I recently shared a pair of shoes we were loving for Brooks and I got so many questions on them and they were one of my popular items of the week, so I thought I’d do a round up of the best shoes for new walkers. Brooks is now 17 months and walking and running really up a storm. He started walking early or earlier than Charlotte and probably a month or two before James. He has big siblings to chase after and now he’s always on the go! I think it’s important to note that I try to keep him barefoot as much as possible as he’s learning to walk (and run and jump and climb!). I was advised by a pediatrician to do this with James. I’ve been told it helps with their foot and arch development since babies are flat footed and makes it easier for them to learn balance and posture and all that (you can read more about it here and please talk to your pediatrician because a doctor I am not). So when we’re inside, Brooks is always barefoot (we’re also a no shoes in the house house so that isn’t too hard) but I also let him walk around barefoot outside as much as possible, especially when we’re in the grass or a safe surface. With that said, as the weather gets colder and he insists on walking everywhere even when we’re out and about, I’ve had to find the best shoes for new walkers to keep his feet protected.
When looking for the best shoes for new walkers, you want to look for a few key things:
1) Soft flexible sole – you want support but especially for the really early walkers, a soft sole will most closely mimic being barefoot
2) support for the arch and foot
3) a shoe that’s easy enough to put on and will stay on – babies’ feet are wider and flat so it’s harder to put on shoes especially narrow ones and you also want ones with good closures (I love velcro)
4) shoes that fit properly so they stay on (babies love taking off their shoes and while I get the temptation to size up because they grow so fast, they need proper fitting shoes to learn to walk well)
5) Nonskid rubber sole – so your kiddo isn’t slipping all over the place
6) Cute shoes because that’s half the fun.
So if you have a little one on the go, here are my picks for the best shoes for new walkers.
Comment