When to get first shoes?

[StormGlass]

DS (12 months) has been crawling for a few months, and is now pulling himself up on furniture and cruising along it. No unsupported standing or walking yet.

So far, I've not bought him any shoes, just nice warm socks, as I don't want to damage his feet by putting him in shoes too early.

Obviously, I'll have to get him shoes at some point, as sooner or later he'll be wanting to try walking outside a house - just wondering when?

Should I leave it until he's reasonably confident at walking? Or get some now so he can practice cruising outside with shoes on? What have other people done?

Clarks do the first steps range for when babies are literally taking their first steps

They also have extended rubber soles which come up over the ties area to avoid scuffing when babies tumble over and crawl a bit

They're very soft too

I never bought cruising shoes, literally into Clarks first steps when they were walking unaided

HTH

DD and DS both went without until they were necessary for running around the playground or similar. It's barefoot basically all the time at home. DD will have to have some when she goes to nursery in September - she's 3. DS is coming up for 2 and has a pair of ebay crocs that he uses when shoes are necessary (got him measured at the shoe shop without buying).

Barefoot as long as possible. A good rule I read on here was to wait until they are walking and until you have had a couple of trips where you've thought 'argh, it would have been really useful if they'd had shoes for that trip!'

DD (12 mo) has been walking for about 6 weeks, I'm taking her and older DS to get some fitted shoes the week after next after the schools have gone back If she has been outside, she has just been wearing some little leather slipper things to stop her socks getting dirty. I would probably be waiting a bit longer for 'proper' shoes if it wasn't coming up to winter so she will need shoes to protect against the wet. I always take my kids shoes off in the house and our garden

We do wellies much more than we do shoes, for exactly that sort of back-garden purpose (especially as one of their favourite games is mucking about with the outside tap).

I shall leave the shoes for a while then

Although I may look into the leather slipper idea Whispers mentions for days when DS is at nursery - their toddler garden is all astroturfed, but I guess it can still get socks grubby...

You can get soft fabric shoes, just decorative really, from supermarkets etc. They are only a couple of quid and stop their socks from getting dirty but won't restrict the feet. That's what we send to nursery since they insist on having shoes for DS. Didn't see the point of proper shoes since there is no broken glass, pebbles etc. in the yard.