Written by
Joyce Slaton | Sep 2, 2022
BabyCenter selects products based on the research of our editors and the wisdom of parents in the BabyCenter Community. All prices and details are accurate at the time of publication. We may earn a commission from shopping links.
Best baby shoes
- Best baby shoes overall:
- Best baby booties:
- Best baby walking shoes:
- Best baby moccasin shoes:
- Best baby tennis shoes:
- Best hard bottom baby shoes:
- When should babies start wearing shoes?
- How do baby shoe sizes work
- What to look for in baby shoes
- Baby shoes safety notes
Baby shoes are pretty adorable – and they serve an important purpose, too. Before your child walks (and needs toddler shoes), socks and booties will keep little feet warm and cozy, and will protect them from rough surfaces once they start trying to get on their feet. We analyzed reviews in the BabyCenter Community and combined them with our editors' research and experience to discover parents' most-recommended baby shoes. Read on for the best baby walking shoes, the cutest baby tennis shoes, when should babies start wearing shoes, and more.
Why trust us?
BabyCenter's reviews are created based on parents' real-life experiences using products - experiences of editors and writers who are parents themselves, and also of the millions of parents and pregnant women who make up the BabyCenter Community. Our editorial team uses these insights, as well as feedback from the doctors and other experts on our Medical Advisory Board, to give you accurate and fact-based information, including the pros and cons of different products. That way, you can decide what's best for you and your family.
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Best baby shoes overall
Stride Rite Soft Motion Cameron Sneaker
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Stride Rite
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Generations of moms and dads took their kids to the Stride Rite store to get fitted for their first shoes, and parents still love the brand today. The Stride Rite website has a printable size chart that makes it easy to measure your child's feet, and Stride Rite shoes are still as comfy and supportive as ever. The Soft Motion brand for new walkers is a classic, with flexible soles, cushy memory foam insides, and slip-resistant bottoms that won't trip up little ones.
Best baby booties
Zutano Cozie Fleece Baby Booties
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Amazon
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Baby booties are traditional for keeping your baby's feet warm and cozy indoors, as well as protected when walking around the house. But babies are fiendishly good at getting most socks and booties off their feet, and then losing them. Take heart: Zutano booties will stay on, and they're as comfortable as a pair of slippers and a lot easier for new walkers to maneuver in. They come in colors from blue to purple to grass green, and in sizes from 3 to 24 months. For warmer months, Zutano makes a cotton version that's lighter and cooler.
Best baby walking shoes
Robeez Soft Soles Baby Shoes
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Amazon
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Robeez are so soft, comfortable, and walkable that they're often the only shoe babies won't pull off. The soles are scrunchable suede, the uppers buttery soft leather in cool, compelling designs. They slip right on but magically don't fall off; they're just perfect for baby feet. Parents say that Robeez run large, so measure your child's feet carefully and note the sizing chart. You may want to order down a size, particularly if your child has narrow feet.
Best baby moccasin shoes
BirdRock Baby Moccasins
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Amazon
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These adorable moccasins from BirdRock baby should be a part of your baby's shoe collection. Available in more than 30 designs, it's almost impossible not to find a favorite. They're soft, flexible, and come with light weight soles - all things that are recommended to support your baby's natural foot development. Even better, for each pair sold, BirdRock baby helps feed a child in need through a charitable partnership.
Best baby tennis shoes
See Kai Run Robyne Sneakers
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Amazon
The flexible tongue and velcro strap on these sneakers make them easy to slip on. With a generous toe box, these shoes allow for wiggly baby toes to move freely. Made with a flexible rubber outsole that helps provide traction and stability for those wobbly, early steps.
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Best hard bottom baby shoes
Momo Baby First Sneaker
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Amazon
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This Momo sneaker is all about comfort - made from genuine, breathable leather, this shoe is perfect for helping to keep little feet dry. Its fan-shaped toe box gives your little one's wiggly toes plenty of room. Outfitted with easy-on, easy-off designed straps with Velcro for the perfect fit. This shoe is sure to become a favorite.
When should babies start wearing shoes?
Adorably teeny baby shoes are a classic shower gift, but before babies and toddlers start walking, "real shoes" just get in the way. It's fine to put your child in a pair of tiny Mary Janes or cowboy boots for a special occasion, but in general stick to socks, booties, soft-soled baby shoes, or bare feet. Shoes that are too stiff and restrictive may actually get in the way of your child's mobility.
As your baby starts cruising and then gets ready to take off, you will probably want to buy your baby his or her first set of shoes, even if you haven't yet celebrated a first birthday. The best first walking shoes for babies are those with flexible soles and breathable, comfortable uppers. Soft leather or fabric slippers are good choices, as is any shoe that's not stiff or heavy, as that may make first steps more difficult.
The primary role of shoes during your baby's first yearis to protect feet from injury and infection. At home, it's good to let your child wander barefoot as this makes it easier for their toes to grip the ground.
How do baby shoe sizes work
Baby shoe sizingcan vary. While most baby shoes are sized based upon age, it's always a good idea to try them on if you can. Babies and their feet cangrow very fast, so it's importantto make sure their shoes are gowing along with them.
The general rule of thumb for sizing is:
- 0-3 months: Size 1
- 3-6 months: Size 2
- 6-9 months: Size 2.5, 3
- 9-12 months: Size 3.5, 4
- 12-18 months: Size 4.5, 5
- 18-24 months: Size 5.5, 6
You can also refer to our handy sizing chart below:
What to look for in baby shoes
Most babies won't be able to tell you if shoes feel comfortable or not, so picking out the right size and style of shoesis key. Price, style, and durability area also things to consider.
Choose laces or Velcro.Velcro fasteners make it easier to get shoes on and off, and you won't have to worry about retying laces all day long. But a child may figure out how to remove his shoes and take them off when you wish he wouldn't! If you get shoes with laces, make sure they're long enough to tie into double knots, so they won't come undone as often.
Go for a breathable, lightweight material.Soft leather or cloth is best. Avoid stiff leather, which can hinder foot development, and synthetics, which don't breathe.
Shop later in the day.Babies' feet swell and are often bigger at the end of the day. Shoes purchased in the morning might feel tight in the evening.
Look for problem spots.Your baby's shoes shouldn't need any breaking in. Let your child toddle around indoors wearing them, then take them off and look for irritated areas on your child's foot. Make sure you can feel your baby's toes through the top of the shoes, and that they're not pressing painfully against the front.
Give them a twist. Baby shoes should be flexible; twist them this way and that to make sure.
Watch your child walk around. Does he drag his toes or heels? Do his feet slide around in the shoes or do they look bunched up and uncomfortable? Do the shoes seem to be hampering his gait in any way?
Baby shoes safety notes
Buying shoes is, and should be, low stress because there aren’t many safety issues. However, children’s sandals and shoes have been recalled in recent years due to decorative items or fasteners that can detach and pose a choking hazard, or sharp metal parts that can cause laceration hazards.Checkproduct recalls from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety CommissionOpens a new windowto make sure your child’s shoes aren’t on the recall list.
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Joyce Slaton
Joyce Slaton is the commerce editor at BabyCenter, the world's number one digital parenting resource. She is a certified child passenger safety technician who loves to write, sew, and cook. Slaton lives in San Francisco with her husband and daughter.
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