Soft-soled shoes are one of my favorite “inventions” for babies and toddlers. When my oldest son was an infant, they didn’t exist. I kept him in some snap-on slippers for the first two years of his life. Something about big bulky baby shoes seemed counter-intuitive to me. By the time my last baby was born, soft soled shoes were springing up all over the place. Thanks to the internet and entrepreneurial mothers out there, there are now many different styles, prices and sizes of soft-soled shoes to pick from.
We used to think that baby’s first shoe needed to have a firm sole and high ankle to properly support those newly walking feet. Since then, a number of professionals and researchers such as Sylvia Ounpuu at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Dr. David Sutherland Professor emeritus of orthopedic surgery University of California at San Diego, The Canadian Pediatric Society, Dr. Lynn Staheli, MD of the University of Washington Department of Orthopedics in the Pediatric Orthopedics section, T. Berry Brazelton M.D. and many others are all recommending that babies and children go barefoot for optimum development. Of course, going barefoot is not always convenient or even possible. Enter the soft-soled shoe!
These shoes are like wearing slippers! They are warm in the winter, cool in the summer, often water-resistant and they stay on! They are much more forgiving on wide baby feet and fat baby ankles. The sturdy leather sole makes them perfectly safe on all surfaces. And they are just the cutest thing out there!
Retailing from $10 – $30, there are a wide variety of styles to chose from including adult sizes – the sky’s the limit! Sizes are more accommodating and less specialized than traditional shoes and are based on the general age of the child. Most children will not grow out of their soft-soled shoes nearly as quickly as a traditional pair of shoes. They also have the added benefit of being easily machine washable and dryable. In all my years of using soft-soled shoes for my kids, I’ve only had one pair ever wear out. These things last forever!
Some of my favorite manufacturers of soft-soled shoes include:
One of the best places to shop for soft-soled shoes is eBay. You can get great deals on gently used and new shoes. Nordstrom and finer shoe stores typically sell Robeez or Bobux. I have also seen soft soled shoes at a great price at Target.