Baby Shoes

Doctors recommend that babies go barefoot as often as possible so that their feet can develop. That said, sometimes your baby needs shoes for protection or just to look nice. Baby shoes can be expensive and quickly outgrown, so examine your options before buying any.

Pedipeds are great if you are looking for standard shoe styles such as Mary Janes, athletic shoes, sandals, loafers, and formal dress shoes. With non-slip leather soles, nontoxic premium leather parts, and a soft lining that cushions your baby's ankles, pedipeds have been designed with your baby's comfort and safety in mind. Velcro straps fasten each pediped securely to cradle and protect a baby's feet even while allowing the baby a lot of free movement.

Babies up to a year wear shoes from pedipeds' Originals collection (sized 0-3 months, 0-6 months, and 6-12 months). For girls, you can choose between adorable flower-decorated and polka-dotted Mary Janes, boots, and other pretty shoes in trendy colors such as pink, chocolate, and turquoise. For boys, you can choose between tasteful variations of loafers, oxfords, sandals, and sneakers in different combinations of sedate colors such as brown, white, navy, and black.

At around $30 for each pair (and closer to $40 for boots), pedipeds are not cheap, but their quality and style make them a good choice if you want to invest in one or two pairs of shoes that will wear well and match everything.

Another popular baby leather shoe line (and one that, like pedipeds, has been approved by the American Podiatric Medical Association) is Robeez. Robeez now offers a range of different collections, but the classic Robeez Soft Soles shoes are basically leather booties with elastic around the ankles to keep them on your baby's feet. Babies with larger ankles may find that the elastic cuts uncomfortably into their skin, and these shoes are not as form-fitting as pedipeds are.