Run, Jump, Walk, Splash—These Are the Best Toddler and Baby Shoes for New Walkers (2023)

FAQs

What shoes are best for first walkers? ›

Try to get shoes with soft leather uppers for cool, comfortable feet. Choose shoes with lightweight, flexible soles to aid walking development. Most brands have pre-walkers, which are super-soft and actually fine for the first few walking months (according to parents we speak to). Look for fully adjustable fastenings.

Shoes are definitely not necessary in a child's ability to learn to walk. However, shoes do have something to offer the child: protection. Shoes will protect a child's foot from sharp objects. With this in mind, shoes should have closed toes, as many children tend to drag their toes when learning how to walk.

Opt for a shoe that supports your foot without being too restrictive and absorbs shock without feeling too heavy. You may find that road running shoes, trail-running shoes or hiking shoes can be worn comfortably for walking as well.

The Emerging Walker (9-15 months)

If shoes must be worn for protection or warmth, a flexible foot covering is all that a child needs.

When toddlers are learning to walk, they should be in bare feet or a soft soled shoe as much as possible so they can feel what they touch with their feet and develop muscle strength. When toddlers have been walking on their own confidently for a period of time, they can progress to a firmer soled shoe.

Sizes: 4 toddler and up Well-cushioned and well-structured, Skechers are a just-right lifestyle sneaker that come in fun, flashy colors covered in sparkles, glitter, and light-up soles. Their whole range of sneakers get high ranks for being sturdy and comfortable and having excellent traction to guard against slipping.

Slip-on shoes, such as sandals or Crocs, can actually be quite dangerous for new walkers as they provide no support to the foot and can cause trips and falls. Without adjustable straps, these types of shoes can also be easily kicked off, which can be a hazard when walking on stairs or uneven surfaces.

Do new walkers need ankle support? ›

Takeaways. Young walkers should wear shoes when they are walking outdoors and on hot, cold, or uneven surfaces. The right shoes should be flexible and made from breathable materials. Young children do not need arch or ankle support until they are older.

Walkers — devices with wheeled frames and suspended seats that let babies move around using their feet — are indeed a safety hazard. Walkers are a leading cause of injuries in babies, so health and safety experts strongly discourage their use. While in walkers, babies can roll into hot stoves, heaters, and pools.

Choose a walker that a stable and wide base for support. Ensure that the wheel of the walker has at least a diameter of 50 millimeters. Do not buy fairly used baby walkers that do not satisfy the recent safety standards for walkers. Upon sitting on the walker, ensure that your baby's feet make contact with the floor.

Open-toed shoes, flip flops and Crocs are not ideal shoes for toddlers because of their instability; they also encourage toe-gripping which may lead to toe deformities.

Walking boots are better for uphill walking across more treacherous uneven terrain, as most of them offer waterproof protection, ankle support and grip, whereas walking shoes are lighter shoes and more comfortable to walk in for lengthy distances on a flatter and more even ground.

It's well worth investing in a pair designed specifically for walking, and fortunately you can count on Skechers for a wealth of high-quality options. A long-time leader in the walking shoe category, Skechers has styles for the casual stroller, the serious trekker, and everyone in between.

Whether you stand on your feet all day, take your dog on long walks or are a serious runner putting in some heavy mileage, wearing memory foam shoes can potentially provide the comfort, cushioning, pressure relief and shock absorption you need for pain free time on your feet.

From 3 to 6 months, a size 2 (3.75 inches) should get the job done. Around 1 year, many babies wear a size 4.5 or 5 (about 4.75 inches). Again, every baby grows differently — so be sure to measure those little feet often.

A baby can benefit from wearing soft soles until they are 24 months. Until they are ready to switch to wearing rigid soled shoes, you can let your little one explore the world with bare feet or soft soled shoes.

