When to start wearing shoes? And are second handy baby shoes OK?

[abigboydidit]

So, the title says it all really! My DS is 8 months old. He has been crawling for almost 2 months and now walks around holding onto furniture. My inlaws have been pressurising me since he was about 12 weeks old to put shoes on him and when he started crawling they wanted to march me down to Clarks for crawling shoes (are there such a thing?) & are now getting agitated that he must get cruising shoes. I have no clue about this but he seems too young to have proper shoes..yet at the same time I don't want to do harm by not putting them on. Can you tell this is my first child?!

Also - my friends have offered me some 2nd hand pairs of their children's cruisers/early walkers. They look almost new and they reassure me that they grew out of them so fast, they were hardly warn. But (here I go again..) I've never been keen on the idea of 2nd hand shoes (though anything else going spare, am more than happy to snaffle!).

So - 2 questions! When did/should you start putting shoes on a baby and would you use 2nd hand pairs? Thank you!

They don't need them until they want to walk outside, IMO, although I might make an exception if you lived in a flat with very slippery floors!

I'd use second hand soft cruisers etc, save your pennies for new "proper" shoes when he's running about and needs something properly fitted.

I would then get a new pair for every day, but wouldn't be averse to using second hand pairs (if they were the correct size and width) for occasional use.

Worth seeing if you have a factory outlet anywhere near you for cheap new shoes.

My concern with second hand shoes that have had a lot of use already would be that they might not be the right width fitting / have already worn down to fit another kid's feet.

It's generally recommended that they get their first properly fitted shoes 6-8 weeks after they have started walking independently. I wouldn't use second hand shoes, simply because they tend to mould themselves to the individual's feet, and as Grumpla says, may not be the right width etc.

TBH, when it's suitable, it is best to let them run around without shoes on as much as possible while the bones in their feet are still fusing.

With all mine I've had one pair of 'proper' shoes from Clarkes/Startright, wellies, trainers and either boots for winter or sandals for summer.

I didn't bother with shoes until mine were able and ready to start walking outside. My youngest was 15 or 16mths by then.

I agree about width fittings and secondhand shoes. Two of my children have my wide feet and the other the other two have very narrow feet. They would have been very uncomfortable wearing their siblings' old shoes.

I waited until DS was walking. Clarks apparently used to insist they had been walking for 6 weeks before they would sell you any! Then they picked up that "crawling" and "cruising" shoes might make them more money...

It's supposed to be best for them to be barefoot or in socks as much as possible to help their bones develop properly. I used www.snugglefeet.com because DS would never keep socks on, and those were great - might be a good compromise? Even when they first start walking, you won't want to let them walk outside for a while, because until they get steady on their feet and/or learn to run, crawling is still faster and they tend to crawl if they want to get somewhere fast. Not great when it's muddy and cold like now! :)

I agree, they don't need shoes until they are walking outside and need them. I was told that wearing shoes pre-walking can hinder learning to walk as they can't feel their feet on the floor.

I wouldn't have second hand shoes.

I agree, they don't need shoes until they are walking outside and need them. I was told that wearing shoes pre-walking can hinder learning to walk as they can't feel their feet on the floor.

I wouldn't have second hand shoes.

Thanks for the reassurance on both counts. I really wasn't keen on the second hand shoe idea but MIL informed me I was being precious...

My DD (my first and only child) starts wearing shoes when she was 2 months old (just baby shoes to match outfit), but she has her 'proper' shoes from Clarks when she was 8 months old (Granny bought it for her). It was cruising/crawling shoes, yes, there is such thing. The sole of the shoes are much softer and 'bend-ier'. I think the shoes offer her more grip to the floor and also get use of wearing shoes.

I would happily take a 2nd hand pairs of shoes as they do grow out of them very quickly. And to pay £35 and more for a pair of shoes that last 2 months, if not less is a lot of money. The first pair, I would buy it as it is something for keep sake and to remember. After that, I will always welcome 2nd hand to save money. Also, DD always wears socks with her shoes, so I don't see any problem with it..

So in summary, when a baby started cruising (i.e. walking around holding onto furniture), I will get him/her a pair of shoes. I don't have problem getting 2nd hand shoes as they are baby, it's not like they have bad feet or anything. Hope this helps

www.healthylittlefeet.com/?gclid=CLuQ1PnL_K0CFcx_fAodDV0Jsw This might help, there is a quiz thing to help decide.

DS had been walking confidently for about 3 weeks when I got his first shoes, he plays outside a lot at nursery, so once he was walking as his main way of getting around he needed them. He still goes barefoot when he is indoors though. They need to for their feet to develop, when he tried his first shoes on he was walking like John Wayne in moonboots!

I get his from Clarks, measured and stuff. There is a nearly new tots store near me who suggested that I got him measured at Clarks and she might have the right size in, but I like the Clarks lady to check the fit. It's too important to get wrong. I'd rather dress him in Asda and have decent shoes on him, than end up with him having fallen arches or something when he's older.

I may be going against the general grain on secondhand shoes.

