The Best Shoes for Babies Learning How to Walk – Allow Them to Take Those First Step with Confidence!

Are you looking for the perfect pair of first walking shoes for your baby? Did you know that certain first walking shoes come with sensory pods on the bottom that can help your baby take those first steps with more confidence? I have put together a list of the best shoes for babies learning how to walk, and the shoes can fit different foot shapes such as medium, wide, or extra wide feet.

From the day your baby starts crawling around the corner of your living room to the day that your baby starts taking those first few steps, it is important to consider the shoes you will provide for your little walker.

Is Your Baby Ready to Wear Shoes?

Babies who are learning how to walk only need to wear shoes when you take them to the playground or pre-school. However, when you are at home, your baby doesn’t need to wear shoes to allow for healthy foot development.

You should also consider that most babies have wide or extra wide feet, so it’s important that you find shoes that are wide enough to prevent your baby from developing foot issues such as blisters or corns. Please note that babies wiggle their toes as a way of exercising their feet, so it’s extremely important that you provide your baby with shoes that don’t constrict toe movement.

Key Features that Your Babies’ Shoes Should Provide

1️⃣ Flexible Soles: If you grab your baby’s shoes you should be able to bend the front part of the shoe up about 50 degrees easily. Please keep in mind that a baby doesn’t have the strength to bend a harder sole.

2️⃣ Sensory Pods: It’s important for your baby’s shoes to provide good traction to prevent your baby from losing balance, slipping and falling. Sensory pods allow the baby’s feet to feel the ground and feel more stable when walking.

3️⃣ Padding: Your baby’s shoes need to come well-padded on the heel and around the ankles to minimize rubbing, and on the bottom inside for comfort. This helps prevent the formation of blisters and other foot issues.

4️⃣ Oversized Openings: For parents to not have to struggle every time they have to put their babies’ shoes on, the shoes must open up widely.

5️⃣ Rounder Toe-Boxes: This feature helps prevent your babies’ toes from overlapping against one another or rubbing against the side of the shoes. Let me show you the difference between a pair of baby shoes that provides a round toe-box versus one that doesn’t:

6️⃣ Extra Depth: Shoes that provide extra depth allow the baby’s feet to sit deeply inside the shoes and prevent the top part of the feet (instep) from rubbing against the top part of the shoes. This feature also prevents blisters by preventing the top part of your baby’s toes from rubbing against the top front part of the shoes. Let me show you the difference between a baby shoe that provides extra depth versus one that doesn’t:

What Is the Best Shoe Material for Babies?

Your baby’s first walking shoes should be made out of leather to allow your child’s feet to breathe properly. Materials such as leather and canvas are ideal because they are sturdy, breathable and flexible at the same time.

Leather shoes will mold to the shape of your child’s feet and soften with wear, which is ideal for an active, growing foot. When choosing shoes for your little one, try avoiding plastic materials because the shoes will not breathe or stretch and will worsen sweaty feet. Besides making your babies’ feet sweat more, plastic can create other foot issues such as blisters, calluses, and corns.

I only write reviews of shoe styles that I have fitted before, otherwise, I wouldn’t know how well-made they are, the amount of support that they provide, and how they fit. Disclosure: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.

Best Shoes for Babies Learning How to Walk for Better Balance

Below you can find a selection of the best shoes for babies who are learning how to walk. Keep in mind that all of these shoes are available in wide (W) and extra wide widths (XW), so please make sure that you choose your baby’s shoe width accordingly.

Boys

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• Order the shoe style SRT SM Artie by Stride Rite on Zappos

• Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths

• Rounded edges to decrease stumbles and falls

• APMA approved and built for first-time walkers

• I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your baby’s current foot size

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• Order the shoe style 2510 Racer by Tsukihoshi on Amazon

• Fits medium and wide feet

• Heel stabilizer provides lateral stability

• Removable insoles

• Machine washable

• I suggest that you get this shoe the same size as your baby’s foot size (shoe fits long)

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• Order the shoe style Wes by Stride Rite on Amazon

• Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths

• Seamless construction cradle the baby’s natural shape

• Flexible, rounded, slip-resistant soles

• APMA approved

• I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your baby’s current foot size

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• Order the shoe style SM Adamby Stride Rite on Zappos

• Available in medium and wide widths

• Seamless construction cradle the baby’s natural shape

• Flexible, rounded, slip-resistant soles

• Foam padding placed around the ankle collar and under the tongue for an incredibly comfortable fit and feel

• I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your baby’s current foot size

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• Order the shoe style Stevie II by See Kai Run on Amazon

• Fits medium and wide feet

• Rubber outsole is flexible yet durable and provides the needed traction for first steps

• Padded heel and tongue keeps the baby’s feet comfortable

• Wide openings make on and off quick and easy

• I suggest that you get this shoe half a size larger than your baby’s current foot size

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• Order the shoe style Martin by Stride Rite on Zappos

• Available in medium and wide widths

• Seamless construction cradle the baby’s natural shape

• Flexible, rounded, slip-resistant soles

• Oversized opening and pull tab on the back offer easy on and off

• I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your baby’s current foot size

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• Order the shoe style Kennedy by Stride Rite on Amazon

• Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths

• Seamless construction that cradles the foot’s natural shape

• APMA approved

• Oversized opening for easy-on

• Order this shoe half a size larger than your baby’s current foot size

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• Order the shoe style SM Zip Runner by Stride Rite on Amazon

• Available in medium and wide widths

• Oversized opening for easy on and off

• Flexible, rounded, slip-resistant soles encourage natural motion and help improve balance

• Machine washable

• I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your baby’s current foot size

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• Order the shoe style SRT Elliot by Stride Rite on Amazon

• Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths

• 100% leather made

• Sensory pods to feel the ground beneath for better traction and grip

• Lace-up closure

• I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your baby’s current foot size

Girls

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• Order the shoe style SM Adalyn by Stride Rite on Amazon

• Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths

• Oversized opening for easy on and off

• Flexible, rounded, slip-resistant soles encourage natural motion and help improve balance

• APMA approved

• I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your baby’s current foot size

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• Order the shoe style Zips Runner by Stride Rite on Zappos

• Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths

• Oversized opening for easy on and off

• Padded tongue and collar

• APMA approved

• I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your baby’s current foot size

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• Order the shoe style Susie Mary Jane by See Kai Run on Amazon

• Fits medium and wide feet

• Black patent leather upper with full leather lining and insole

• Awarded the Seal of Acceptance from the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) 

• I suggest that you get this shoe half a size larger than your baby’s current foot size

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• Order the shoe style Soft Motion Baby by Stride Rite on Amazon

• Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths

• Oversized opening for easy on and off

• Flexible, rounded, slip-resistant soles encourage natural motion and help improve balance

• APMA approved

• I suggest that you get this shoe half a size larger than your baby’s current foot size

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• Order the shoe style Stevie II by See Kai Run on Zappos

• Fits medium and wide feet

• Rubber outsole is flexible yet durable and provides the needed traction for first steps

• Padded heel and tongue keeps the baby’s feet comfortable

• Wide openings make on and off quick and easy

• I suggest that you get this shoe half a size larger than your baby’s current foot size

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• Order the shoe style Thompson by Stride Rite on Amazon

• Available in medium and wide widths

• Oversized opening for easy on and off

• Flexible, rounded, slip-resistant soles encourage natural motion and help improve balance

• APMA approved

• I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your baby’s current foot size

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• Order the shoe style SRT Elliot by Stride Rite on Zappos

• Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths

• 100% leather made

• Sensory pods to feel the ground beneath for better traction and grip

• Lace-up closure

• I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your baby’s current foot size

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• Order the shoe style Soft Motion Baby by Stride Rite on Amazon

• Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths

• Over-sized opening for easy on/off

• APMA approved and built for first-time walkers 

• I suggest that you get this shoe a whole size larger than your baby’s current foot size

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• Order the shoe style StevieII by See Kai Run on Zappos

• Fits medium and wide feet

• Rubber outsole is flexible yet durable and provides the needed traction for first steps

• Padded heel and tongue keeps the baby’s feet comfortable

• Wide openings make on and off quick and easy

• I suggest that you get this shoe half a size larger than your baby’s current foot size

What Shoe Size Should You Order for Your Baby?

In each of the descriptions of the shoes, I indicate whether you need to order a half size or a whole size bigger than your child’s foot size to provide the correct amount of growing room.

*A half a size bigger translates to 3/16 of an inch or 0.4 centimeters of space between your child’s longest toe and the end of the shoes.

*A whole size bigger translates to 3/8 of an inch or 0.8 centimeters of space between your child’s longest toe and the end of the shoes.

Parents need to make sure that they provide their babies with the correct shoe size, not too large or too small. Shoes that are too small hinder the proper growth of the foot, diminishing blood circulation, causing painful blisters, ingrown toenails, calluses, corns, and many other foot problems. Shoes that are too large might prevent your baby from maintaining grip on the ground properly, compromising your baby’s stability.

How to Retrieve Your Baby’s Exact Foot Length and Shape

I created a virtual shoe fitting service that will help you retrieve your child’s shoe size from home. In that article, I help parents determine their baby’s exact foot size and whether the baby has narrow, medium, wide, or extra wide feet. I also will be able to tell you whether your baby has a high instep or not.

Best Baby Socks – Seamless and Breathable

Babies’ feet tend to sweat a lot, about 2 to 3 times more than adult feet. This is one reason why kids’ shoes wear down faster than those of adults. However, sweat is not a concern only for the durability of the shoes but also for the health of your babies’ feet.

Sweaty feet are vulnerable to foot fungus, rashes and infections. The type of socks that you provide for your babies play a key role in preventing their feet from sweating so much. You must look for breathable materials to allow the feet to breathe properly. Look for seamless socks since they won’t constrict toe movement and they will prevent your babies’ toes from overlapping one another.

• Order these socks made by Epeius on Amazon

• 76% combed cotton, 21% polyester and 3% spandex

• Seamless cable/ribbed knit knee high socks for babies

• Breathable

• Machine wash

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• Order these socks made by SeriSimple on Amazon

• Smooth toe seam provides less irritation and bulk for sensitive toes and feet 

• Made of 82% bamboo and 18% elastane

• Order these socks made by Jefferies on Amazon

• 73% Cotton, 23% Nylon, 4% Spandex

• Seamless toe linking construction eliminates bulky toe seam 

• Machine wash

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• Order these socks made by Jefferies on Amazon

• Seamless smooth toe provides optimal comfort and less irritation

• Stay-up top prevents slipping on legs

• Machine wash

Watching your baby take his or her first steps is probably one of the happiest and proudest moments that a parent cherishes for a lifetime — though things do get a little more hectic once your kiddos are mobile!

Get in Touch for a Personalized Suggestion

If you have any questions or need any further assistance, you can also contact me via email and I will get back to you as soon as possible. I am happy to help you find a different pair of shoes for your baby so don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Have you found a particular first walking shoe style that has worked well for your baby, who is learning how to walk? Please share your findings below so other parents can benefit from your experiences.