surprisingly, not all shoes are made for walking. remember before you became a Mom and started wearing flats and sneakers only? most of us had those killer sexy stilettos in our closet. well, those were not for walking for sure.
same goes about baby shoes. definitely not all of them are made for walking, starting with shoes they make for babies of pre-walking age. most of us get those first Converse or Dr.Martins of a minuscule size, and they look so incredibly cute, but don’t serve any purpose but solely complicating your life in attempts to put them on. i’ve been there! and now i know – socks or footed PJs are your best friends until your baby starts walking.
but then time comes when your baby makes these long-awaited first steps, and you wonder – which shoes should I get to protect these tiny feet but keep them comfortable and encourage waking. your consideration shouldn’t be only abound style, size and season.
now, remember I mentioned socks and food PJs? so the logical evolution of those would be smth with rubber sole, that resembles an actual shoe, and surely enough this kind of hybrid of socks & shoes has been made – they even have a special name for it, which is “skidders” (they also call them “gripper shoes”). Leonardo got a stylish pair from NuNuNu (one of my favorite baby brands) but there are plenty of options online, including the whole website called www.skidders.com
Leonardo’s first walking shoes were Mocs. stylish looking and soft, they are like leather socks that are easy to put on and don’t restrict the movement. they do get damaged easily when walking on asphalt, but I wouldn’t worry about it much anyways – they won’t last long as your baby will grow out of them faster than you think. summer alternative to leather Mocs are all-fabric slip-on shoes. again, there are plenty of options, while they all look very similar. the main difference is price: you can find Mocs from $20 to $60 per pair (and you won’t tell the difference between the two)
if your baby starts walking during warm season, you might want to consider Crocs as his first shoes. if you pay attention on any city playground in summer you will notice that most kids wear this brand. there is a reason for it. Crocs are super comfy, easy to put on, they have good ventilation and stay dry. starting size for Mocs is 4-5, and it fits 12mo+ babies.
for colder days you might want to consider sneakers with semi-soft rubber sole. Leonardo has Vans and Carter’s, and both seem to be comfortable while giving good coverage and protection for the feet.
generally speaking, when choosing shoes for your baby, try to avoid shoe laces and go for slip-on or Velcro instead. and if weather and environment allows, just leave your baby barefoot as much as you can – they will have their whole life to wear shoes, and only short brisk of the childhood to run wild and light like a feather.
[DISCLAIMER: this post has not been sponsored by any of the mentioned above brands. all recommendations are based solely on my own experience and personal taste.]
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