The honest answer, coming from someone who makes shoes, is later than you probably think. A baby doesn't need shoes until they are walking outside on their own, and that usually happens around 12 months, with a lot of variation. Before that, whatever is put on their feet serves to keep them warm and protected, not to support anything: socks, soft-soled booties, or fabric shoes.
And if your little one isn't walking yet, the answer to "when do I switch to respectful footwear?" is the easiest of all: there is no need to change anything, because the first shoe can already be barefoot-style, so there is no transition to be made.
In this guide
- It's not a new idea: Emmi Pikler wrote it in 1969
- Before walking: the foot doesn't need shoes
- Crawling and standing up: soft soles, not shoes
- First steps: this is when the first shoe comes in
- Walking confidently: adjust to the usage
- Signs that their shoes have become too small
- How to make the transition if you're coming from rigid footwear
- Putting shoes on and taking them off is also a moment of care
- Frequently asked questions
It's not a new idea: Emmi Pikler wrote it in 1969
"If it is necessary to protect their feet from the cold, they will wear flexible fabric or knitted footwear that takes the shape of the foot. As long as they do not walk well, they will not wear hard-soled shoes. And even later, they will only wear them for walks or outdoor play if the weather demands it."
Pikler was a pediatrician, founded the Lóczy Institute in Budapest, and documented how a baby's movement develops when the adult does not intervene. She didn't sell shoes. And what she describes is exactly this: no hard soles as long as they don't walk well, and afterwards only when the weather calls for it.
Before walking: the foot doesn't need shoes
Newborn and first months. Bare feet are the best thing you can give them. During the first years, the sensory receptors on the soles of the feet outnumber those of the hands: they are constantly gathering information through them. If it's cold, use socks or soft booties that don't squeeze the toes or the ankles.
Before moving around. The same applies. The priority is for the foot to move: to kick, to bring the feet to the mouth, to turn. Free movement is not a fad; it's how they build the map of their own body.
During these months, the most frequent mistake isn't the shoe: it's socks and pajamas that have become too small. They squeeze the toes for many hours a day and go unnoticed.
A guilt-free note: babies are born with flat feet, and the arch forms on its own during the first decade. This is a normal finding at these ages, not something to be corrected.
Crawling and standing up: soft soles, not shoes
When crawling, the little one pushes with their toes so that the foot acts as a lever. Narrow or rigid footwear prevents this, so here, shoes get in the way more than they help.
At home, barefoot whenever possible. If the floor is cold or slippery, use non-slip socks. For the street and the stroller, use soft-soled booties.
And another guilt-free thing: crawling is not an essential milestone. Child development experts haven't considered it mandatory for a long time, nor is its absence a sign of anything. Many little ones walk without ever having crawled. In the sequence that Pikler documented, furthermore, there are little ones who move on their knees and others on the soles of their feet: everyone gets there in their own way.
First steps: this is when the first shoe comes in
When they walk autonomously and go out into the street, the first real shoe arrives. Its function is protective: from the cold, the asphalt, whatever is on the ground. At home, it's still not needed.
What to look for in that first shoe:
- The correct size, checked with the insole removed and the child standing on it
- Very lightweight
- Thin and flexible sole, that bends in the toe area
- Wide toe box
- No heel elevation
- A heel counter that gives way when pressed with your thumbs
- Wide and adjustable closure, because a baby's foot has a lot of volume
- Easy to put on, as they are put on and taken off many times a day at this age
And a rule of thumb for sizing at this stage: between 0 and 15 months, the foot changes half a size approximately every two months. Once they walk, every three or four. It is best to measure rather than wait for them to complain.
Walking confidently: maintain the criteria and adjust to the usage
| Where | What is recommended |
|---|---|
| At home | Barefoot. If it's cold, non-slip socks |
| Preschool | A closure they can handle themselves, because they take them off and put them on several times a day |
| Park and outdoors | Non-slip sole that remains flexible |
| School | The ones worn for the most hours. If you're only going to change one pair, change these |
| Summer | Heel supported and toes not fully exposed. Flip-flops and thong sandals are discouraged for running and climbing |
| Winter | If the upper only keeps them warm and doesn't restrict the ankle, that's fine. If it immobilizes it, it's not |
Two criteria that apply to all rows: rotate footwear instead of always wearing the same pair, and ensure the little one can run, jump, climb, and kick without losing the shoe.
