Baby's Wearing Shoes?

Updated on March 09, 2011
D.J. asks from Beverly Hills, CA
18 answers

What do you all think about baby's wearing shoes? I bought my 8 month old a pair of shoes that is supposed to provide support and help the baby balance. But he seems to balance better bare foot. Did you buy your baby shoes to learn to walk? Or did they learn how on bare feet?

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So What Happened?

Thankyou everyone for all of the comments! Almost everyone here says that barefoot is best. And I noticed that he appears more confident while bare feet. He crawl around better, pull up better, stand better, and even attempted to take some steps! You all is right, bare foot is best! I just hate that I wasted almost $50 on a pair of shoes.

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M.M.

answers from Milwaukee on

definitely bare feet, although we did have a pair of leather sole (real soft and pliable) shoes for when we would take my girls outside to walk.. But they need to learn to balance on bare feet first and strengthen their ankles. After they get it down with bare feet then you start to bring in the shoes but they should be real soft and then get harder and harder soles as time goes on and they master whatever level of shoe they are on..

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J.L.

answers from Los Angeles on

Bare feet and mine did better on hardwood floors over carpet.
I didn't buy my baby a pair of shoes until she was 1.
My MIL threw a fit over me not putting her in shoes.
She wore socks or "soft shoes" when she was an infant.

3 moms found this helpful

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K.T.

answers from Philadelphia on

I live in Japan, so what I've heard might be a bit different, but I've heard bare feet are always best. Bare feet can "grip" the floor better, allowing baby to learn better balance. Babies slip more easily in socks, and shoes are extra clunky. My son is 14 months old now and just started wearing his shoes on the playground at his nursery school. He started walking indoors with a walker just short of 10 months, and I think that time without shoes was very important for him. Also, babies release heat through their feet.. another reason to let them go barefoot until you really have to.

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D.P.

answers from Seattle on

My son's physical therapist recommends bare feet. Kids need to feel the floor, rug, and other textures under their feet in order to learn to balance. The shoes are OK for short periods, but definitely have him barefoot most of the time.

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S.M.

answers from Columbus on

My son walked on his tip toes at first, our pediatrician said that's better for the bones in their feet. We got the Robeez soft soles shoes, and they have something similar at Target now for cheaper. They are very cute & protect their feet but allow natural foot movement until they are ready to walk flat footed.

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A.S.

answers from Dallas on

I asked my pediatrician this when my oldest was learning to walk and he told me that barefoot is a better way to learn to walk unless the child has an irregular foot. Most kids do not even require their first pair of shoes until they are walking outside.

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J.V.

answers from Chicago on

No shoes until they are walking. Barefoot is better, and then be sure to get shoes that can folded in half.

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M.M.

answers from Detroit on

Barefoot all the way....way better for their feet-so they say.

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A.L.

answers from Chicago on

You are supposed to leave them barefoot as it is better for them to balance that way, however there are situations where shoes are warranted. I never put shoes on my first daughter until she started walking outside, however with our second daughter we had to start with a hard sole shoe at 9 months. She would only stand on her tippy toes, and her heal cords started to shorten and she was having trouble flattening her feet. The hard soles made her flatten her feet when standing, and we also did stretching excercises to lengthen the heal cords and now she is fine, and we only put shoes on her when she is trying to walk outside.

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B.

answers from Augusta on

Bare feet is better for most humans.
And 8 months is really early for walking.

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L.L.

answers from Topeka on

I bought shoes since my babies were infants,now having said that they only wore them out into public places & outside if we had a picnic or something.I don't like my kids to just wear socks or go barefooted outside the home.If were home fine barefeet.And yes barefeet is much easier for them to learn how to walk,just look at wehnt ehy stand & balance themselves they are using all their muscles to do so even the toes look like they are gripping.

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T.R.

answers from Orlando on

Barefoot is best, but if you are headed outside, definitely go for a soft leather soled shoe, it's like being barefoot, but protects little feet from outside elements. You can find inexpensive ones at BabiesRus and Target, and they are so cute!

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R..

answers from Chattanooga on

My 10 month DD has a lot easier time walking barefoot. When I put shoes on her, she has a harder time lifting her feet and keeping her balance. I just put shoes on her when we are going somewhere her feet may touch 'public property' (park, store, restaurant, etc...) At home, or playing in our yard, she goes barefoot. :)

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K.M.

answers from Chicago on

we exlusively wore Robees until he was forced to wear actual shoes by day care (16 or so months old) because they started to play on the play ground. Shoes do not help them walk they hinder it ... we used the Robees (kind of like mocosins) when we were out and about but if we were home or at a friends house off they went! He only wore the shoes (stride rite brand) at school until he was too big for them anymore. He said "no more" on his own at 2.

2 moms found this helpful

L.A.

answers from Austin on

Bare feet is the recommended way for a child to learn to walk. You will want some shoes for when they walk outside.

1 mom found this helpful

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

My son was in bare feet till he was walking outside. (His little feet were so cute I hated putting anything on them and they always wanted to be free.)
And then he'd take everything off his feet when ever we drove anywhere in the car.
I was SO glad the windows in the 2nd row of the minivan didn't open because then he couldn't toss socks/shoes out the window (I've seen other kids do this from other vehicles).

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S.G.

answers from Dallas on

With both my children as soon as they could stand up; they were in a pair of striderite shoes for ankle support for first time walkers. Both at 6 months wore shoes. They learned balance, and next thing they were walking and in the next step of shoes and running about.

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S.B.

answers from Kansas City on

I bought my baby shoes, simply because they were super cute. She learned to walk barefoot, however.

1 mom found this helpful
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