In fact, for newborns, baby socks are a must. In addition to being comfortable wearing socks, your baby needs them to stay warm. Infants lose heat much faster than toddlers since they can't yet regulate body temperature properly, so choosing socks should be at the top of your priority list as parents.

What ages are a toddler? ›

Toddlers (2-3 years of age)

Generally speaking, it's recommended that babies begin wearing soft-soled or pre-walker footwear once they start walking around confidently (usually between 8 and 12 months). It is important not only as protection from slipping but also as support while learning how to walk properly.

Skechers Arch Fit

Discover the ultimate comfort solution with podiatrist-certified arch support developed using over 20 years of data. Footwear in our Arch Fit collection features a removable, supportive cushioning insole system for a more comfortable walking experience.

Most children do not need a special arch support. All toddlers younger than 16 months have flat feet and only fully develop an arch by 6-8 years old. The outer sole provides traction, cushioning, and flexibility to the shoe. Avoid very sticky and thick outer soles as they may cause stumbles and falls.

A few tips to remember is that US shoe sizes for toddlers, in general, are labelled based on age and also the length of the foot in inches. There is also no difference between the shoe size for boys and girls at this stage. Toddler shoe sizes are for kids between 2 and 5 years old.

Wondering how much should a 2-year-old weigh? Average weight for a 24-month-old is 26.5 pounds for girls and 27.5 pounds for boys, according to the World Health Organization. How tall is the average 2-year-old? Average height for a 24-month-old baby is 33.5 inches for girls and 34.2 inches for boys.

Your 2-year-old child's growth

At 2 years old, your toddler is growing, growing, grown — to a length that just might predict her future height. Most 2-year-old girls weigh 19½ to 32½ pounds and measure 31½ to 36½ inches tall. Boys typically weigh 21 to 33½ pounds and measure 32 to 37 inches tall.

You will increase one-half size of shoe for each 1/6 of an inch of length. For example, a toddler with a 5-inch foot wears a size 6 shoe, while a child with a 5 1/6-inch foot wears a 6.5 size.

The answer is yes! Crocs are actually quite comfortable for walking, thanks to their padded footbed and soft, flexible material. However, they may not be the best choice for long walks or hikes due to their lack of support. But overall, Crocs make great shoes for short distances and everyday wear.

Some people think that shoes are needed to support a child's developing leg and foot muscles and bone structure to help prevent future problems with walking. Your child's feet will develop well on their own and don't require any special footwear.

Why do kids wear Crocs? ›

"They offer some arch support and cushion, the holes in the shoe allow air in and keep the feet from sweating, and the antimicrobial properties of Crocs could help prevent infections in kids' feet." Kids' crocs come in so many different styles and colors, kids everywhere are wearing the shoes that fit their feet and ...

A: C is child and Y is youth. These refer to child sizes, which is the 2T-3T, etc. sizing until you get up to 7-8, then move up to youth sizes which is more the small-medium-large spectrum.

Size 0 is great for babies between 6 to 12 months old with 10 kg of weight and 76 cm in height. This size, as the name suggests, is perfect for children around the 1-year-old mark. It's intended for babies up to 18 months, weighing up to 12 kg and measuring 84 cm.

Use standards to estimate a toddler's shoe size from age. The recommended size is 5 for a 12- to 18-month-old child, 6 for an 18- to 24-month-old child, 7 for a 2-year-old, 8 for a 2- to 2 1/2-year-old, 9 for a 3-year-old, 10 for a 3 1/2-year-old, 11 for a 4 1/2-year-old and 12 for a 5-year-old.

The 500-Mile Limit

The typical athletic shoe is only built to last 350 to 500 miles. 1 While walkers are not pounding their shoes as hard as runners, you are unlikely to still get good support and cushioning past 500 miles.

It just means they're ready to move and explore the world around them. Babies can take their first steps anywhere between 9–12 months old and are usually pretty skilled at it by the time they're 14–15 months.

