increase his or her sensory skills – by feeling the ground, the floor, the carpet, etc. – and it can help your baby’s feet grow properly. However, as soon as your baby starts walking, make sure you keep shoes on your baby to protect him or her from harmful objects on the ground – glass, shards, rocks, and pointy items.
In any instance where the weather decides to turn and bring wind chills, you can always have your baby wear socks or soft-soled shoes to keep his or her feet warm. Personally, socks are my favorite! I use socks all the time to make sure my baby’s feet are warm during cold days.
On top of that, the moment I learned that it was unnecessary for babies to wear shoes until they walk, I immediately sighed with relief. I felt more confident in going out with my baby without shoes because for 1) it helps her feet grow properly, 2) it helps with her sensory skills, 3) now I know for sure that going barefoot is best!
However, if you are eager to buy baby shoes for your little one, make sure you keep these tips in mind:
- Choose shoes that comes with rubber grips to prevent slipping on slippery surfaces.
- Allow extra room at the tip of the toes so that your baby’s feet has room to grow.
- Choose comfort over appearance. Keep in mind that even if you find the cutest shoes in the world, if it’s not comfortable for baby, it’s not worth buying!
- Look for shoes that are made with lightweight material.
- Your baby’s shoes should be made with breathable material – mesh, cotton, soft leather.
Baby Shoe Sizes
If you’re like me, you’re probably used to seeing shoes sizes associated with age (3-6 Months, 6-9 Months, 9-12 Months, etc.), which is easiest to go based off of! But some time along the way, you may also notice baby shoe sizes at size 1, size 2, size 3, and so forth. Because these shoe sizes does not associate with age but rather feet measurements, it is good to know how big your baby’s feet is! Thankfully, I always have my wonderful fabric tape measure with me so measuring baby’s feet has become easier! The fabric tape measure is flexible and easy to use so it makes measuring the feet better.
Once measuring your baby’s feet, use the chart below to pinpoint his or her shoe size!
Time-Consuming Shoes You Might Want to Avoid
When you are looking for baby shoes, you want to consider comfort and weight. However, one thing you also want to think about is the time it takes to put on those shoes! I personally love shoes that are easy to put on for a quick “to-go” but when it takes too long to put on my baby’s feet, I probably won’t be using them at all!
Below is a list of time-consuming shoes you might want to avoid:
- Lace-up ballet flats that wraps up over the ankle
- Infant shoes with shoe laces that you have to tie
- Baby sandals with adjustable straps (the ones with holes)
- Baby boots with a string for tying
The bottom line is that any baby shoes with strings WILL be time-consuming to put on, unless you don’t mind it all 🙂
Oh, and one more thing.
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