Recommended first shoes for early walker

[Squelchsquerch]

DS is 8.5 months and to my alarm looks like he'll be walking within a few weeks. Barefoot is obviously fine for indoors, but what shoes would you recommend for walking outdoors? Don't want to spend to much but don't want them to be bad for his feet

Exciting times huh?
They should be lightweight and flexible, leather or mesh so that the feet can breathe and have a non slip sole.
I'm way past that stage I'm afraid so can't help with exact shops or models.

You should wait until they have been walking confidently for about 6 weeks before getting them shoes. Take them to a proper children's footwear supplier (John Lewis are also quite good). It's pointless giving you advice on which shoes as every child's feet are different - a good shoe shop will have a variety of makes to try on and be able to measure your son's feet properly.

DD was walking everywhere at 9 months - she had a pair of Clarks cruisers, they don't actually need "walkers" for walking and the "proper" stiff shoes are too stiff and unnecessary. She started walking in June though and she did go bare foot a lot outside in the garden and other peoples gardens for the first few months. I got her proper walkers at 11 months when she threw one of her expensive first pair of cruisers out of the push chair and I didn't notice and never found it when I went back to look... around that time she also started walking longer distances (like to toddlers and music group) on reigns while I pushed my older but not yet walking minded child in the buggy, so she did need proper shoes.

Cruisers though - despite the name they are perfect for tiny feet walking independently, not just for cruising and you can get them in the tiny sizes (DD was a UK size 2.5 when she started walking). Many people say they need a flexible sole til 2, which is what I did with my younger kids (born in Germany and bought German brands).

I forgot that VP.
My DS has very strange shaped feet, bless him, and even now (he's nearly a man!) he still struggles.
We alwYs walked out of clarks empty handed as the styles didn't suit his feet.
An independent, like JL, will have more brands for more variety of lasts, shapes and prices.

I would say though that although we only put shoes on for walks when they were under 1, my youngest did cut his foot quite badly as a just walking baby in the little village playground (not on anything obviously dangerous) and it was really hard to keep clean/ keep the plasters on as he didn't understand of course... so no shoes at all for the first 6 weeks they are walking can be impractical even if theoretically correct, unless you don't put them down outdoors (and so restrict them massively, especially if they have older siblings I have no idea how anyone would not let a new walker walk outside for six weeks short of fastening them into a push chair and enduring howling and thrashing , or not letting the older sibling play outside for 6 torturous weeks either!).