Are Nike Shoes Appropriate for Toddlers Learning How to Walk?

Have you been gifted a pair of Nike shoes for your toddler and wondering if these shoes truly meet the needs of toddlers learning how to walk? Maybe Nike is your favorite shoe brand and you want to match shoes for your toddler. Whichever your reason might be, you are probably aware that your toddler first pair of walking shoes shouldn’t just look good; they should mimic barefoot walking as closely as possible to allow for healthy foot development.

Nike Shoes for Toddlers Learning How to Walk – Yes or No?

No. I am a shoe fitter with over a decade of shoe fitting experience, and I have fitted hundreds of babies and toddlers for their first pair of walking shoes. I have tested several different shoe brands and styles, and over the years I became familiar with which specific shoes work best for a toddler learning how to walk.

As babies learn to walk, their soft and flexible bones need shoes that provide stability without hindering their natural movements. I am of the opinion that a pair of first walking shoes should provide protection and slight support, while still allowing the feet to move naturally. This encourages muscles to build strength and supports proper foot development.

If you really want to provide your baby or toddler with a pair of first walking shoes made by Nike, there is one specific style that might work, called Nike Borough Low 2 as it’s the lightest and most flexible style.

Supporting My Point of View: The 3 Main Reasons Why You Should Say No to Nike

The three main reasons why I recommend families to stay away from Nike shoes for their toddlers learning how to walk are:

1️⃣ Elevated Heel: Most Nike toddler shoes have an elevated heel, meaning the outsole is not completely flat (zero drop). This doesn’t allow your toddler’s toes to be completely leveled and flat on the ground, and that’s very important for them to get sensory information from the ground. Take a look at the image below. Do you notice how the Stride Rite shoe on the right (white shoe) has a flat outsole compared to the Nike shoe on the left?

2️⃣ Too Much Structure: The second reason is that Nike shoes for toddlers learning to walk could be too structured, potentially hindering the natural foot movement and sensitivity needed for this stage. Nike shoes tend to be too heavy and rigid for a first walker and we don’t want to immobilize your toddler’s feet. We want to allow the feet to move naturally. This encourages muscles to build strength and supports proper foot development. Below you can find the difference between a malleable shoe made by the company See Kai Run and a Nike shoe that has too much structure:

3️⃣ Tight Fits: Most Nike shoes are not available in wide or extra wide widths, and the shoes tend to have narrower platforms which may limit the necessary toe-wiggling and foot-flexing that allows for natural walking development.

By the way, at the shoe store where I work, I have noticed that most toddlers tend to have wide or extra wide feet. Some of them are still carrying baby fat and their feet might slim down as they grow, but sometimes they stay wide into their teenage years. It’s important that you know your toddler’s exact foot shape (narrow, medium, wide, extra wide), to determine what shoe size you should order for your toddler. I can help you retrieve your toddler’s exact foot length and shape.

Alternative Shoe Brands for Your First Walker

While Nike is a giant in the shoe industry, this reputation does not inherently equate to expertise in developmental footwear for toddlers. My go-to shoe brands for toddlers learning how to walk are Stride Rite, See Kai Run, and Pediped, which all have shoes with the American Podiatric Medical Association’s Seal of Acceptance. You can access a list of shoes by these three shoe brands in a different resource I created called the best shoes for toddlers learning how to walk.

Then Comes the Cost Factor

Nike shoes, being a premium brand, often carry a higher price tag. Investing in such shoes might seem counterproductive since toddlers outgrow their footwear rapidly. 

By the way, I am aware that last year Nike released a specific style called the Nike Swoosh 1, which it says is a shoe designed to support toddlers as they learn to walk. This might work for some toddlers learning how to walk, but I believe there are other shoe companies that offer more than just one style and have been manufacturing first walking shoes for decades. In addition, that specific pair runs $62 on Nike’s website, which is more than most families can afford for a shoe their toddler might outgrow between 3 to 4 months.

I created a different resource that showcases a list of the most affordable shoes for toddlers learning how to walk.

Encouraging your toddler to spend time barefoot is not just natural, it’s beneficial. Going barefoot allows feet to breathe, strengthens the muscles, and improves balance. However, I also recognize that there are times and places where shoes are necessary for protection.

Nike Shoes for Toddlers Learning How to Walk – Watch Video!

I created a video to help you better visualize everything I discussed in this article. You will be able to better visualize why Nike shoes might not be the best choice for your toddler learning how to walk.

Promoting natural gait development is crucial for early walkers. Research shows that our lifelong gait pattern begins to solidify as early as five to six months after we learn to walk. Our feet need to bend, flex, grip and splay in order to develop how they’re naturally intended to.

I almost forgot to mention that if you are a fan of popular shoe brands there is a specific shoe made by Adidas that works really well for toddlers learning how to walk. I have fitted this specific Adidas shoe style at the shoe store where I work and it works really well as the shoe is lightweight, flexible, and malleable, which allows the toddler’s feet to move naturally and helps promote healthy foot development.

Let me know in the comments section below if you are unsure about which specific shoe might work best for your toddler learning how to walk. I am happy to provide you with specific shoe recommendations tailored to your toddler’s unique foot shape.