Tips on Buying Baby's First Shoes

Remember, putting shoes on your baby is your choice. There are fluctuating schools of thought on the need for your baby to wear shoes or not. This is your baby, so it is your decision.

The most recent school-of-thought on the subject is that your baby doesn't need shoes until they begin to walk.

When they begin to walk, a soft-soled shoe is recommended so your child can flex their foot while walking; this is believed to promote the healthy growth and strengthening of the child's arches as well as coordination.

Think about this for a moment or two: if you never put shoes on your baby until they begin to take their first steps, won't shoes be an alien accessory to them? How many mother's have done battle with a walking 14-month old who cries because the shoes are a hindrance rather than a help? I have seen it over and over again. Putting a hard-soled shoe on a child who has never had such an object on their feet causes some major crises in the adjustment period.

From this granny's viewpoint - there has to be a balance between infancy and toddlerhood on the use of shoes. The soft-soled shoes that are on the market are excellent for your pre-walking child. May I suggest as they begin to pull themselves up on the coffee table and take steps around the furniture that you move them into a soft-soled shoe with some thin rubber on the bottom to slowly transition them into the world of hard-soled shoes. I think this will reduce the major drama from your and your baby's life.