"We don't recommend high-top shoes anymore because we found out there's more risk for ankle injuries when toddlers fall in these types of shoes," says Larissa Isterabadi, M.D., a pediatrician in Yorba Linda, California.

Children in walkers can get their fingers caught, pull things down on themselves, or grab dangerous things (such as sharp objects or hot liquids) that would otherwise be out of their reach. Children can fall out of walkers and get hurt — and have drowned when they scooted into a pool or spa.

Instead of a baby walker on wheels, the AAP recommends opting for an activity center with either a stationary, rotating or bouncy seat. Sturdy wagons or push walking toys are also acceptable, but you'll need to closely supervise when your child is using this item, as the wheels can increase the risk of injury.

Children in baby walkers can:

Roll down the stairs—which often causes broken bones and severe head injuries. This is how most children get hurt in baby walkers. Get burned—a child can reach higher in a walker.

What should I look for in new walker shoes? ›

Age: The recommended age is 6 to 8 months before your baby starts using their walker. Mobility: Your baby should have some level of mobility developed already. For example, your little one should be a good crawler and able to get around or have the ability to stand in their crib or on their own.

If you do use a baby walker, bouncer or seat, it's best to use them for no more than 20 minutes at a time.

Baby's first shoes should have grooves on the bottom to help your little one learn to walk more proficiently. Many hard-bottom baby walking shoes have rubber non-skid soles with ridges that give great traction to your wobbly walker.

Long-term wear of Crocs may also cause other serious foot conditions. “You're not thinking about it, but when you're wearing a shoe that wide, you're gripping with your toes, and when you grip with your toes to keep a shoe on, you can get tendonitis, plantar fasciitis and hammertoes in the long-term,” Dr. Barrow notes.

Peds unanimously agree that Crocs are especially bad for younger children's developing feet. When they can't feel the ground, children are not only at a greater risk for falls and injuries, but also neurological and intrinsic muscle impairments that can lead to foot issues later in life.

Use standards to estimate a toddler's shoe size from age. The recommended size is 5 for a 12- to 18-month-old child, 6 for an 18- to 24-month-old child, 7 for a 2-year-old, 8 for a 2- to 2 1/2-year-old, 9 for a 3-year-old, 10 for a 3 1/2-year-old, 11 for a 4 1/2-year-old and 12 for a 5-year-old.

Do you wear a sock with a walking boot? ›

Adding a sock to the equation is a good idea for a few reasons: It will help reduce any friction between the brace and your skin, which can help prevent any chafing or blisters. Socks for walker boots can act as a buffer between your foot (and its sweat and dead skin cells) and the brace.

In general while wearing a walking boot on the left foot is generally permissible, studies have shown that wearing one (or other similar types of footwear) on the right foot can adversely affect driving performance.

In essence, if the user is okay with gradual recovery from the injury and does not have a high pain threshold, wheelchairs and walkers are an ideal choice compared to crutches with walking boots. Moreover, walkers and wheelchairs can be employed with walking boots as well.

Toddlers (2-3 years of age)

From 15 months to 2 years: from 15 months to two years, your infant's feet will grow half a size every two to three months. From 2 to 3 years: From the age of two to three years, a child's feet will continue to grow rapidly with a half a size increase every three to four months.

Weiser recommends avoiding Crocs entirely if you're flat-footed. According to the Institute of Preventative Foot Health, being flat-footed can contribute to plantar fasciitis and other health conditions, especially if you don't wear shoes that support your arches. These conditions include: Achilles tendinitis.

autumn/spring: depending on the temperature, you can choose a short- or a long-sleeve body and a sweatshirt jumpsuit or a comfortable sweatshirt and long pants. Remember to cover your child's feet, you may also put on a thin hat on their head. A baby dressed like this should be wrapped in a sleeping bag for carrycots.

Crocs in the Clinic

Some doctors are even recommending them to patients with foot problems. “These shoes are especially light,” says Harold Glickman, DPM, former president of the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA).