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Baby shoes should be comfortable and flexible so that the child is encouraged to walk in them. Look for shoes that are made of breathable material so the baby’s feet don’t get too hot or sweaty. There’s nothing sadder than a toddler with a case of athlete’s foot that reaches “William Perry” on the severity scale. The soles should offer some traction but not be so thick that the baby can’t feel the floor beneath her feet. Nothing will make your baby take a header more quickly than a pair of shoes with thick, heavy soles.

Remember that baby shoes are not the same as those for adults and older children. They should not need to be “broken in” by the child because that simply isn’t going to happen. Baby shoes aren’t worn long enough to be worn out or broken in. When fitting the shoe, make sure that it doesn’t rub the little one’s feet the wrong way and that there’s plenty of room to grow. Now that you’re buying baby shoes you should be prepared to buy them often. Babies grow faster than you may realize and you’ll probably be looking for new baby shoes about once a month.

For your baby’s first few pairs of shoes you may want a pair with Velcro fasteners rather than laces. It’s easy for babies to untie shoelaces, which will have you either retying them repeatedly or constantly worrying that little Dave or Carmen is going to trip over a loose shoelace. As the child ages, however, find some point to switch to laces. Just because Velcro shoes are available into adult sizes doesn’t mean you want your son to be unable to tie his shoes until he’s thirty-seven.