The Best First Walker Shoes for Babies and Toddlers
I was drawn to the simple canvas style of the European Cienta 50000.02 Velcro T-Strap and the 58000.01 Canvas Sneaker (no longer available), but they were too narrow for my daughter to get on. Another child tester complained that they were “too tight right here,” (pointing to the sides of her feet) but her toes didn’t come close to the end.
It’s hard not to love the look of a pair of baby Chuck Taylors. Sadly, the Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Easy-On Canvas offers nothing much more than great style. The grip is nothing special, the Velcro straps feel cheaply stitched, and the low-cut canvas around the ankle isn’t ideal for littles who need more support to help them walk.
We liked the lightweight, sleek look of the Keen KNX Knit Double Strap, but they were hard to get on, and my toddler kept rubbing her finger between her foot and the laser-cut knit edge.
Always in search of a bargain, we wanted to like the K Komforme Toddler Canvas Sneaker, but save your $20. The Velcro straps and tongue are quite thin, and the outsole is very rigid and slippery. The stitching along the inner footbed was frayed before we put the shoe on.
We love Merrell’s adult shoes, so we were excited about the Bare Steps A83 Sneaker. However, these were the heaviest shoes we tested. They were so stiff and narrow I couldn’t get them on my daughter’s feet even after checking the size chart. I asked a friend to test them — her child’s foot is the same size as my daughter’s but narrower — and she couldn’t get them on either.
We wanted to test a couple classic baby-style shoes, which traditionally have higher walls for ankle support. After seeking staff recommendations and reading online reviews, we tested Naturino’s July One and the Josmo First Step Walker and then came to our senses when we realized they had tie-up laces. For a vintage look, we preferred the Naturino pair for its beautiful moccasin-like design, soft upper, and grippy sole. The Josmo shoe’s sole was very slippery.
For those early walkers who want a sneaker style but might be indoors more than climbing around outside, we did like the Robeez Valerie First Kicks and Adam First Kicks styles, but the soft leather sole wouldn’t be enough support walking over rocks or sticks. Plus, the quality in the upper is on the thin and flimsy side.
While the Saucony Baby Jazz Hook & Loop Sneaker has thousands of positive reviews on sites like Amazon, we were disappointed in them. The Velcro strip doesn’t extend across the strap, which prevented us from getting as tight a fit as we liked, and the fabric on the strap looked ragged over just a few weeks. Other reviews note the toe-cap glue peeled off over time, but we never had that particular issue. The suede is tricky to keep clean, and after the summer our shoes were unrecognizable from when we first bought them. The grip is subpar compared with our picks.
A few colleagues recommended the Tip Toey Joey Bossy sneakers, but I had a hard time navigating stock on the company’s website and finding retailers, so we ultimately did not test this shoe.
For those looking for a lower price and a stylish Velcro shoe, we love the Vans Old Skool V Shoe. But you won’t get a lot of features, like a flexible sole or wide toe box. These shoes are simply a scaled down version of adult shoes.
Thousands of five-star reviews on Engtoy’s Baby Shoes fooled us. This infant sock was near impossible to get on, and the material is made of cheap-feeling, scratchy fabric. They smelled so much like chemicals when I opened the box that I let them air out for a few days before I brought them inside.
We like that Komuello’s Baby Socks are an affordable option in a plethora of colors and designs, but the fit is narrow, and after my toddler wore these for awhile on a warmer day, her feet were sticky. Plus, once she started day care, we preferred an infant sock with a little more substance (like the knit on our pick from Toetots) compared with the thin sock on this one.
This guide was edited by Amy Miller Kravetz and Kalee Thompson.
