When to Buy First Shoes

Shoes are for protection, not for walking

The most useful thing to know before spending money is that shoes do not teach a child to walk and are not needed for foot development. The American Academy of Pediatrics puts it directly: in the early months, babies' feet develop best if they are not confined in shoes, socks are all that is needed to keep their feet warm, and once children start walking outdoors they need shoes for protection.

NHS podiatry services say the same thing in stronger terms. Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust's guidance for parents states that a child does not need shoes until they are walking competently, that for the foot to develop well children should be barefoot for as long as possible, and that going barefoot allows the foot to develop strength and the grasping action of the toes. It notes that the arch does not begin to develop until the age of two and is not fully developed until around age six.

Raising Children Network reaches the same conclusion from the gait side: when young children first learn to walk, bare feet are best when it is safe, because wearing shoes can make early walking harder.

So when do you buy?

The trigger is walking outdoors on surfaces that need protection, not a birthday and not the first independent steps. A child who is cruising the furniture and taking a few steps indoors does not need shoes. A child who walks confidently and is going out on pavements, gravel and playgrounds does.

For most children that lands somewhere between about 12 and 18 months, but the range is genuinely wide. Raising Children Network describes typically developing children standing and taking unsteady steps by about 12 to 14 months and most walking well with their legs closer together by about 18 months.

Getting the first pair fitted

Have the feet measured by someone trained to do it. NHS podiatry guidance advises having feet measured by a trained professional for the first pair, and re-measured every two to four months to allow room for growth. Feet at this age grow fast enough that a pair bought correctly in March can be too small by June.

The AAP's fit check is simple and you can do it at home between fittings: check the fit about once a month, and the top of your child's big toe should be about a finger-width from the inside edge of the shoe. It adds a sentence worth remembering when a beloved pair is getting tight: it is better to have no shoes at all than shoes that are too tight.

What to look for in the shoe

The AAP's shopping advice is short. Look for comfortable shoes with non-skid soles, such as trainers, that will help keep your toddler steady on slippery floors. Buy well-made shoes but do not spend a lot of money, because at this stage feet grow so rapidly that the first pair will not last more than two or three months.

NHS podiatry guidance adds that shoes should have some kind of fastening, and that hook-and-loop or Velcro fastenings may be easier than buckles or laces. A shoe that stays on without the child gripping with their toes is the objective.

What you do not need is the expensive part. The AAP is explicit that children do not need wedges, inserts, high backs, reinforced heels, special arches or other features designed to shape and support feet, that these have no proven benefit for the average child, and that they may actually make it harder to walk.

Second-hand shoes

Hand-me-down shoes are generally discouraged because the sole and upper mould to the previous wearer's foot and gait. Wellingtons, sandals and rarely worn party shoes are lower risk than everyday shoes that have been walked in daily for months.

Feet that look odd

Flat-looking feet, feet that turn in and a wide-legged, flat-footed walk are all normal in early walking. Raising Children Network describes children at 12 to 14 months walking with flat feet and with their legs wide apart, and notes that it takes several years before children walk the way adults do, usually reaching that point at around 7 to 10 years of age.

In-toeing is common and usually resolves. The AAP notes that a toddler turning her toes noticeably inward when she walks is usually at a normal developmental stage, that the tendency usually disappears as the child matures, and that it rarely interferes with mobility.

When to get feet checked

Speak to your GP, health visitor or public health nurse if your child is 18 months or older and not walking independently yet, if they trip or fall a lot, if they cannot or will not put weight on a leg, if they complain of hip or knee pain, or if walking problems come on suddenly or after a fall. Raising Children Network lists all of these as reasons to see a doctor.

Also ask if in-toeing or out-toeing is severe, is worse on one leg than the other, or is getting worse rather than better. The AAP advises talking to a doctor about a child who limps, and about a child who falls a lot, has trouble getting to their feet again, or uses their hands to climb up their legs when trying to stand, because these can indicate a neuromuscular condition that needs assessment.