It's best not to force a baby to wear shoes. Refusing them is a normal response and almost always has a specific cause: they pinch, they're heavy, they're stiff, a seam rubs, your baby is too hot, or they're simply not used to them, because until now they've lived barefoot. What works is finding the cause, checking the shoes and reintroducing them little by little. Forcing usually achieves the opposite: your baby starts to associate shoes with a battle.
And before anything else: if your baby isn't yet walking on their own outdoors, they don't need shoes. If they refuse them and are at that stage, the simplest solution is to wait.
In this guide
- Start by ruling out the size
- Other common causes
- When they can safely go barefoot
- How to introduce shoes little by little
- What to avoid
- When to see a professional
- Frequently asked questions
Start by ruling out the size
It's the number one cause, and it isn't always the length. Very often it's the width or the instep. A baby's foot has a lot of volume, and a shoe that's tight across the width feels uncomfortable even if there's room to spare at the front.
It isn't an unusual problem: in a study in Seville of 505 children, 66.7% were wearing shoes that were too narrow and 72.5% shoes that were too short. And the number on the box doesn't help either: in another analysis of 316 pairs, only 3.8% were correctly labelled.
How to check in a minute: Use our downloadable template, which you'll find in the size guide. If the foot spills over the sides, the shoe is too tight even if it's the right size.
Other common causes
It's stiff or heavy
If the sole doesn't bend, the foot has to fight against the shoe with every step. A baby has no way of explaining this to you, so they take it off. Try bending the shoe at the toe and heel, twisting it and squeezing the heel counter with your thumbs: if nothing gives, it's stiff.
Something is rubbing
Inside seams, labels, a wrinkled lining, an insole that moves. Put your hand in and run your fingers all around the inside. What feels slightly scratchy to you can be quite bothersome on a baby's skin. And watch out for socks, which cause more rubbing than you'd think: too long and they bunch up over the toes, too short and they slip down inside the shoe.
They're too hot
Babies' feet sweat a lot. A material that doesn't breathe or a thick sock is enough. If this is the cause, you'll notice because the refusal comes and goes rather than happening every time.
They're not used to them
If your baby has lived barefoot, a shoe is a new sensation that covers the foot and takes away information from the ground. During the first few years, the receptors on the sole of the foot outnumber those on the hands: you're covering one of their main channels of information. It isn't a problem with the shoe, it's adaptation.
They're in the middle of the “I decide” stage
From around eighteen months, taking off shoes, socks and hats is also a way of saying “I choose this”. It's a phase and it passes, unless you turn it into a battle.
When they can safely go barefoot
Almost always. At home, on clean surfaces, on sand, on grass. Going barefoot gives them information from the ground and lets them use their toes, which is what they need to move.
Shoes are for places where the ground could hurt them or where it's cold: the street, tarmac, gravel, unfamiliar surfaces. If you're at home, the answer is easy.
How to introduce shoes little by little
- Check the shoes first. Size, width, flexibility, weight, seams. Before working on getting them used to shoes, rule out the shoe itself as the problem.
- Start at home, and keep it short. Five minutes playing with them on, without going anywhere. Don't let the first experience be rushing out of the door.
- Tell them what you're going to do. Saying “now I'm going to put your shoes on” before you touch their foot may seem silly, but it isn't: it gives them a second to get ready instead of it just happening to them.
- Let them take part. Let them pull the hook-and-loop strap, choose between two pairs, try to do it on their own even if it takes a while. Putting shoes on is a moment of care, not a chore, and a little one who takes part resists much less.
- Put them on when they're calm, never when they're hungry, sleepy or in the middle of being upset.
- Build up the time gradually. Five minutes, ten, a short walk.
- If they take them off, that's fine. Put them back on once more, calmly, and if they insist, leave it for another time. Repeating every day without tension works better than insisting a lot on one day.
- Take them off when you get home. That way shoes are linked to going out, not to being at home.
What to avoid
- Forcing them or holding them still to put the shoes on. It turns a neutral moment into a conflict.
- Leaving them on despite complaints “so they get used to them”. If they bother your baby, there's a reason.
- Buying a size up so they go on more easily. A shoe that's too big makes the toes grip to hold it on, and is more uncomfortable.
- Wearing new shoes for the first time just before an important outing.
- Reading the refusal as a whim. It almost never is.
When to see a professional
This page is for checking the shoes and how to introduce them, not for assessing a foot. It's a good idea to see your paediatrician or a podiatrist if:
- They refuse shoes and are also limping or avoid putting weight on one foot
- They repeatedly complain of pain, with or without shoes
- You notice a clear difference between one foot and the other
- The refusal starts suddenly for no apparent reason
- There is swelling, redness that doesn't go away, or wounds
- They fall very often or you notice a clear change in how they walk
- You simply have doubts
We don't assess individual cases: we inform and refer. You'll find podiatrists trained in children's feet in the Expertos Feroces directory.
This article is for information only and does not replace an assessment by a healthcare professional. If your baby is in pain, is limping or you notice anything that worries you, talk to your paediatrician or a podiatrist.
Frecuently Asked Questions
My baby refuses to wear shoes. Should I force them to wear them?
No. Forcing them usually makes it worse, because they associate shoes with an unpleasant experience. First, check if they are too tight, heavy, or stiff, and then gradually reintroduce them for short periods at home. If they don't walk outdoors yet, they don't need shoes, and you can wait.
Why does my baby keep taking off their shoes?
The most common reasons are that they are too narrow or tight across the instep, that the shoes are stiff or heavy, that a seam or the sock is rubbing, that they are too hot, or that they aren't used to them. There is also a stage, around 18 months, when taking things off is a way of asserting independence.
Is it bad for my baby to go barefoot?
Quite the opposite. During the first few years, the sensory receptors on the soles of the feet outnumber those on the hands, so being barefoot allows them to gather a lot of information. Shoes are for protection against the cold and floors that could hurt them.
How long does it take a baby to get used to wearing shoes?
With short, daily periods and shoes that fit well, it usually takes a few days or a couple of weeks. If they still refuse to wear them after that, the problem is most likely the shoes.
Could it be that something hurts?
It could. If they also limp, avoid putting weight on a foot, complain of pain, fall a lot, or if you notice anything unusual on the skin, it is best to have a pediatrician or podiatrist assess them. An article cannot tell you that.
