Have you been looking for the perfect pair of shoes for your toddler? Are you trying to find a pair of shoes to keep your toddlers’ feet healthy at an affordable price? The shoes that you provide for your toddler will play a key role in keeping her feet and legs healthy.
There are two different types of shoes that toddlers usually wear. If your toddler is learning how to walk, you need a pair of lightweight and flexible shoes and the support that the shoes provide is not a matter of concern. However, if your toddler is already walking then you need a pair of more substantial and supportive shoes to minimize the impact that your toddler’s feet take every time they come in contact with the ground.
I will divide this article in two parts, with the first one showing you the best shoes for toddlers girls who are learning how to walk, and in the second one I will be showing you a selection of the best shoes for toddlers who are already walking.
In addition, there are certain shoe brands that are more popular than others. However, among a particular shoe brand, there are certain shoe styles that will work better for your toddler’s feet and I will HELP YOU find them!
As I have been working at a specialized children’s shoe store for over 10 years now, I have handle approximately two hundred shoe fittings and try-ons per week. I have fitted hundreds of toddler’s shoes, and I am familiar with which shoe brands and which shoe styles are better than others.
For the last three years, I have been helping parents find the perfect pair of shoes for their kids ONLINE.
Trust me, you don’t have to spend a fortune in your toddlers shoes since they will outgrow them at a very fast rate, between 3 to 4 months (as long as they are fitted properly). The shoes that I will describe below are all made from high quality materials, but they are also affordable.
Keep in mind that most toddlers have wide or extra wide feet, and it’s important for the shoes to be available in these widths to fit the shape of your toddlers feet perfectly.
There are certain features that the shoes must provide in order to keep your toddler’s feet healthy and prevent foot and leg problems. However, besides providing certain important features, the shoes MUST FIT the shape of your toddler’s feet perfectly. Shoes that are too long, too short, too narrow, or too wide will create several foot issues. If you provide your toddler with the wrong shoe size, you might end up creating several foot issues such as ingrown toenails, bunions, calluses, and corns, just to name a few.
I created a map where I describe the best fitting children’s shoe stores by state. I recommend that you START by taking a look at that map:
The Best Kids’ Shoe Stores In The United States – Where To Go For Proper Fittings
If after looking at that map you still can’t seem to find a shoe store in your area, then proceed to taking a look at an article I wrote where I describe the simplest, yet most effective way to figure out your child’s foot size from home:
How To Measure Kids Shoe Size From Home – In Less Than 30 Seconds!
Bear in mind there is one important fact you must remember: Toddlers should go barefoot as often as possible in order to promote good balance, posture and coordination. However, shoes play a key role in keeping their feet and legs healthy when you start taking them outside to the playground or the shopping mall.
I will provide you with a selection of the best shoes for toddler girls. I only review shoe styles that I have fitted before, since that is the only way for me to tell the quality of the shoes and how the shoes FIT.
Shoes for Toddlers Who are Learning How to Walk – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Most children start to walk anywhere between 8 to 18 months of age. The first pair of shoes that you provide for your toddler will play a critical role in keeping your child’s feet and legs healthy.
IMPORTANT TIP: Do not stress out if it takes a bit longer for your toddler to adjust to wearing the shoes. Children who are learning how to walk use their toes to grasp to the floor and feel more confident every time they talk a step. When you put a shoe in your kids’ feet, they will lose that sense that they had to the ground, but they do receive important sensory information from the soles of their feet. Stiff and inflexible soles will make walking much more difficult.
If your toddler is learning how to walk, you will need a pair of shoes that will provide the 4 following features:
- A semi-firm heel counter: This is important in order to provide your toddler with good ankle support. This is especially important for toddlers since most of the time they are performing lateral movements.
- Lightweight: The shoes must be lightweight in order for your child’s feet and legs to not become tired easily.
- Great traction: This is also really important since we don’t want your children slipping and falling, especially when they are walking around slippery surfaces.
- Breathable: In order to prevent the build of bacteria and prevent foot odor, the shoes must be breathable.
The most popular style for a toddler girl who is learning how to walk is called the Mary Jane shoe style. A great advantage of this type of shoe is that it can be worn as her every day pair of shoes as well as her shoes when you have to dress her up.
Now that you know how to measure your toddler girl foot size from home, and what features the shoes must provide, you are ready to take a look at a selection of the best shoes for toddler girls who are learning how to walk:
These shoes are available in different widths such as medium, wide, or extra wide, meaning that they will fit the shape of your toddlers’ feet (as long as you choose the width accordingly).
IMPORTANT TIP: I always recommend parents to provide their kids’ with shoes that are a half a size longer of the size that they measured in the standard foot measuring scale (Brannock device), in order to allow for growing room.
But…
Shoes can run short, long, narrow, or wide, and depending on how they run you will need to adjust the size that you get for your child
All of these shoe styles described above fit “true to size” which means that you need to provide your toddler with a half a size longer of the size that she measured in order to allow for growing room.
Shoes for Toddlers who are Already Walking – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
As soon as your toddler starts feeling more stable and walking with confidence, you will need to provide her with a pair of more substantial, and supportive shoes. This will minimize the impact that their feet and legs take every time they come in contact with the ground. The shoes will still be soft, lightweight, and flexible.
If your toddler is already walking, you will need a pair of shoes that will provide the 4 following features:
- Supportive sole: Toddlers are always on the move and this will minimize the impact that your toddler’s feet take every time they come in contact with the ground.
- Lightweight and Flexible: The shoes must be supportive but lightweight and flexible at the same time, so your toddler’s feet and legs don’t get tired easily.
- Breathable: This feature will prevent the formation and buildup of bacteria inside the shoes, which will also reduce the chances of your toddler developing stinky feet.
- Traction: Shoes with good traction will prevent your toddler from slipping and falling.
Here you can find a selection of the best shoes for toddlers who are already walking:
These shoes are also available in different widths such as medium, wide, or extra wide, meaning that they will fit the shape of your toddlers’ feet (as long as you choose the width accordingly).
These shoe styles fit “true to size” which means that you need to provide your toddler with a half a size longer of the size that she measured in order to allow for growing room.
If you can’t seem to find a particular shoe style for your toddler in a particular width (narrow or extra wide), please do not hesitate to let me know and I will do my best help you find them. Also, it’s highly likely that I have fitted it before.
Is there a particular shoe style that you recommend for a toddler girl? Kindly let us know in the comment section below so other parents can benefit from your experience.
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