Signs that current footwear has become too small or is limiting them
- Less than 0.5 cm of space in front of the longest toe
- Red marks on the toes or instep when taking them off
- They take their shoes off as soon as they walk through the door
- They resist putting them on when they didn't before
- Toes look curled or overlapping when the foot is bare
- The shoe has deformed on one specific side
- Socks are always worn out at the same toe
If they are also limping, complaining of pain, falling a lot, or you notice something that worries you, that should be assessed by a podiatrist or your pediatrician.
How to make the transition if you're coming from rigid footwear
- First, time barefoot at home. It's the best transition that exists and it's free.
- Start with the least demanding footwear, the home ones or the weekend ones.
- Short walks, increasing them depending on how they handle them.
- When they wear them without complaints, switch to daily use. School shoes are the ones that change the equation the most, because they are worn for many hours.
- If they complain or get tired sooner, slow down. There is no prize for going fast.
In small children, this usually takes days, because they haven't been wearing shoes for long. In older children, it can take weeks.
Putting shoes on and taking them off is also a moment of care
This isn't about shoes; it's about how you put them on.
In the Piklerian tradition, moments of daily care (diapering, dressing, bathing) are not the gap between activities: they are the focus. And putting shoes on and off falls into that category. The difference between taking their shoes off in a hurry, without warning, while looking at your phone, and telling them what you are going to do, waiting a second, and letting them participate by pulling the Velcro themselves, isn't in the time it takes. It's in whether you consider them or not.
A little one who participates in putting on their shoes resists much less. And in the process, they are learning to do it themselves, which is what this is all about.
This article is for informational purposes and does not replace the assessment of a healthcare professional.
Frecuently Asked Questions
0 to 6 months
Does my newborn need shoes?
No. What they need is to move their foot freely. If it is cold, a sock or flexible bootee that does not squeeze the toes or ankle. Emmi Pikler already described it this way in 1969: flexible fabric or knitted footwear, only to protect against the cold.
Does my baby have flat feet, is it normal?
Yes. All babies are born with flat feet and the arch forms on its own throughout the first decade. It is a normal finding at these ages, not something to correct.
6 to 12 months, crawling and standing up
Does a crawling baby need shoes?
No. When crawling, the foot pushes with the toes and it is good for them to feel the floor. For the cold or for the stroller, a soft-soled bootee.
My baby doesn't crawl, should I worry?
Crawling is not an essential milestone. Experts in child development have long stopped considering it mandatory, and many little ones walk without ever having crawled. If something worries you about your little one's development, your pediatrician is the one to assess it.
Around 12 months, first steps
When does a baby need shoes for the first time?
When they walk alone on the street. Before that, a bare foot is enough, and for the cold, a sock or a flexible bootee.
Should I put shoes on them at home when they start walking?
It is not necessary. At home, barefoot whenever the temperature allows.
How often should I change sizes at this age?
Between 0 and 15 months, the foot changes by half a size approximately every two months. It is advisable to measure every 2 or 3 months and change when there is less than 0.5 cm in front of the longest toe. At Feroz, the first size exchange is always free, because getting it right the first time with a baby is difficult.
From 2 years old
When should I switch to barefoot shoes for my baby?
Ideally, the first shoe should already be barefoot, so you don't have to change anything later. That first shoe arrives when the baby walks independently on the street, usually around 12 months. If they are already wearing conventional footwear, you can change at any time, starting with periods at home and short walks.
What footwear do they need for daycare?
One that they can put on and take off by themselves, because at that age they take their shoes off several times a day. Wide Velcro works well. The underlying criteria do not change: correct size, wide toe box, flexible sole, and lightweight.
And for school?
It is the footwear they wear for the most hours, so it is where it is most worth insisting. The school's rule usually concerns color or type of closure, not rigidity: there is almost always a flexible option that complies.
Does my child have flat feet at 4 years old, is it normal?
At that age, it is still a common finding: the arch forms throughout the first decade and no closing age can be set. In children without pain, the 2022 Cochrane review concluded that there is no evidence to support the use of insoles. If there is pain, limping, asymmetry between one foot and the other, or the foot is rigid, that should be assessed by a professional.
Can you switch to barefoot at any age?
Yes. The younger the child, the faster the adaptation usually is. In older children, it is advisable to go in phases. If there is a specific indication from a healthcare professional, that takes precedence.