My DD wore hand-me-down (from DS) "first" shoes. I took her, and them, to my local independent shoe shop and they checked the fit and said they were fine.

DH only ever wears shoes outside, and only began when he was walking on the street.

The thing about second hand shoes is that baby shoes are quite soft, and mould to the individual foot even more than usual shoes do. Couple that with the fact that baby feet are more cartilege than bone, and still forming, and second hand isn't a great idea, I don't think. I get everything for kids second hand - toys, clothes, furniture - but shoes, carseats and mattresses I buy new. Just don't see the point in a small economy when there may be ill-effects. Having said that, the emphasis is on the "may" and I must admit I sometimes think I'm bonkers when I see 2nd hand Startrites on Ebay for a fiver inc. postage, and new are £35. And I've bought 2nd hand formal shoes for him for a wedding, because I knew he'd only wear them once.

Incidentally your in-laws are wrong; you should keep babies and kids (and adults, actually) barefoot as much as possible.

And after talking with the sales assistants in Russell & Bromley and John Lewis, I always get Startrite over Clarks. They showed me the way the shoes are constructed, and for an extra £3 Startrite are much better quality.

Agree wait until your dc is walking outside.

Also don't be forced into buying expensive shoes - you can check how a pair of shoes fits yourself fine and often better than the people in clarks etc.

My ds saw an orthapaedic consultant last week re. is slightly odd toes and he was scathing about the 'expensive children's shoes racket'. And to add his odd toes nothing to do with his shoes

Nothing wrong with soft slipper type shoes before they can walk, I got DS Robeez as he started to get grazes on his feet from crawling outside! Don't buy proper shoes until walking.
Would be nothing wrong with second hand shoes if they were the soft slipper type things as nothing for previous feet to mould!

I didn't put any shoes on mine until they were around 14 months old and walking a few steps.
I started off with soft leather prewalkers until they needed shoes to walk outside.

I would use 2nd hand if they were the soft leather prewalkers.

My MIL was the total opposite and nearly died when she saw DS in them soft baby shoes. (they were for a photo shoots with her cousins, she had them on less than half an hour, she hated them!) Then that was her bare foot (most if the time with no socks too!) until she was walking well at 13 months. In the house she's always barefoot, or in soft slippers if she's in the kitchen coz that floor is chilly!! X

If you are putting babies in shoes hard enough to have "moulded" and to affect their feet, you are putting them in the wrong shoes IMHO. My DC wore the "cruiser" shoes only when they were walking well (and therefore wanting to walk outside) and until they were too big for the range. I was a bit wobbly about second hand shoes until reassured by the fitter that DS's shoes were perfect for DD and would not be a problem.

No-one wears shoes in our house, so they still spend a fair amount of time (and most of the summer holidays) barefoot.

I never bothered with cruiser shoes. I got mine measured for proper shoes a few weeks after they were actually properly walking, not needing to hold onto anything at all and able to go from sitting to standing alone etc and wanting down outside.

ds1 and ds2 are summer babies, started cruising and walking in the summer so i got them shoes when they started trashing all their socks and leather baby shoes in the toddler group garden!

ds3 started walking last week. he tried a pair in clarks and wasn't standing in them properly so the sales assistant said to leave him a few weeks. we then tried somewhere else and they said once they've been walking for 6-8weeks to get shoes.

i know you shouldn't because shoes mould to the feet but ds2 is currently in his 4th pair of hand me down shoes at 2 1/2yrs. i get them all measured and checked in clarks regularly.

Wow - thanks everyone for all the replies. FutureNannyOgg the link was really helpful. And stealthsquiggle I hadn't thought of taking the 2nd hand shoes to a shop. But I think I'll stick with my gut instinct and the other posters and go for new shoes. He has hand-me-down clothes and toys so one new thing seems reasonable! Glad to hear am not harming him by going shoe-less. Shall be all smug try to re-educate MIL!

DD is 12 months and just managed to stand for a few minutes and it cruising like a good un.I put her in those little leather soft shoes or bare foot if warm enough.I never got any of mine shoes untill they were walking properly.
I dont think cruising shoes are necessary either but i also dont think having those ones second hand would hurt as they are just soft foot protecters.

I agree with some posts here : no shows needed unless walking outside. Cruising shoes are pointless money making devices...unless baby cruises outdoors?
Waking barefoot when first starting off is best. 3-4 weeks after they start walking the foot changes shape and then you can get shoes.

All shoes take the shape of the wearer's foot as soon as weight is put on them. Babies have soft bones in their feet which can easily be bent and damaged. I would not buy second hand shoes.

Friend of mine gets baby measured at clarks and then buys the right size new shoes for him from eBay/ amazon etc. He has quite a few shoes, none second hand and none as costly as £35.00!!!

Sorry, should have clarified: I don't think of Robeez or Daisy Roots as shoes. They are more like leather socks, really! I mean those tots or whatever they're called, onwards. Anything your child actually walks in/has a definite formed sole.

Thanks again everyone. Think I'll maybe get him some of those soft leather soled ones for now just as protection from our grubby scratchy wooden floors!